What in the world is going on???

[JeremiahLee]

I think my RIR hens are nuts, or either I am! I have two brooding hens next to each other (and there's no way to separate them at this point because the other area is for the other chickens). I didn't even realize they were broody until a week too late after they hadn't moved on the nest. Long story short, there are three boxes in this coop and the hen in the middle hatched at least two chicks because I've seen one and its shell and now to my utter surprise she's MOVED into the box with the other hen, and there's another shell in the middle that's hatched, but no signs of the chicks!!! I'm assuming they are under the mother(s) in the last box.

I had put starter feed outside the box as well as water for the new chicks. Now I don't have a clue what to do. Do I just leave them alone where they are? They are not fighting or anything like that. The temp dropped below 70 degrees last night so the chicks were under mother this morning while she was still in the middle. Any thoughts (besides I shouldn't be doing this at all, lol)? Thanks.

 

[Ginmary]

My Seramas co-brood all the time. Hopefully the 2nd hen won't think the chicks are hers and leave the eggs.

 

[Shadrach]

I think my RIR hens are nuts, or either I am! I have two brooding hens next to each other (and there's no way to separate them at this point because the other area is for the other chickens). I didn't even realize they were broody until a week too late after they hadn't moved on the nest. Long story short, there are three boxes in this coop and the hen in the middle hatched at least two chicks because I've seen one and its shell and now to my utter surprise she's MOVED into the box with the other hen, and there's another shell in the middle that's hatched, but no signs of the chicks!!! I'm assuming they are under the mother(s) in the last box.

I had put starter feed outside the box as well as water for the new chicks. Now I don't have a clue what to do. Do I just leave them alone where they are? They are not fighting or anything like that. The temp dropped below 70 degrees last night so the chicks were under mother this morning while she was still in the middle. Any thoughts (besides I shouldn't be doing this at all, lol)? Thanks.

Have a look. That's the easiest option.
If you keep your hand low and keep calm you should be able to slide your hand underneath both broody hens. Don't try to move the hens if you are new at this. You will be able to feel the feet of the chicks on your hand.
If either have chicks under them then you need to supply chick starter feed and water now. Place the feed and water in the nest box with the hens and replenish every day.

 

[JeremiahLee]

Have a look. That's the easiest option.
If you keep your hand low and keep calm you should be able to slide your hand underneath both broody hens. Don't try to move the hens if you are new at this. You will be able to feel the feet of the chicks on your hand.
If either have chicks under them then you need to supply chick starter feed and water now. Place the feed and water in the nest box with the hens and replenish every day.

Thank you so very much. I placed the water and starter feed on the droppings tray at the nesting box...there is NO room inside the nesting box to place anything else UNLESS I remove the partition between the middle and end. That would then open up the eggs still in the middle for the hens to decide whether to sit on them or whatever. What a mess!

 

[JeremiahLee]

Thank you so very much. I placed the water and starter feed on the droppings tray at the nesting box...there is NO room inside the nesting box to place anything else UNLESS I remove the partition between the middle and end. That would then open up the eggs still in the middle for the hens to decide whether to sit on them or whatever. What a mess!

Should I pull the partition out?

 

[wyoDreamer]

I would leave the partition. The hen will show the chicks where the food is.

 

[JeremiahLee]

I would leave the partition. The hen will show the chicks where the food is.

Thanks so much...since we last left the saga of the "floating brooders," I took the abandoned eggs and put them in an incubator in my house. Lo and behold one was "pipping" and I could hear it, so I took it back to the henhouse and opened the door and very carefully tried to slide it under one of the mothers. One was facing me and the other was turned the opposite direction. I got pecked slightly but just put the egg in front of her and closed the door. She immediately started to pay attention and I don't know what she was doing but I'll hope for the best. God I didn't sign up for this!!!

 

[JeremiahLee]

My Seramas co-brood all the time. Hopefully the 2nd hen won't think the chicks are hers and leave the eggs.

She did, lol. I brought the eggs (six) and put them in the incubator in my home. I hate doing that but she had been off of them for a day. She didn't go back to the nest and I believe it's because the new chick moved to the other brooder. Go figure. After the eggs were brought in, I noticed one "pipping" so I took the egg and tried to slide it under one of the hens. It's a gazillion eggs under them so this one wouldn't fit and I just put it at crop and closed the door. She heard the chick and started doing something. Oh well, we shall see. Thanks so much.

 

[JeremiahLee]

Well, if all hades hasn't "broke out" now. As if the original problems were not enough. Two chick in the incubator have hatched and are in the queue to go to the "nursery" brooder...a plastic container that will fit in my guest bathroom next to the five three week olds who originally started this whole mess. And now, "Mama" was spotted on the ground with two new chicks!!! There's no way they can climb back up that ladder to the nesting boxes. The "other big, fat hen" took her bohuncus off the eggs in the corner and was sitting on the poop tray with at LEAST four chick under her. All I could see was legs as she took her sweet time moving back to the unhatched eggs. Little tiny legs with heads and bodies up in the fat hen. There's that newly hatched one that she needs to sit on before it dies.

So she has moved back, and the "Mama" came up the stairs, sans chicks! I KNEW IT!!! So I go capture the two chicks and ever so gently put them back with the two hens sitting on God knows how many eggs and newly hatched chicks.

So, are these chicks in the nest gonna just keep climbing down the ladder? And if they do, what do I do? I was gonna shove these incubator chicks under the mothers but now I'm afraid to. If you could only see it. And it was a Walt Disney moment this morning when the incubator chick hatched. I captured it on my camera to send to my granddaughter, complete with me talking gibberish in a baby voice to nobody! Who knew what was about to ensue.

 

[JeremiahLee]

Help! Do I need to put some type of raised netting to keep chick in the top of the coop where mama and eggs and nesting boxes are?