What do you do when 2nd broody hen goes into box with 1st hen?

[chicklets81]

I have a black astro who went broody 3 weeks ago. Gave her 2 eggs to sit on. I failed to successfully separate her, so her 1st chick went missing (assuming other hens are chick) and 2nd egg never made it past pipping.

After she lost those 2 chicks, she remained broody. I gave her 2 more eggs to see if she will stay broody for 6 weeks. (I have incubator for backup)

Went into coop today, and one of my buff O's has squished herself into the same nesting box, and is now broody on the 1st hens nest, with her. They each have half a chicken butt over eggs, as my nesting boxes are small milk crates.

What should I do? 2 hens can't sit on the same nest, right?

 

[Mrs. K]

Sometimes it works,.... sometimes it is a disaster. I had two BO, hatch out the same day, and they co-parented. I never could figure out if chicks went to a specific hen or not. But they raised them up fine together. However, I have heard, where they will fight to keep the chicks to themselves. I was hatching 9 eggs a piece, so there was enough chicks to go around. With only two, they might be more territorial. I think I would leave the BO, and break the BA, as she has been brooding long enough, and it is hard on them.

MRs K

 

[Benevolent Barn]

Ultimately they can not share one nest box (sometimes there are exceptions) so you must move one. The real question is, do you want both of them broody, or one? I suppose you do not need two, as one hen can raise several chicks on their own. So what you can do is move one into a temporary broody cage or enclosure for her to continue incubating your eggs. Pick whichever hen you think would be best. I would go with the Orpington because the Austrolorp has been broody for quite a while now. Then you can try to get your other gen out of her broody phase and back to laying. Best of luck.

 

[User395221]

My 2 girls (in my avatar) "teamed up" and hatched some eggs together. They sat in the same nest box together and just decided for themselves what they would do. I just let them and luckily didn't have any issues.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have had co-broodies, but they were in a box that was large enough to accommodate both hens. There is real risk of poorly developing eggs in what I call "the no fluff zone" as both girls assume the other "has it" while the eggs cool between them both.

So in your tight situation, I would take the Australorp out and break her brood by locking her out of any area where she could go broody. (I don't use a cage. Just locking them out in a yard without nests usually does it for me). Six weeks is a very long time for a big girl. I have lost a couple of large girls who never snapped out of a brood....or get a couple of cheap feed store chicks so she can kick into mother mode. She should be ready as she hatched a chick.

As to the BO, it is more about if you want more chicks. Your BO is your better bet healthwise of hatching the current eggs, although of course, she may not stay the course, but you have a backup incubator.

The bottom line is that 2 large hens squishing together in a small box will merely result in smashed eggs and worse, squashed chicks when it is time to hatch chicks. Sadly, from personal experience, I can almost guarantee that.

LofMc

 

[User395221]

The bottom line is that 2 large hens squishing together in a small box will merely result in smashed eggs and worse, squashed chicks when it is time to hatch chicks. Sadly, from personal experience, I can almost guarantee that.

My girls are only little, so there was room for them both. I can see it would be a different story for big girls.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I agree with what the posters have said above. I
'd also feel guilty taking the Australorp off because she's been working so hard. It is the best for her though.

 

[chicklets81]

I feel horrible that my BA doesn't have a baby chick yet, and she wants one so bad!
I put in 4 eggs this time instead of 2. Do you think I should put them both in a dog crate, with 4 eggs so they can each sit on 2? Or do you think that's a bad idea?