two hens {bantams} sitting on one nest?

[glasstream89]

i have two bantam hens, i dont know the specific breed as we got them from TSC and all it said was "mixed bantams", and they are both sitting on a nest together..... normal, abnormal?
anyways, they hatched out about two days ago and i see why it took two of them, there are 18 live chicks.... wow.
when we got them out of there today there were about 3 dead in the nest, looks like two got their eggs broken early and the other may have gotten trampled with so many in there.

 

[FirewifeJess]

The one in the back looks to be a bantam Brahma. Don't know about the other. But it's called co-mothering and it's done frequently. 18!!! That's a lot of chicks to be just the live ones! Congrats, they're adorable and I wish I had a broody!

 

[cochins1088]

Yes, I've seen 2 hens on one nest before. I think it's cool how they sometimes work together like that. 18 live chicks is an amazing hatch for broodies, my last broody only hatched out 6. Anyways, congradulations on the little ones!

 

[WillowChick]

Wow! amazing!

 

[tadpole98]

Oh wow

when u said 18 i freaked out!!! AMAZING!!!