Two Hens Broody at Once

[Silkie_Lover1]

So my hen, Raven, has been broody for about five weeks now and I have not given her any eggs and she is not giving up so I someday this week I will bring home some eggs from my aunt. Now, my other hen, Marshmallow is broody and I was wondering if I could give both of them eggs to hatch. Marshmallow had just laid an egg before she went broody and I watched them for awhile and noticed that if Marshmallow had the egg then Raven would try and nudge herself into the nest box with Marshmallow and Marshmallow would puff herself up and make a weird noise. I have one more chicken named Waddles, and with both of my other hens being in the nest box she hangs out with them and climbs into the next box with them and then just kinda walks over them.

I am very clueless on what to do now. Can I have both of them hatch eggs at once? What do I do about Waddles?

 

[SueT]

If she has been broody for 5 weeks, that's already way TOO long! They eat little and lose condition when broody. A hen can die in extended broodiness. You cannot add 3 weeks to that and expect a good outcome. I would put her in a broody buster (wire bottom cage) for several days until she snaps out of it.

 

[Silkie_Lover1]

I have tried that but then she just starts squawking and freaking out

If she has been broody for 5 weeks, that's already way TOO long! They eat little and lose condition when broody. A hen can die in extended broodiness. You cannot add 3 weeks to that and expect a good outcome. I would put her in a broody buster (wire bottom cage) for several days until she snaps out of it.

 

[Silkie_Lover1]

Ok, so I took marshmallow off the nest and now she has no interest in going back to it so now I only have Raven being broody

 

[SueT]

Get her some baby chicks then, rather than eggs. Our feed store already has chicks.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Get her some baby chicks then, rather than eggs. Our feed store already has chicks.

YES, this. If you can't break her, get her babies. Even 2-3 will be good enough.