Will broodies fight?

[mrsmaonaigh]

Will two mama hens with chicks fight if they are together? Will the chicks stay with the right mom? I have one that is about to come off the nest. The other broody is out in the yard and the other girls don't bother her but she fluffs up and anyone who comes near her. Will they just stay away from each other?

 

[sourland]

It absolutely depends upon the temperment of the hens. I have had some hens who would attack other broodies and their chicks, and I have had hens that would co-mother multiple broods of chicks. Be prepared for either eventuality have a back up plan and react accordingly.

 

[TeamChaos]

I currently have 2 broodies in my coop and 2 broodies in a separate box. The "blondes" in the box had gotten along with their same-age chicks just fine for a few days, although when the jersey giant and her babies from the coop came to visit, my cochin decided she was not going to have it and I finally made a barrier so no one else could join the broodies' box. Today, the blondes are fighting each other and the giant and the dominique broody where fighting any chance they got.
*sigh*
Then, later, the jersey giant and the cochin were ranging their babies together...

I think a broody hen is initially freaked out by another hen making baby talk- they assume she's going to steal her babies. Once it's clear that they each have their own babies, things seem to calm down. And yes, the babies trade moms throughout the day (except for the other blonde, Ethel, she has the same four and will peck anyone else who gets near) but at coop up time, the same babies return to the same mamas.

My advice? Have a metal milk crate on hand. If a mama can't quit fighting, you can put her under the crate and the babies can still get under to her.