Who has had multiple broodies? Advice needed

[keeperofthehearth]

Whenever I have Mamas raising babies the same age, they often co-parent. Those 3 girls raising chicks were all due to hatch at the same time - two of the girls were even sharing a nest box - 9 chicks hatched and the babies kept switching nests. One mama continued to get up and eat while her babies were hatching and when she would leave the nest, the babies would wander around and the nest-sharing broodies would round them up and take them. I would try to sort it out and put the babies back with the right mama, but the babies would jump ship and hop back to the other mamas. When they all got off the nests, they just started co-parenting. It's really funny to watch all 3 broodies and all 9 babies squish themselves into a single 5 gal bucket at bedtime!

How cute!! I bet that is a joy to watch.

I wonder if that co-parenting is particular to Silkies? I have heard about co-parenting a few times but I don't think it's common in most breeds. It would be nice if that were the case because you wouldn't need to worry about the little chicks NOT being taken care of.​

 

[PortageGirl]

My two NHR years ago, used to always share a nest and then the chicks too. It just depens on the hens and if they're good friends or not. I called these two the 'Wylde Sisters' they were never seen apart, even after the chicks were grown. If you saw one the other was right there... I always said when they got old, I'd have to make a double batch of dumplings!

(this was years ago.. no I don't remember what finally happened with them!

)

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Nice PG!

I had two young EE's a few years back that were very close. Choxie was killed by a hawk before she ever started laying and her close friend Muffy died a few months later, I'm certain, fm a broken heart. It was sooo sad. Those two EE's looked so sweet together and Choxie was one of those EE's that were very personable. She use to jump up on my arm and roost fm the time she was just a little chick. I still miss her.

Haven't had such a friendly chook since.
On the broody side: I picked up 8EE's and 2BO fm fellow BYC'er Critter11 and planned on giving 5chicks to each of my 2 broodies.
I gave the Barnie 6 and went in to give my Marans 4 and found her running around taking a break. She took her sweet time and decided to take a good long dust bath. I didn't want to leave those 4 babies out, though I had them under a heat lamp, so gave up and gave them all to the Barnie.

I think my Marans is about to break her broody state since she got out of her nest box at least 3 times today. I really wanted to give her some chicks. Oh well, maybe next time she goes broody she can hatch some eggs. These girls definitly do things their way!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

A lot depends on the temperment of the particular broody hens. Some get along better than others with other Mama hens & their chicks. I have a lot of mixed-breed bantam hens that keep going broody. I used to try to break them of the impulse, now I accomodate them & set them with standard-size eggs. It's easier to sell the full-size pullets that hatch, and the larger cockerels have more meat.

Things seem to go better when I can separate the broody hens while they're setting. It keeps other hens from coming in & interrupting them when they try to add their eggs to the clutch. I've collected a number of wire rabbit-cage tops -- the type that clip to a deep plastic tray. These wire tops work great to place right over the broody hen wherever she's made her nest. I add food & water dishes, cover the top to shed rain, and sometimes place feed bags or something to screen the sides for more privacy.

It's best to work after dark when you're doing anything with a broody hen, they stay put better. Sometimes I have to move the hen to a more convenient place, and if so, I try to either move the entire nest box if she's in one, or at least scoop up the nest she's made in the dirt. I try to slide a feed bag or piece of cardboard or wood under the hen & her nest, and move everything as is.

I used to let the Mamas free-range all day with their chickies, and they would do a pretty good job of keeping everyone safe. But now I have geese who don't always play nice, so now I'm keeping all the Mama hens & their chicks together in a pen. They each have a little cage, usually their broody cage, to sleep in with their chicks at night, but during the day they run around together in the pen, sharing a common feeder & water fountain. Sometimes I've had Mama hens hurt or kill other hen's chicks if they're confined in too close quarters. But if they have enough room to stay out of each other's ways, they usually don't bother each other.

If you don't have enough wire rabbit-cage tops, you could make something similar with pieces of ventilated wire shelving, cut to size & zip-tied together. Ask on your FreeCycle for donations of either.

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
I have another one sitting on eggs now, so make that 7 girls brooding!

 

[speckledhen]

I currently do have two broodies, but they are in different groups, so I have them in two separate areas. If I get one more broody right now, I'm sunk. Guess I'd have to leave her in her own flock and hope for the best.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Karen,
Count your blessings!

YOU have broodies! You know there are those who would love to have a broody. Maybe you could "rent" your girls out.

"Broody for hire" Need some chicks hatched out but don't want the work involved in use of a bator? Hatch rates are high but our prices aren't! Call ..... now to reserve your Broody today!

I am going to remember that Broodies are good . Your daily egg rate may go down but if we breed the broodiness out of all the chooks we would be completely dependant on those bators. We need our Broodies.

 

[Southernbelle]

Even my husband laughed at that! I'm just thrilled it's warm enough to ship eggs and I can order eggs I want to hatch - all winter I've been hatching out of my mixed large fowl pen to appease the broodies, so it's like Mutts-R-Us around here!

I poke fun at my little biddies, but I really love my broodies! I'm a low-maintenance kinda girl, so I love that they do all the work and I still get my hatching fix. I never bothered to buy an incubator - who needs it?

I wish my camera was working - they're so cute! I have 2 girls sharing a corner right now. They're on 18 Serama eggs and as soon as one gets up to eat, the other tries to steal all the eggs, so when the first one comes back, there's a small shoving match over egg ownership and things settle down (no egg damage at all.) They're due on Wed and they'll probably co-parent.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Mutts-R-Us

I've never been really interested in Silkies but stories like yours makes me want one or two. ACK! I didn't just say that .. NO, NO, Silkies are EVIL!!!!!

I only have standards and even our ducks are big Scovies sooo I really don't have a place for little bitties, or is that biddies.

Hope you have a great hatch Wed.​

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
I have another one sitting on eggs now, so make that 7 girls brooding!

Yet another girl has gone broody, so I'm up to 8 broodies!

Good thing I went a little overboard ordering hatching eggs