Two broodies in one pen? Will it work?

[HorseFeatherz NV]

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I am well acquainted with that dastardly chicken math.

 

[Wynette]

I HAVE A CHICK!! I HAVE A CHICK!!!

Day 21 doesn't start until 10 p.m. tonight, but when I went to the barn at 5:30 a.m., I heard peeping! Gently lifted broody, and sure enough, a little blue olive egger was there, already fluffed up! YEAH!!!!! Now....just need at least one more for that chick so it's not lonely! GOOD JOB, broody momma! I'm so excited!

 

[Impress]

Congratulations! I've been watching this saga unfold, so happy you have a chick already!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Oh my GOODNESS.

It never fails to make me smile and feel good when I hear or see chicks who have hatched.

Just within the last week, a whole truck load of my cochins have gone back to being broody. I have two sets of two who are setting on a clutch together. I also have a set of silver laced who are raising 5 chicks together.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks, friends! Gosh, I can't get over how excited I am about this! The one thing I did learn....I should have put shelf liner down on teh bottom of the crate, as it's plastic & slippery. I have a ton of shavings in there, but broody pushed them all aside while she was incubating the eggs. When I lifted her quickly to see if anything was hatched this morning, the chick was slipping on the plastic. ACK! Can't do anything about it until she's done hatching, I guess, but next time, I'll put shelf liner down UNDER the shavings.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMg6S33-030&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

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...my attempts to embed a vid from youtube, above..........

Our rosecomb always shared duties with our Silkie. But our Silkie is stupid by nature, and not very territorial. she can be FIERCE when attacking a predator, but among her flockmates, she doesn't seem to mind anything. Or notice....

We think the rosecomb sort of used the Silkie kind of like a slave, to brood the eggs and warm the chicks............. but the rosecomb sort of stayed "in charge"..........

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Or you can put a little bit of sand in the bottom. I do here cause it is free - right out side the door. I usually put 1/2 to 1 inch into the recycle containers and crates I use as it helps to keep the hens from - like yours - pushing the shavings out from under them.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

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Oh we always had the same issue, and fear of spraddled legs on the chicks... we folded cotton cloth to make a 2-3inch pad for the bottom of the box. First, dusted the cloth with anti-mite permethrin, then folded it under the shavings. Sometimes the chicks are so wet and sticky that the chips get wound up in their cord and bottom, but after its dry its easy to flake off.

 

[Judy]

I have committed the unpardonable sin of moving a broody during a hatch -- and I got away with it. You can probably mess with them more than you think.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

pictures?