Two Hens Sharing the Brooding?

[hiddenvalley713]

I have a sweet hen, who decided to brood two weeks ago.

Immediately, another hen, climbed right in with her, with the broody tail. As in, Blackie, showed broody in the morning when I went out, and by afternoon Pirouette was in there with her with the fanned tail and broody defense when I went near her. I kicked her out the first week and Blackie laid 6 eggs during that time.

Now, whenever Blackie gets off her eggs, for her daily watering and eating, Pirouette is right on those eggs as if they're hers, despite me kicking her out the first week. When Blackie returns, she either leaves the coop again once she sees Pirouette on them and wanders around outside, or sits in the neighboring box next to Pirouette, until she goes to eat and drink, at which point Blackie returns to her eggs. Many times, they sit on them together.

The biggest issue is that Pirouette has knocked two of the eggs out of the coop upon taking up her position, they've broken, and I've lost my chicks (I saw her doing it today, as I walked into the coop and couldn't get to the egg in time, and there was my baby chick in a smashed egg

Not sure how to save my last 4 eggs with this behavior. ??? I'd let them share this brooding job IF Pirouette wasn't deliberately rolling the eggs out of the nest like this!

 

[centrarchid]

Cage one away from nest. Reamining hen should be a bale to complete incubation. Two hens generally hatch and rear lower percentages than a single hen. Conflicts may appear subtle but are often more than enough to compromise well being of affected young.

 

[hiddenvalley713]

Thanks. I caged her and gave her two eggs to sit on. She accepted them readily so now we're counting 21 days with her too.