Broody hen at the end of winter?

[Momma*chicken]

So I have a black australorp that's been trying to go broody for over a week, but we keep removing eggs as we think it's still too cold. It may be March here but you'd never know it. We still have 2 ft of snow on the ground and tonight is going down to 8 degrees. However, next week will be in the 40s and 50s. I live in the Adirondacks and get lots of lake effect snow so I never really know when it's done lol. We could get great warm Temps for 2 weeks then suddenly at the end of March get a huge snowstorm and frigid Temps. We usually get really good weather by mid may. So my question is is it OK for her to go broody or should we keep removing her eggs? It's not that we don't want her to hatch some chicks, it's just we don't want it to be too cold and then end up that the chicks die. Any imput would be great! Thanks!

 

[ButtonHoarder]

Do you have somewhere heated you could put her and the eggs? Somewhere the chicks could grow up warmly?

 

[Yardmom]

I have a hen who hatched and is raising 3 chicks. They hatched February 10th. I don't remember what the temp was that day, but it was definitely freezing and may have been below 0. She is in an unheated barn. Hardest thing is keeping water accessible. She had no problem keeping them warm.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

If you want chicks then let her hatch them for you. She should be ok in a draft free coop protected from the weather. . I wouldn't put alot of eggs under her , maybe 4 or so? Less chicks means she can cover them all to keep them warm more easily in cold weather.
If you don't want chicks then you'll need to break her - I use a dog crate for my broody breaker, no bedding, 3 days and nights and the broody is usually not broody anymore.

 

[Momma*chicken]

We would like some new chicks, but we are worried that it might still be too cold. We don't want them to die, but if it's OK to let her do it, then yay!

 

[ChristinaBee]

We would like some new chicks, but we are worried that it might still be too cold. We don't want them to die, but if it's OK to let her do it, then yay!

I’m in the same situation as you! I’m also in the Adirondacks and my hen just went broody. I would like a few chicks, but have been scared because of the crazy NY weather. I wish mine would have waited another month.

 

[Thunder344]

Some chickens do go broody at any time of the year. As long as she is keeping warm and they eggs are warm, they should be fine. Do you have like a separate area in the coop where you could put her and the eggs? Like a brooder area. Or do you have a bin you could set up for her and the eggs? When my Australorp went broody, i just made a bin for her and set it outside in a section of the run by herself. She raised five chicks that way, but it wasn't winter.

 

[Thunder344]

So I have a black australorp that's been trying to go broody for over a week, but we keep removing eggs as we think it's still too cold. It may be March here but you'd never know it. We still have 2 ft of snow on the ground and tonight is going down to 8 degrees. However, next week will be in the 40s and 50s. I live in the Adirondacks and get lots of lake effect snow so I never really know when it's done lol. We could get great warm Temps for 2 weeks then suddenly at the end of March get a huge snowstorm and frigid Temps. We usually get really good weather by mid may. So my question is is it OK for her to go broody or should we keep removing her eggs? It's not that we don't want her to hatch some chicks, it's just we don't want it to be too cold and then end up that the chicks die. Any imput would be great! Thanks!

You also could but her inside in your garage or something like that. I am have always raised chicks in my garage when it is too cold outside for the brooder room.

 

[50-45-1]

She is quite capable of incubating eggs and keeping chicks warm all by herself with no added heat supplied.
My question would be, do you have a space for her to incubate eggs?
And will she have a safe spot for chicks in 3 weeks?
Have you hatched with broody hens before? And ready for the extra roosters that will result?

 

[ChristinaBee]

She is quite capable of incubating eggs and keeping chicks warm all by herself with no added heat supplied.
My question would be, do you have a space for her to incubate eggs?
And will she have a safe spot for chicks in 3 weeks?
Have you hatched with broody hens before? And ready for the extra roosters that will result?

My situation would be a bit different as I don’t have a rooster. I’ve been reading up on using fake eggs, allowing the hen to sit on them for 3 weeks, then swap out the eggs for day old chicks at night. I know that the hens won’t always take to this method and may still require me to raise them in a brooder which is fine. I do have room in my coop to set up a designated area for her to raise the chicks if this technique worked. I don’t want roosters so I’m not willing to try my luck with fertilized eggs.