A broody hen??? in October

[Ol Grey Mare]

ok, here is the challenge, we have gone from 60-70 day time temperatures, lows in the 40's to 15 degrees right now and falling. The chicks are 2 weeks old, getting a few feathers on them..... but still not very big. Today, blustery wind, snow and cold.

In the run, I have a open black box with a plexiglass panel to the south. I call it the sun porch. Sunday, I filled this with a good layer of hay, and today, even without the sun, all were outside of the coop, in the sun porch. They seemed to spend the day, hunkered down in the hay, the whole flock together, chicks under broody, but all other hens near broody too. They were still there at 4:15, but just now I went down, and all were in the coop, broody on the floor, in a pile of hay.

Hope this works.

Mrs K

Our chicks are the same age. We are preparing for the arrival of our share of this arctic blast - mama broody is with the flock and everyone is doing fine so far, so the only change I've made for the weather is I have added a nice pile of hay in the corner of the coop she has chosen as her family's home. I already have a couple extra feed/water stations set up since my usual feeder/waterer are hung higher than the little ones can reach. Will be interesting to see what she decides to do tomorrow when our cold sets in, but I am actually not concerned as she has been doing a great job so far and I've had broodies with similar mothering styles raise chicks in the dead of winter before with no problems. Hope your little family fares well!

 

[Mrs. K]

The feed does not bother me, it is the water that is a bit worrisome. I do not have the possibility of heated water at the coop. Yesterday went well, mine have a good windbreak in the run, and I always have old hay in the run, (after a winter in the run, it makes darn good mulch) I think they are warm and dry.

I just hope they are getting a drink.

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

I did have some soaked grains, but did not take much, as unless eaten immediately will be froze solid.

However, I put a handful near the broody hen and she immediately got her chicks to eating, they were bright eyed and moving vigorously. Two did go over by the warm water, but did not seem interested. They pecked around, moved around for about 3-4 minutes, I was beginning to get cold watching them, and then she called a time out, backed into a corner, and had them all covered up.

I am feeling more confident now. There is snow, maybe they are eating that? I worry that would chill them, but wild birds do not have warm water today, and they are doing fine.

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

This has been fairly miserable weather since last Monday. Bitter cold as in actual temperatures below zero or wind chills below zero or both, 6-8 inches of snow, blowing wind...... a rough week. However, I cannot say enough of having your chicks and broody in with the flock.

This afternoon, I went down with some deer scraps and fat. The chicks were peeping like mad, but running all over, one jumped up and pulled a piece out of the top layer's beak! They are fully integrated and part of the flock. Yes they stick to the broody, but they are also running all over, and under the other hens and rooster. The flock for the most part ignores them indulgently.

There is nothing like cold weather and chickens huddling together to make a flock bond together.

Mrs k

 

[aart]

This has been fairly miserable weather since last Monday. Bitter cold as in actual temperatures below zero or wind chills below zero or both, 6-8 inches of snow, blowing wind...... a rough week. However, I cannot say enough of having your chicks and broody in with the flock.

This afternoon, I went down with some deer scraps and fat. The chicks were peeping like mad, but running all over, one jumped up and pulled a piece out of the top layer's beak! They are fully integrated and part of the flock. Yes they stick to the broody, but they are also running all over, and under the other hens and rooster. The flock for the most part ignores them indulgently.

There is nothing like cold weather and chickens huddling together to make a flock bond together.

Mrs k

That's great!

 

[centrarchid]

How many chicks does she now have? My last brood was whittled down to five when a couple where given to a student. I am also letting mine out all day on weekends. Temperatures coming up but they got their first exposure to snow. Insects very abundant after killing frost.

 

[centrarchid]

A hen I use for work has gone broody on a clutch of 14 eggs. Incubation started last Sunday so in about 2 weeks chicks will be coming off best. These will be maintained with mother in the garage and allowed out only under supervision when ground not covered by snow. Chicks will be small during the coldest part of winter and not able to take advantage of good forage. I will have to compensate by using chick feed.

 

[Mrs. K]

I lost two chicks right from the get go,(note real nice weather at this point) then a week later, one got tangled in the fence and broke his neck, ugh! So she has raised up 4, these have followed the mother and have been kept with the flock, even in the bitter cold. There must have been a week, where they spent most of the time just under her, but they were outside of the coop, but inside a wind block.The snow did not bother my chicks or chickens, but I generally flip hay on top of it, and that gets them started on it. It has warmed up since, and they are active and almost completely feathered out, a few straggly down feathers are left. I have not weighed them, but they seem to have made up lost ground with the warmer weather.

we have no insects this time of year, feeding soaked grain, and chick feed with formentated liquid added. I have gone to a black bucket for water with nipples which has worked very well except for when there is long periods of 10 degrees or less, then I am back to the black rubber bowl.

This BO has raised 5 clutches for me, and is getting older. I am hoping for at least one more in the spring.

Mrs K

 

[donrae]

I lost two chicks right from the get go,(note real nice weather at this point) then a week later, one got tangled in the fence and broke his neck, ugh! So she has raised up 4, these have followed the mother and have been kept with the flock, even in the bitter cold. There must have been a week, where they spent most of the time just under her, but they were outside of the coop, but inside a wind block.The snow did not bother my chicks or chickens, but I generally flip hay on top of it, and that gets them started on it. It has warmed up since, and they are active and almost completely feathered out, a few straggly down feathers are left. I have not weighed them, but they seem to have made up lost ground with the warmer weather.

we have no insects this time of year, feeding soaked grain, and chick feed with formentated liquid added. I have gone to a black bucket for water with nipples which has worked very well except for when there is long periods of 10 degrees or less, then I am back to the black rubber bowl.

This BO has raised 5 clutches for me, and is getting older. I am hoping for at least one more in the spring.

Mrs K

I know this feeling, I'm hoping my bantam cochins come back for one more season of brooding this year. Good luck with your Snow Chicks! I'm getting cold just reading your posts......

 

[centrarchid]

Make certain those heavy breeders get a break.


Try separating them from flock and providing them with a high quality diet as a restricted ration. My hens have to get to a certain weight (hen specific) before coming into lay. If feed intake managed to keep them below that, then that can allow recharging bones and other nutrient storing tissues / organs. With proper recharging hens can perform for several years.