Broody in Michigan Winter?

[aart]

Thanks Ridgerunner and donrae for chiming in!

You have affirmed my conclusion that leaving the partition up until a couple days after hatch is the best plan,
to ensure she doesn't abandon the nest and to expose to the rest of the flock while her hatching hormones are still high.

Luckily, I work (very part time, if at all) mostly from home so can gather eggs multiple times a day and keep a close eye on things at hatch time.
Yes, it will be stressful, but a good exciting kind of stress as this is another aspect in my chicken keeping learning curve (I've only had chooks for 18 months) and it may well be a boon to my plans for hatching out certain crosses this year. I am very excited to have my hatching plans jump started early this year and it will be fantastic experience regardless of the success/failure....and it negates the problem of a foster dog needing my broody breaking crate at this time.

It's supposed to be fairly mild for the next few days so I can gather a few more eggs. I have an nice blue laying EE covered by a Welsummer cockerel and I will give only those eggs to Speckles, that will simplify separating eggs from 2 other specific crosses in the incubator later next month.

I will use horizontal nipples in half gallon jugs(haven't made them up yet, why there is a chick waterer in there now).
Speckles is used to using those and the chicks should have no problem with them. I can make up a couple and rotate as necessary depending on temps.
I also have a small jar feeder for crumble and also numerous cookie tin and tote lids that might work well for spreading feed the first couple days.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have not raised a chick in years, once I went with a broody hen, I never looked back, but I do spend most of my spring praying hard for one to go broody. I have a BO that has raised 5 clutches for me, two the year before, one successful, and one not, but I think it was the rooster? And two this last year.

In my opinion, the hen knows more about being a broody hen than you or I do. I have tried moving the nest, and separating the bird, both times it was a no go. She escaped, and went back to the nest she wanted. So what I would suggest, is taking down the barrier that you have, and see if she will stay there, or if she goes back to her original nest. Some are funny, and will set where you want, but others have definite opinions on the nest. I don't move them. My nests are small enough that the two hens won't fit, and they all lay in the other nest, mostly. I check the nest once a week, and take out anything not marked, but generally don't find too many other eggs. My nests are 2-3 feet off the ground.

Mine have always been willing to take your arm off at the elbow. In November, she was broody, I happened to be there when she got off the nest. She walked out, whipped a pullet for standing in the wrong spot, dust bathed, took on the Rooster, and I swear he said to her, "Now Butter, I know your broody, but I AM the rooster". Then went back to her nest. The flock learns for weeks to give her some serious space.

This is what has always happened when mine hatch. She leaves the nest and its old shells and any eggs that didn't hatch, and creates a new nest on the floor. This last time as she was hatching in November, I did staple some cardboard on the walls in the corner, just to keep the drafts down. What I have seen happen, is the broody comes out with the flock, but the chicks learn to stay on one side of her, away from the flock. If one gets too close to a layer and gets a peck, Broody will clean that hen's clocks, and they all just get used to the chicks being there, they are part of the flock, but they are much lower in the pecking order. What I have also noticed is that they can eat next to the rooster, he never pecks them. And the chicks learn who to stay away from.

Two weeks after hatching, it turned bitterly cold, the highs were -10. I almost separated them, but I hate to do that, and in the end, I left them. I would bring feed, and they would all come out and eat, and about the time, I could not stand it any more, they would crawl under her for a warm up. When the chicks were getting close to 4 weeks old, I laid a board, 12 inches wide, across the roosting bars. And with in a week, she had them up there roosting with the flock. When I go down after dark, they are still sitting next to her, snuggled in pretty tight and they are getting close to 3 months old.

With a broody hen, more than likely not all will hatch. I try not to count my chickens before they hatch. And I would give her a smaller clutch of eggs, less than 8, just so they can keep a little warmer.

You can also cheat, or have a plan B. If the set eggs don't hatch, at about the time they should have hatched, slip day old chicks under her. She will raise them up fine.

I would set her, but I do think Ridgerunner has a valid point of making sure the eggs don't get too cold before you set them. I always think this is the longest 3 weeks ever!

