Two broody hens

[Whitewolf9]

FIRST TIME EXPERIENCING-sorry for the long post


I have a flock of brahmas 3 hens and rooster, and a flock of 4, Buff and Lavender Orphington hen crosses both in separate runs/coops , and both have small coop that fits them all comfortably. In hopes of working on building a walk in pallet coop soon and merge them all together. The Orpington's are a year old, and for about a week now there is two hens staying in the same nesting box ( broody ), one doesn't care if I grab the eggs, she'll just fluff up a little,and the other one prevents me from getting the eggs,she's tries her best to peck me, and she will fluff up and start sqawking . I put 5 fertilized brahma eggs under them, not sure if that was a good idea or bad idea lol. I have no experience with broody hens, nor do I have experience with hens raising chicks , nor do I have the equipment to raise chicks if they hatch. Do I need to make a broody pen inside the run, that will hold the baby chicks and hen, and food and water, so they're not separated from the flock, put day old baby chicks under the around 20 days?or do I need to attempt break them of broody, considering they're sitting on probably 10-15+ unfertilized eggs, (I guess that's the right words), and what would be the best , easiest way for the hens ,(and me) to do it? They're stealing all the eggs from the other two hens, also lol. What do I need to do?

 

[DobieLover]

Don't isolate them.
Personally, I would remove one of the hens and break her. Having 2 broodies on a single nest can be a bad situation when the chicks hatch. Being new to this, you don't need to complicate things.
I would get cracking immediately on building a much larger coop.
You will need to put the flock on an all flock type of feed now so that the chicks have appropriate feed when they hatch. I feed a starter/grower crumble with 18% protein and keep 2 container of oyster shell out and feed this way always.
The only "special equipment" you need for the chicks is a chick safe waterer. And setup the adult waterer in such a way that the chicks cannot access it and potentially drown in it.
I use a homemade "baby bottle" for the chicks and suspend it with the mother on the nest in a maternity ward inside my coop.

This way she has access to water while on the nest. She leaves the nest to eat with the flock, dust bathe and preen then returns to her nest. She teaches the chicks how to drink from the bottle when they hatch and returns to the area with them to nest for the night. The bottle is obviously lowered when the chicks arrive so they can reach it.

 

[Yardmom]

You just need to remove the extra eggs added and let the hens do the rest. I have had hens work together on the same nest successfully, but this can cause issues. Make sure they are not moving the eggs between each other in excess, or fighting with each other. Check in for advice if moving becomes necessary.

 

[Whitewolf9]

You just need to remove the extra eggs added and let the hens do the rest. I have had hens work together on the same nest successfully, but this can cause issues. Make sure they are not moving the eggs between each other in excess, or fighting with each other. Check in for advice if moving becomes necessary.

Remove the fertilized eggs I put in there from the brahmas or the unfertilized eggs they keep laying, and let them wait it out? I don't think they're fighting over them

 

[Whitewolf9]

Don't isolate them.
Personally, I would remove one of the hens and break her. Having 2 broodies on a single nest can be a bad situation when the chicks hatch. Being new to this, you don't need to complicate things.
I would get cracking immediately on building a much larger coop.
You will need to put the flock on an all flock type of feed now so that the chicks have appropriate feed when they hatch. I feed a starter/grower crumble with 18% protein and keep 2 container of oyster shell out and feed this way always.
The only "special equipment" you need for the chicks is a chick safe waterer. And setup the adult waterer in such a way that the chicks cannot access it and potentially drown in it.
I use a homemade "baby bottle" for the chicks and suspend it with the mother on the nest in a maternity ward inside my coop.
View attachment 3465732

This way she has access to water while on the nest. She leaves the nest to eat with the flock, dust bathe and preen then returns to her nest. She teaches the chicks how to drink from the bottle when they hatch and returns to the area with them to nest for the night. The bottle is obviously lowered when the chicks arrive so they can reach it.

What would be the safest way to break her ? The run doesn't have a roof on it and the coop isn't big enough for a dog crate

 

[DobieLover]

Remove the fertilized eggs I put in there from the brahmas or the unfertilized eggs they keep laying, and let them wait it out? I don't think they're fighting over them

You must remove all eggs that get laid in her nest that YOU did not set under her. Mark the ones that need to stay if that is required to properly identify them.

You need a larger coop in a very bad way. You really should not have let either hen set without already having the proper housing for both the hen to raise the chicks and room for the chicks that will stay.

How long ago did you set the eggs? If it's only been a day or 2, I'd just take them out and break both hens. You'll have to set them up in a garage or spare room or something to break them. That will actually speed up the process because of the drastic change in setting.

 

[Whitewolf9]

You must remove all eggs that get laid in her nest that YOU did not set under her. Mark the ones that need to stay if that is required to properly identify them.

You need a larger coop in a very bad way. You really should not have let either hen set without already having the proper housing for both the hen to raise the chicks and room for the chicks that will stay.

How long ago did you set the eggs? If it's only been a day or 2, I'd just take them out and break both hens. You'll have to set them up in a garage or spare room or something to break them. That will actually speed up the process because of the drastic change in setting.

That was the plan with the new coop, sorry for the misunderstanding, this was just a temporary set up with long-term plan of merging. We have been collecting pallets for almost two years now and have just about enough to build it. There is more than one nesting box in both coops , but they only use one. I put the eggs in there 3 days ago. They've been sitting on them for about a week.