Chickens are living animals. You can never tell what they will do. We can tell you what might happen or what has happened with ours, which I think is valuable, but none of us can guarantee what will happen with yours. I'm really amazed at Rearrolled's story about the one staying with the eggs after the first one took the chicks off the nest. That's fascinating. I'd have never thought that possible. Thanks for sharing that experience.
Let me give you a thread that may help you with your next hatch, especially with your experiences with this hatch. I don't think it will help you much with this hatch, but you never know what you will pick up.
Isolate a Broody? Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213218
I'm going to probably scare you a bit with my next section. Please remember that many people have two or more broodies hatch and raise chicks together and never have a problem. The things I am going to mention have happened to people, but they do not happen each and every time. The intention is to mention things that might happen and help you understand if any of these do happen so you can better deal with it.
With two broodies together, whether they share a nest or have nests near each other, they will sometimes fight over the eggs or chicks, even if the chicks are different ages. Sometimes eggs or chicks get hurt or destroyed in these fights.
Sometimes when two broodies are together, again either same nest or separate nests, one broody will sometimes kill the chicks that hatch under the other hen. Not often, but occasionally.
This is not your case, but if two broodies are on separate nests with eggs due to hatch at different times, one broody will hear the other chicks hatch and abandon her nest to go to the hatching chicks, sometimes to help and sometimes to fight for sole possession.
Again not your case, but with two broodies with separate nests due to hatch at different times, some hens will steal eggs from each other. That way you wind up with eggs hatching at different times.
You have the situation that you have two broodies on the same nest with eggs due to hatch at different times. You have too many eggs for one broody to cover, which rules out some options. There are different ways you can proceed. You can leave them alone, let them hatch out what they will and don't worry about eggs due later. Nothing wrong with that approach. Probably the simplest and least risk of total disaster.
When they hatch but before they abandon the nest, especially when enough have hatched that one hen can cover the rest, you can take one hen and the chicks that have hatched to a separate enclosure and leave the other hen on the nest to see what else she will hatch. For some reason those eggs get real valuable when they go under a broody. I feel that way anyway. There are risks in this approach. Do it at night in as dark a condition as you can (small flashlight with a slit cover over the bright end) and with as little commotion as possible. If they are awake and can see what is going on, they are more likely to fight you and damage eggs and chicks. I did mention risks. You can probably remove any chicks that hatch the next day and give them to the first hen, at night again. Then maybe let the second hen have any other chicks she manages to hatch out. I don't know how staggered your hatch will be but maybe this would get most of those that might hatch.
You could remove the chicks as they hatch, put them in a brooder, and raise them yourself. Maybe they will keep setting until all the eggs hatch. I would not do this, but it is an option.
Good luck! Hopefully you get many healthy chicks. Welcome to the adventure.
Let me give you a thread that may help you with your next hatch, especially with your experiences with this hatch. I don't think it will help you much with this hatch, but you never know what you will pick up.
Isolate a Broody? Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213218
I'm going to probably scare you a bit with my next section. Please remember that many people have two or more broodies hatch and raise chicks together and never have a problem. The things I am going to mention have happened to people, but they do not happen each and every time. The intention is to mention things that might happen and help you understand if any of these do happen so you can better deal with it.
With two broodies together, whether they share a nest or have nests near each other, they will sometimes fight over the eggs or chicks, even if the chicks are different ages. Sometimes eggs or chicks get hurt or destroyed in these fights.
Sometimes when two broodies are together, again either same nest or separate nests, one broody will sometimes kill the chicks that hatch under the other hen. Not often, but occasionally.
This is not your case, but if two broodies are on separate nests with eggs due to hatch at different times, one broody will hear the other chicks hatch and abandon her nest to go to the hatching chicks, sometimes to help and sometimes to fight for sole possession.
Again not your case, but with two broodies with separate nests due to hatch at different times, some hens will steal eggs from each other. That way you wind up with eggs hatching at different times.
You have the situation that you have two broodies on the same nest with eggs due to hatch at different times. You have too many eggs for one broody to cover, which rules out some options. There are different ways you can proceed. You can leave them alone, let them hatch out what they will and don't worry about eggs due later. Nothing wrong with that approach. Probably the simplest and least risk of total disaster.
When they hatch but before they abandon the nest, especially when enough have hatched that one hen can cover the rest, you can take one hen and the chicks that have hatched to a separate enclosure and leave the other hen on the nest to see what else she will hatch. For some reason those eggs get real valuable when they go under a broody. I feel that way anyway. There are risks in this approach. Do it at night in as dark a condition as you can (small flashlight with a slit cover over the bright end) and with as little commotion as possible. If they are awake and can see what is going on, they are more likely to fight you and damage eggs and chicks. I did mention risks. You can probably remove any chicks that hatch the next day and give them to the first hen, at night again. Then maybe let the second hen have any other chicks she manages to hatch out. I don't know how staggered your hatch will be but maybe this would get most of those that might hatch.
You could remove the chicks as they hatch, put them in a brooder, and raise them yourself. Maybe they will keep setting until all the eggs hatch. I would not do this, but it is an option.
Good luck! Hopefully you get many healthy chicks. Welcome to the adventure.
