Letting a hen hatch in winter yay or nay?

[centrarchid]

Leave hen and chicks alone during the hatching process.

 

[kylen2007]

Alrighty. I guess once I get the area ready I'll just sit back and anxiously wait to see the cuties.

 

[centrarchid]

To get a good bonding between you, hens and chicks consider purchasing a can of live mealworms from your local wild life supply store. Once hen begins moving about then give her a few. She will transfer them to chicks. Very quickly a level of trust is likely to develop if she is calm where hen will bring chicks right up on you.

 

[aart]

Okay, tomorrow is day 19. I know they will be hatching any day after tomorrow so I want to get it all set up for them tomorrow. I have an enclosed area to move her to once she and babies leave the nesting box. I am putting a nest inside the area for them and food and water. I already have chick feed from the 22 chicks I have in the brooder. The day the chicks hatch is there anything special I need to do or is she going to do it all? I have delivered kittens and puppies before. Do I need to dry the babies after they hatch? Sorry so many questions. I am one who likes to be prepapred. I'm sure I am completely over thinking it. Also can anyone give me any suggestions how to break a broody hen? I had a second one go broody a few days ago. I keep throwing her how in the run but she is relentless. Thank you all and I promise pics of the chicks once they hatch. Out of the initial 10 she still had 8 going strong.

Nah, just keep an eye on them for any critical problems...she will take care of them, they should dry off just fine underneath her.
Good that it's going to warm up for them...and you.
I infer that you've been checking the eggs and nest....is she getting out of nest to poop?
That's the only thing I checked for, found one large turd in there day or 2 after hatch.
If she's cool with you looking underneath, I did look under a few times during hatching, and remove shells if it's easy.


Breaking a Broody:
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.
Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

 

[kylen2007]

Nah, just keep an eye on them for any critical problems...she will take care of them, they should dry off just fine underneath her. Good that it's going to warm up for them...and you. I infer that you've been checking the eggs and nest....is she getting out of nest to poop? That's the only thing I checked for, found one large turd in there day or 2 after hatch. If she's cool with you looking underneath, I did look under a few times during hatching, and remove shells if it's easy. Breaking a Broody: My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day. I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

I do not have a small crate like that. I have a dog kennel but is huge and I am using it as a brooder currently. I guess I could just give her my 22 chicks in it and make her happy lol. I am assuming I want that draft coming up under her?

 

[aart]

I do not have a small crate like that. I have a dog kennel but is huge and I am using it as a brooder currently. I guess I could just give her my 22 chicks in it and make her happy lol. I am assuming I want that draft coming up under her?

Not really a draft per say, especially in winter......just nothing she can cover solidly and generate heat.
Having some small crates is very handy when chicken juggling....I bought one new (with 2 doors, worth the bucks) and found a couple at garage sales for cheap.

 

[kylen2007]

We have our first chick! She still has 7 eggs under there. 4 more have started pepping. Guess I will wake up tomorrow to new little family

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Very exciting, good luck they all hatch.

 

[kylen2007]

Woke up to a total of 4 hatched chicks. 3 more are "pepping." There is one straggler but its one of my pullets eggs that snuck in there before I numbered them. When I went to number and candle them it had veining so I decided to give the little guy a chance. Having a very successful hatch. Didn't realize my rooster got around ao much.

 

[aart]

Awwwwww!