Broody in Feb!!!??

[Hillbilly Hen]

boxermom, I dont use heat in my coop other than an heat lamp when it gets in the very low teens or lower. I put a lamp over the waterers to keep them from freezing. Last night I decided to unplug the lights as it was 24 outside. It is usually 10 degrees warmer in the coop. I see the babies come out, eat, drink and run around mom for a bit and then they tuck back under mom for warmth. This morning when I went out the water was a little icy but still fine. I think if you change the water often you should be fine. Good luck!

New pics as promised....

 

[boxermom]

Thanks Hillbilly Hen, I think I'm getting paranoid because chicks w/o a mama need to be 95*. The water however, is still an issue. I tried the broody's water without the cookie tin a couple of times and it froze pretty hard. Do the chicks get up in the middle of the night and drink? If not, I could probably do without the light. If they eat/drink even in the dark hours, then I'll need a heat lamp.

BTW, your chicks are adorable.

 

[rancher hicks]

See my post "well she did it,OMg . She hatched them out today and they are both ok so far. she had two and she hatched two. Sat on them through below zero weather and she did great. She's in the office now and won't let me near them or her. She sure came around fast. When I picked her up to bring her in she was easy as pie. Now a couple of hours later and it's "leave me and my babies alone, ya big goon!" 2/17/2010

 

[boxermom]

 

[fordmommy]

Well- I got news.

I decided to crack open the eggs today. I did it slowly. But they still had yolks.

So.....at least I know that Louise tried her darnedest to hatch them eggs. I guess that's the price you pay with super dark eggs.

BUT....I ordered my own bator today!

I will be here in about a week. So we're still good!!!!

 

[Koolduck]

I too have had tragedy! Seems my broody got down from her box to get a drink and have a poo and somebody jumped in her box and layed an egg and put her off. I found her in the next hole keeping the plastic egg warm and letting her clutch get COLD. I put her back on the right box for the night and got ready a big cardboard box setup. I made the switch today and put her on some fresh eggs. Brought the first set of eggs inside and candled them so that I could learn. Now...i tell you ...those eggs were 30* COLD so I knew they weren't viable. Had 3 partial chicks when I cracked them open. What a shame...Im heart sick.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

Quote:
So sorry for your heartache.

 

[fordmommy]

Quote:

If you go back in these posts, you'll see she did that too. So I was worried that if they were fertile like we thought, they would be no good. The one egg that was fertile was broken a couple days ago, but was barely developed.

There were supposed to hatch yesterday.

 

[Koolduck]

So sorry.

But as the DH said yesterday...there will be more eggs. You should see my calender, it says Hilde Restart on yesterdays square.

 

[boxermom]

It's day 19.

I went out to check on my broody. She didn't move like she has the past few days. I noticed however, that she has 1 wing spread out a little. Is she giving the eggs some room or am I just noticing things she has done all the time? I'm trying hard not to get eggcited... Is it working?