Two bantam girls want to share nest

[wooklet]

Well,the girls have done it again! One went broody and was sitting on 10 eggs, then along comes her sister and decides SHE wants to go broody in the same box. They did this last year and it ended up as a disaster,with only 2 chicks surviving. So I put in an extra nesting box this year,and fortunately marked the first eggs. Today,there she was sitting on the eggs with her sister, not only that but a couple of others have been laying there too,and now there are 8 more eggs. So I have gone out after dark with a torch and moved hen number 2 to the other nesting box,with the unmarked eggs,these are the latest ones. I've been out twice to check on her and she is still there in the new box. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she stays there this time! Has anyone else had this problem and if so how can you fix it? I even tried moving the hen and the nest box to another coop last year but she wasn't having that carrying on cackling,calling,and refusing to sit on the eggs until I moved her back again! My incubator is full - as usual - so I can't move the eggs to that. Short of putting each hen in its own coop every nesting season I just don't know what to do. Anyone got any suggestions? Please!

 

[darkmatter]

Let them share, things will work out or not.

 

[Southernbelle]

I usually just let them share if they want. One would get up and the other would tuck all the eggs under herself; then she'd get up and the first broody would steal all the eggs back; when the eggs hatched, they co-parented the babies. If they don't have a great hatch, you could always give them chicks from the incubator.