First, our little Sebright-Polish-Crested-mix hen started sitting on eggs. Meanwhile, two other hens like to lay their eggs in that spot, and would just push the little broody one aside as they laid their egg on the pile. Of course, there would be no way of telling which egg was the freshly laid one, since they would all be warm! So, the pile of eggs kept on growing....
Now, our Leghorn-Polish-Crested-Sebright-mix hen has also gone broody....on the same pile of eggs! The two broody hens are next to each other on the same nest. (And yes, the two hens are related. They have the same father.)
Has this ever happened to anyone else?
How will they split up their chicks?
Won't the chick-eggs be in various stages of development? If so, what should I do in case both hens decide to stop hatching the eggs at the same time?
2 broody hens sitting on the same pile of eggs!
My silkies always go broody together. On the same nest lol. They both share the chicks. When the chicks hatched at different times one mother would take out the older ones and the one would stay with the eggs.
But to tell the newer one from the ones they are setting I use a marker and mark the eggs to be hatched and take the unmarked ones out. All the girls have to lay in the nests that are otherwise occupied lol.
Nest sharing is quite common around here. Ours too will keep laying and laying and laying until the nest is huge - - - then take turn setting, and take turns raising the chicks. They seem to work it out between them. If your hens decide for some reason to stop setting all together once the first batch hatches..............you can move them inside to a bator and finish them up. But, most of the time they will continue right on until the bitter end. How far apart in development are the eggs?
Belinda
THis is HALARIOUS! I love it so much! Can you send us a picture?
a similar thing has happened to me before i had a black hen sitting on eggs then about a week later another black hen went broody next to her anyway when the first lot started to hatch she ditched her nest and trampled 2 because there wasnt enough room so i put her back in her nest and locked her in so the first mother left the nest the next day i thought the other one was back to normal i opened the door she stayed on her nest when i went to check them she had left her nest and was with the other mother they had a joint custody over 2 litlle chicks out of a posible 11 her other ones died as i could not keep them warm
Good idea about marking all the eggs. But I wonder if it's a little late for that now.
I'm expecting to hear some peeping any day now. The first one started sitting on the eggs about 3 weeks ago, I think.
They have so many eggs, the two of them can barely keep them covered. There might be a third hen who still comes in and lays eggs on their pile.
I'll try to add a photo.
That is so cool and funny!!! Hope mine does it too. But I have 15 chickens 7 Barred rocks , 5 Red sex links , 3 Silkies but no eggs Yet cold weather Yuck.... GOOD LUCK and send pics. soon...
Tracey