Broody in Michigan Winter?

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like things have settled down for you. They are what, about three to four weeks old? You set seven eggs, she hatched all seven, and she still has six chicks. Did I get that right?

I got 20 chicks in the mail on Thursday February 12th and lost one four days later. I don’t get that many in the mail but that’s the first time I ever lost a shipped chick. The outside temperature was in the single digits when it died but it was in the heated area, a pretty warm area. I wonder if this is one that failed to thrive, just never learned to eat or drink. Four days is about when the egg yolk it absorbed at hatch would run out. If I remember right, that’s about when your chick died. I’ll never know if the cold had anything to do with the death of mine but I’m not convinced it did, especially where I found it.

We are supposed to have some freezing rain later today, probably not enough to cause power outages, I hope. I have the generator ready just in case. But that points out a big advantage a broody has over me keeping them in a brooder. You don’t have to worry about a power outage like I do.

 

[aart]

Things have settled down, at least no more broody battles..... she's ruling the roost, so to speak, seems to have have fully ascended to her broody mama the mostest status.

Chicks are 3 1/2 weeks old (yep, 7 hatched and 1 died at about 9 days old) and roaming far and wide within the coop. ....while mama chases anyone away and seems to be keeping most the flock out of the coop entirely today.

Chicks are getting big, pretty crowded in that nest now and I should probably rig a wide board for a roost place for them all...tho I haven't seen any of the chicks flying/jumping up onto anything yet. I added a couple concrete block 'steps' up to the roost board. Supposed to warm up with highs in the 40's next week.

 

[aart]

Broody Mama brings chicks out for first time to sunbathe at 4 1/2 weeks!
It finally dried up in the run after the initial snow melt event of 3-4 days between 40-50F, the river runs thru it no more!

She is really being the broody mama b!tch. Seems to keep most the other birds out of the coop most the day, even kind of parking in front of the pop door in the one patch of sun in the coop to do a little dust bathing and not letting anyone in or out, and definitely kept them away from the chicks out in the run. There are a few she seems to tolerate including the rooster, and I've seen the rooster intervene also even tapping mama to knock it off.

Was able to grab a short vid before battery died.

And a pic:

 

[fisherlady]

Sounds like she is doing great! I love having a broody (or 7!) in the coop... it just is so entertaining and educational to watch.

 

[aart]

Yep, tho she seems to be having trouble getting them back up into the coop.
She has gone back up the ramp 2-3 times now calling them but they don't get the ramp(or even the going up thing).
Suns going down, I hope they figure it out before I have to crawl in the muck under the coop with a net to get them.

 

[aart]

Aarrghhh!! Chicken Rodeo!!

Broody mama took her chicks (4 1/2 weeks old) out into the run today for the first time....but didn't get them back into the coop, they don't get the go UP the ramp thing.

The pop door is 3 feet off the ground with a ramp starting on top of a concrete block 16" high, with another block 8" high for a step........
.......they just don't get UP yet...stupid chickens!!

She was settled in with 2 of 6 in her nest in the coop, I caught 1 in a net but the others got out thru the run fencing(2x4).

So I put the 3 in a bucket with lid out in the run, the portable nest is out in the run and mama is out in the run...pop door closed, hoping they all go into the nest and I can cover the nest opening, grab it and bring it into the coop....It Worked!!

I guess I should put chicken wire on the bottom 2 feet of the run walls, at least the 'under run' (8x4 space under the coop) so I can trap them there with the net if need be in the future.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've used a minnow trap in that situation before, but it was against a solid wall where I could herd them to it.

 

[aart]

Mama has kept chicks in the coop since their one adventure outside.

I spent some time with them this afternoon and caught them and put them up on the roost board so they could catch some sun.
Took awhile and lots of squawking, but they calmed a bit as we went along and pretty soon once I had 4 of them up there mama and the other chicks followed.
They loved sitting in the sun for about a half hour then mama lead them down the ramp with some scratch bait from me(I don't think she's real smart) and I hope this inaugurates them doing some more ramp climbing to the other roost and in and out between the coop and run.

 

[aart]

After their adventure on the big roost and board, they started venturing outside more tho I haven't seen them on wither roost again.

6 weeks old today, they are wandering further and further out into the run for more and more of the day.

Tho their favorite place is still the 'under run'.

So we survived a Michigan winter and came into early spring with 6 new chicks.
...BUT....
I'll never do that again, too risky and labor intensive.

Still don't know if there are 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 cockerels.
Pointy eggs you know

 

[aart]

So integration has seemed to be going very well, tho broody mama used to be a lower bird she is now a terror!
She chases off most anyone who comes near her, except the rooster, they all seem terrified of her and give her wide berth.

This morning I saw something interesting, I usually don't see their morning routine but the timer had screwed up and when I went out to fix it turning the light on waking everyone up, broody and chicks tumbled out of the nest and went to the main feeder and the rooster chased them all off of it repeatedly and mama deferred to him.
Wonder how long that's been going on?

Also found some mouse droppings on top of the feed in another feeder, I probably never noticed this because the chooks start eating out of it before I check it. Even tho there is 1/2" HC everywhere, the gaps around the doors must be letting them in...time to set some traps as I don't think I can fix the door gaps.

Oh, and latest gender check at 7 weeks old...3 cockerels for sure and 2-3 pullets maybe...tho because of mixed parentage, Welsummer over EE/amberlink mix, I probably won't be sure until hackles and saddles show.