Poultry Central - The New Zealand Poultry & Chicken Forum

by **seatil** » Tue Nov 22, 2016 4:01 pm

My latest lot of chicks around here have two mums. It started out with two hens sitting on two nests right next to each other and eventually hatching out some chicks. (P.S. I don't recommend letting two hens sit next to each other like this - these girls kept stealing each others eggs and eventually tried killing some chicks by leaving eggs uncovered, even as they were hatching! Incubator rescued four - one didn't make it.)

The silver spangled hamburg is called Rae. She's a dab hand at producing chicks whether I want them or not. The frizzled bearded thing is on her first laying season and so far she's failed to hatch out one clutch (our fault, we didn't realise she was broody and shut her away from her eggs :oops:

), laid for about 3 weeks and then tried again with this lot, hiding in a much better location this time so that we didn't find her until it was too late.

They're doing a good job of raising the chicks together. No fighting between them, they just get on with it.

by **sewren** » Tue Nov 22, 2016 4:58 pm

Funny you should post this - I let both mamma hens with ducklings out of their respective runs the other day (because, frankly, the duck excrement was getting too much to bear in a confined space!) They instantly formed one big flock and have been sharing the mothering duties since. They all piled into one house to sleep from the first night. I'm not even sure they know whose kids are whose any more...

And this reminds me that I should get some more duckling photos now they are starting to feather up....

by **Kracka** » Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:58 pm

That's great they're mothering together okay - I've found 2 hens in one big nest certainly doesn't work (pinching eggs & losing them out the side & getting cold)