What in the world is going on???

[jas humbert]

Okay- relax- you've got live chickies and are doing pretty well so far. Do you have any idea how old the eggs that haven't hatched are ? Are the rest due in a day or so or not for a week or more? Are any of the nonbroodies still getting in there and laying more eggs? I know space is limited but is there anywhere you can take one or more mama and babies down from the rest? A dog crate? A plastic storage box in the bottom floor of the coop? I have sweet silkies that fuss a little but don't bite when broody. If you've got an ornery broody, sometimes after dark is best. Get things set up before dark and then move mama and babies together (put a towel over mama's head and then put babies in shoe box or something and move them quickly). Mama probably won't be inclined to move around much in the dark and may be settled down by morning. If the other mom stays up top and doesn't see babies, she might be more inclined to sit on the remaining eggs? Or not. If she absolutely wont sit on eggs, they might have to go in the incubator. In nature, eggs hatch over a few days span and at some point broodies are going to lose interest in remaining eggs and concentrate on the live chicks. If you have eggs a week away from hatch, neither hen may stick with setting that long.

I put incubator chicks and feed store chicks under my broodies all the time and as long as chicks are about the same age-pretty new- it has been fine. And I have had several co-broodies- and the chicks just go back and forth between moms-once all the eggs are hatched, that will probably work out easily. You'll be surprised how soon chicks can climb a little ramp to the top.