Another newb seeking help w/ broody hen and hatching eggs*please help*

[Carchick]

Well, I'm still debating whether or not we are going to let Mrs. Rude hatch the eggs or not. This is the first time a chicken has gone broody for us and so she is sitting in a box w/o any straw in it and for one I'm wondering if we should now attempt to put straw in it for the chicks, should we be putting food right there in the box for her since she's not eating at all?

The reason we're debating it is because I'm worried about if the chicks will not be able to withstand the midwestern winter here..........they will only be a few months old and no we don't have eat in the coop and don't plan on getting any because of fire concerns. We lock them in during the cold weather and it holds up pretty well. Still I'm thinking that it's pretty late in the season and if she had hatched eggs earlier, the chicks would be hardier?

As you can tell I'm pretty nervous about what I'm going to do here and any insight would be very helpful. This is day number 3 that she has been sitting on them and don't want to wait another day because I will feel like a bird killer if I wait any longer.

Thanks for any help!

 

[YeOleBroodie]

Where abouts are you? Do you have a draft free coop?
Is there a way you can section a small place off for her and her babies in the main coop if it is draft free?
If you can make a section for her, put something under it, like 2x4's so that air can circulate under it and keep it off the cold floor.
I used a big rubbermaid tub with loads of shaving in it, sitting upon 2x4's.

Mom will keep the babies warm.
Yes, you do need to put feed and water close to her, she must be able to drink and eat.
When she gets up to eat or drink I would take that time to put some sort of bedding in there, straw, hay or pine shavings.

I would take her off to get her to eat and drink, if she doesn't by herself. She also needs to do poo too. If she doesn't go back to setting on them, you don't have to worry about babies in the winter.


Thought I would add that I had a broody hatching eggs in the mid winter here and it is cold! She hatched out 3 babies from the 3 eggs I let her have. They are fine and healthy. I would take her off each day so she could do her thing. She was of a mind set that she didn't want to risk the eggs getting cold. I was of a mindset I didn't want to risk her for lack of eating/drinking and pooping. I won!

edit cause I hit wrong button.

 

[Carchick]

Thank you for your reply!

Right now she is sitting on her eggs in a box that is about 1 1/2 feet off the ground. I'm thinking though she might need to be moved because (I'm thinking now I want to keep them) that the baby chicks would fall out of the box and get hurt?

I plan on coming up w/ her own personal space w/ them.....we only have 1 rooster, 1 hen and 2 guineas and they all get along fine, but w/ new babies it is better to separate them.

So they will good to go then come the winter time? They would be 3 months old. The weather really fluctuates around here....last winter it stayed between 30 - 50 days and sometimes around 20 at night.

Thanks again for any help and Mrs. Rude would like to thank you too!

 

[YeOleBroodie]

Quote:
Yes it would be good to put them lower. When they start to hatch a baby could easily fall out and no way to get back to Mom to keep warm. Mom might try to get out and stay with the baby but then the eggs would get to cold.
If she doesn't well....

I am sure if you give mom and babies a private area close to the ground or even up higher but then pen it off so they can not get out. They should be fine as long as no others in the coop can bother them.
Some roos (not many) are good and others are nasty to the little ones. Better to be safe then sorry.

They should be fine and at 3 months old they would pretty well be feathered out. Although thats not the adult feather but at least they are not just a ball of fuzz.

They will snuggle together. Also with the cooler temps. their down will be a lot more thicker under those feathers.

Temps here are a lot colder then that and they just huddle together. Although my coop is totally insulated too. And of course they have me well trained to bring them hot breaky first thing in the morning.

Good luck and lets us know how it goes.
I also think once you have those babies you will be hooked and want more. So becareful...they are addicting little rascals. lol