Two broody hens in one box

[drangle]

i had the same thing happen, the second hen went broody about a week and a half after the first. when the chicks started to hatch the second hen would kill them.

 

[Pollmadoll]

Sometimes two broody hens work together to hatch and raise chicks. You get several stories on here about how cute it is. But sometimes it is not cute. One broody may kill the chicks that hatch under the other. Sometimes they fight over the chicks and chicks can be hurt. One time I had a broody that had just turned broody in a different nest attack a hen to take over the eggs as they started hatching. When she heard the chicks she wanted them. They destroyed half of the hatching eggs, each with a live chick in it. I don't allow two broody hens to share the same space, let alone the same nest. But it works for many people.


It sounds like you allowed the eggs to just collect as time went by. The problem with this is that you can have a staggered hatch. The hatch can be spread out over several days. The broody hen has to decide if she is going to take the first ones to hatch off of the nest to get food and water when they get hungry (could be two or three days or could be sooner) and leave the rest to die. Staggered hatches can be very stressful for you and the hen.

New eggs can continue to show up in the nest. Other hens can lay in the nest with them. It's fairly rare but a broody may carry an egg back to their nest from another nest. Not only does this create a staggered hatch but if the number of eggs gets so high the hen cannot cover all of them some can get pushed out from under her, cool off and die, then get pushed back under her while a different one is pushed out, cools off and dies. If that happens you do not often get a good hatch. That is why Aart said to mark the eggs you want her to have and remove any fresh eggs daily. As long as you collect them daily they are still good to use.

How long ago was that rooster in with your flock? Most of the eggs should remain viable for two weeks after the last successful mating. If you are still within that time frame you could throw away all 17 eggs, or however many are under them now, and collect fresh eggs so you can mark them and start all of them at the same time. Yes, it is possible that some eggs will remain viable for three weeks or longer, but after two weeks the chances of an egg remaining viable drops off and you don't know when he mated with any individual hen anyway. It could be more than two weeks.

Another option is to candle the eggs and toss any that have not started developing. Mark the rest and continue, either with both hens or with just one. Or separate the two broody hens and give one the best developed eggs and the other hen the others. Or leave the hens as they are, mark the eggs and remove new ones, and deal with the potential staggered hatch and the risk of the two broodies together.

Any of these could work. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

My problem is that I have two broody hens in the same nest and only (having candled six eggs that were sent in the post and had detatched air cells) . Only one viable egg has survived at day 15 . Would it be a good idea to separate the two hens and only have one hatch this chick as I’m worried that the other one will get jealous and kill the chick?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You never know what will happen. The two hens may work together to hatch and raise the chick or one may kill it. If you break one and let the other hatch and raise the chick she may turn out to be a lousy mother. I understand how cute it is to have two broody hens work together but I'd break one and let the other hatch and raise the chick. Other people would choose differently.

 

[Pollmadoll]

Yes I agree to what you’re saying. I am thinking of separating them but as you say it’s 50-50 which mother hen will be better. I have one called Astra who is a grey Pekin bantam and her sister who is a ginger colour and she’s called Mimi so I’m on day 17 at the moment. Having candled the egg . The chick is alive and I only have one egg so I’m in a bit of a dilemma today of what to do ??

 

[Pollmadoll]

So the chick finally hatched today but I had to help him / her out because the membrane had gone completely dry as we were dealing with a detached aircell all along and the little one was struggling since yesterday afternoon so let’s just pray the little one will fluff up and Astra the mum will accept her

 

[Pollmadoll]

Yes I agree to what you’re saying. I am thinking of separating them but as you say it’s 50-50 which mother hen will be better. I have one called Astra who is a grey Pekin bantam and her sister who is a ginger colour and she’s called Mimi so I’m on day 17 at the moment. Having candled the egg . The chick is alive and I only have one egg so I’m in a bit of a dilemma today of what to do ??

So the chick finally hatched today but I had to help him / her out because the membrane had gone completely dry as we were dealing with a detached aircell all along and the little one was struggling since yesterday afternoon so let’s just pray the little one will fluff up and Astra the mum will accept her

 

[Pollmadoll]

Great news the little chick is chirping away today .