Holy hatching Mamma's

I have 20 broody hens in the barn right now!!!!!
When I checked yesterday about five of them had chicks under them. I moved some crates onto the floor and set all of them down, with their chicks and eggs. Tonight I spent sometime watching, there are chicks running every where, not sure if anyone knows who is who, but when I shut the lights out everyone had a Mama keeping them warm. These five were all Jersey Giants.
The Partridge Chantecler's don't seem to be having to much luck, maybe it's because there are five hens trying to use one nest box.
Also a pair of White Chanteclers are setting in one box, tried moving one and the next day she was back in the same box so just leaving them be.
A Buff Chantecler came off with two chicks, she seems to be one of the best Mama's. Also noticed that rooster is very attentive towards her and babies.
And one more funny thing I have to tell you. I moved about 20 chicks in with my Serama Roo and his lady. At first of course they chased them and seemed to keep them all at one end of the pen. Yesterday I opened that pen and let all those chicks out, cleaned it so I could put the next younger batch in. That roo doesn't want to leave all those chicks, I put him back two or three times and he is just fretting over them. She could care less, but even tonight he was pacing to get out. What a sweetie, being the Dad to 20 chicks that are all bigger than him. Oh and a couple of JG roos were having a spat, and he jumped right in there, I quick grabbed him and laughed my head off, the smallest roo attacking the largest in the barn, too funny.

Wow that is a lot of broody hens. I have 5 and they are driving me crazy. Of course I dont want them to set, I would prefer they get over this idea...
I have tried taking one in the dark to a new pen by herself to let her brood, but the next day they are running around being crazy wanting out of the pen, leave them another day, nope done brooding, then back to the rest of the flock and within a day back to wanting to be broody again...
I can't leave them be because there is no way to stop the others from laying eggs in that nest, and it fills up very fast with 20 some hens laying in there a day.
Glad you have such wonderful momma's chickeesmom.
That rooster sounds like a hoot, what a sweetie.

I have silkie brooding hens with chicks 4 hend and I think 23 chicks, also a stupid guinea sitting on 40 or so eggs.

Mine are starting to try going broody now, they will be getting Duck eggs though

I haven't had a broody hen yet. But since I have been letting them out I am getting fewer eggs. I was watching one girl that always comes in last and followed her yesterday into the bushes and found nine eggs there. She doesn't seem to want to hatch them just lay them there.
I not sure what I am going to do with a broody hen when it happens.
Sound like you are having a great time with yours.

That's so sweet Chickeesmom. Sounds like you're having as good a time as them just watching them and great it's not an inconvenience to you.

I could have used some of those broody hens!! I had about 4 broody hens (sitting on absolutely nothing). I brought home a mille de fleur rooster and 8 eggs from the Red Deer sale. I put the rooster, a millie hen and a silkie hen (she was being broody) all in a separate area. For whatever reason, this disturbed everyone and now no one is broody. I did try to get the silkie to sit on the eggs but she ate 3 of them - that shocked me. She just wouldn't sit on them - I'd gone out in the morning and they were cold - she must have stood up all night (I had her in a nest with a milk crate over it so she couldn't get out). Even though this was frustrating, I always join new learning experiences with my chickens.

Neat! I'm totally down with "let mama do it" whenever possible. Have fun with your broodies.