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

oh, another point, when under a broody hen, it is much closer to 20 days, not 21 days.

Mrs K

 

[bobbi-j]

I see I'm late to the party! There's really nothing more I can add to what Ridgerunner, Donrae and Mrs. K had to say. I have not hatched chicks late in the fall or during winter. I had one go broody in Sept. but DH talked me out of letting her set. (After reading Mrs. K's experience with her Oct. broody, he's not going to do that again!

) As far as separating her, I'd keep her separated while she's setting, just to be sure so one bothers her nest. I've never had good luck letting a hen set in with the flock. The eggs always ended up broken or mysteriously disappearing. I do agree with integrating them ASAP. I had been waiting a week or two, just because of the barn cat, but she's not an issue anymore, so I may do it within the first few days of hatching this year. (If I get any broodies, of course!) As to whether or not you should let her set... Worst case scenario would be eggs not hatching or dead chicks due to cold. If you can handle that, I'd say go for it. Why not? It will be interesting to know how this turns out for you and Hanwell Chickens!

 

[aart]

Thanks Mrs. K and bobbie-j!

Couple more days of watching and gathering specific eggs......
....she got out to eat and poop today, I have to food and bedding setup so I can tell if she's had input and output.

Will keep this thread updated to the end.....hope @HanwellChickens comes back and reports their outcome here also.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One big reason I’d leave her locked up in isolation instead of setting in the regular nest is the time of year. I always let my broodies set with the flock in a regular nest, just check it daily for new eggs. It has happened a few times that another hen is in her nest laying when the broody comes back from her daily constitutional and the broody gets confused and goes to the wrong nest. When the weather’s warm that’s not that big of a deal. The eggs can go a long time without any heat and still do fine. But with sub-freezing temperatures your window to notice that happening so you can put the broody back on the right nest is much shorter. As a concession to the time of the year, I’d at least think really hard about isolating her.

This time of year is riskier because you don’t have as much of a cushion to fix things if they go wrong. An inconvenience in the summer can be a fatal event in sub-freezing temperatures. I’d still go for it.

 

[aart]

One big reason I’d leave her locked up in isolation instead of setting in the regular nest is the time of year. I always let my broodies set with the flock in a regular nest, just check it daily for new eggs. It has happened a few times that another hen is in her nest laying when the broody comes back from her daily constitutional and the broody gets confused and goes to the wrong nest. When the weather’s warm that’s not that big of a deal. The eggs can go a long time without any heat and still do fine. But with sub-freezing temperatures your window to notice that happening so you can put the broody back on the right nest is much shorter. As a concession to the time of the year, I’d at least think really hard about isolating her.

This time of year is riskier because you don’t have as much of a cushion to fix things if they go wrong. An inconvenience in the summer can be a fatal event in sub-freezing temperatures. I’d still go for it.

Yep, am keeping the partition wall intact until after hatch(if there is one)...one less thing to worry about.

 

[HanwellChickens]

Thanks Mrs. K and bobbie-j!

Couple more days of watching and gathering specific eggs......
....she got out to eat and poop today, I have to food and bedding setup so I can tell if she's had input and output.

Will keep this thread updated to the end.....hope @HanwellChickens comes back and reports their outcome here also.

I'm still lurking. Hatch day is supposed to be Monday but I'm not getting my hopes up as it's been so cold these past few weeks. If they don't hatch, I just might by some day old chicks to stick under her but I'm not unsure of that too.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm still lurking. Hatch day is supposed to be Monday but I'm not getting my hopes up as it's been so cold these past few weeks. If they don't hatch, I just might by some day old chicks to stick under her but I'm not unsure of that too.

I'm thinking day old chicks might be hard to come by this time of year. I could be wrong. It's been known to happen.

 

[HanwellChickens]

I'm thinking day old chicks might be hard to come by this time of year. I could be wrong. It's been known to happen.

You are probably right. I did see some for sale on line that is fairly close to me, but like I said previously, if they don't hatch it's ok. She'll more than likely go broody again sometime