Is my hen broody?

[mountainchickens]

if you do go for it (and watching a broody with her chicks is utterly delightful), factor in to your calculations that you may not get a 100% hatch rate. Many people solve the chicken math problem by getting another/building an extension to their coop

Thank you! I'd love to do an extension but don't think it can happen this summer. We are mostly decided - have chicks! - but I'm still not sure which option to choose out of our two chick options.
We have two fertilized eggs under her right now. More might be coming if she lays any more (she laid one yesterday.) But out of the 2+ she sits on, a bunch or all of them might be roos - and the hatch rate is definitely a factor, yes.
Then our other option would be adopting chicks. I'm thinking we might go with this, as we can get them sexed or sex-links. Since we only have room for two, I'm wondering what we would do if one of them died... but if we got three, and all lived, then we'd have one too many when they were pullets. I suppose we could sell her off, but I'd prefer to avoid that. Any ideas? Thanks again

 

[aart]

Since we only have room for two, I'm wondering what we would do if one of them died... but if we got three, and all lived, then we'd have one too many when they were pullets.

If your margin for space is just one bird......might be best not to have any more.
How are you calculating your space to bird ratio?
But if you insist I'd get 2 day old sexlink pullets, she'll be fine with just 1 if 1 doesn't make it.

 

[mountainchickens]

If your margin for space is just one bird......might be best not to have any more.
How are you calculating your space to bird ratio?
But if you insist I'd get 2 day old sexlink pullets, she'll be fine with just 1 if 1 doesn't make it.

Our coop and run are pretty small. Coop is about 4-5 square feet per chicken, but it's pretty high so they have a little more space on the roosts. Run is 10x13 ish, so 18 sq ft per chicken. They free range supervised for a few hours each day. Thinking of building a large summer tractor in the next few weeks. The main reason we want her to have chicks is because we're returning our roos in a couple of weeks, but we like our current flock size. 2 day old sexlinks would be great if we can get them. There's a farm an hour away that has some, and our local Murdoch's might. 1 will be ok alone? That's great! Thank you!

 

[aart]

1 will be ok alone?

Will be fine with mama, but on second thought when she weans it then maybe not.
Have you been thru a winter with your chickens yet?
Is your run winter weather proof?

 

[mountainchickens]

Will be fine with mama, but on second thought when she weans it then maybe not.
Have you been thru a winter with your chickens yet?
Is your run winter weather proof?

Yeah... Two would be a perfect number, so maybe we should get three? We'd be at the right number if one didn't make it or we could sell one when they were older.
As for the winter weather, yes, we got them last August. This winter we will definitely put a tarp over the run so that it doesn't get super muddy like last winter. But for the most part it's ok for winter.

 

[lilapot]

Tell me how it works out!

 

[mountainchickens]

Tell me how it works out!

Ok!
Today was coop cleaning day, she glared daggers at me the whole time as I changed out their bedding. Either this coming weekend or the next is when we'll slip some chicks under her. Hopefully Murdoch's has some that are young enough! We'll see. I'm going to remove the eggs she has under her that were infertile from day one today. (They're from our kitchen.)
Can't wait for this weekend! She'll finally be able to run around again once she's got chicks. She hasn't gone out to free-range since Saturday. Even then she only went out for an hour. She keeps reaching her head out to grab feathers and put them in her nest, and she's incredibly protective of the eggs.

 

[aart]

Hopefully Murdoch's has some that are young enough!

You could call them and ask when they will be getting a new shipment in,
that's your best bet for getting the youngest chicks.

 

[mountainchickens]

You could call them and ask when they will be getting a new shipment in,
that's your best bet for getting the youngest chicks.

Ok, thanks! Will do!

 

[mountainchickens]

We're headed to Murdoch's today to return something we bought a few weeks ago, so if they have chicks young enough today could be the day to get them. Except it's snowing outside, there are about 2 inches on the ground already and it's a little below freezing... We do have a heat lamp if needed. Do you think 2 or 3-day-old chicks (probably three of them) would be alright, with mom, until it gets warm again (this weekend)? Thanks!