Broody in Michigan Winter?

[aart]

Quote: Aw bummer, how many eggs did she have?....well let us know how they get on.

 

[HanwellChickens]

Aw bummer, how many eggs did she have?....well let us know how they get on.

Originally she had 4 eggs. Last week, I disappeared and I have no idea where it went. I searched high and low in the coop with no luck finding it. So that left 3. One was crushed yesterday but only blood vessels were the shells, no chick. A chick hatched yesterday and they last egg didn't hatch at all as the chick died in the shell.

 

[aart]

Well, 11 days in and she seems to be doing fine.

Temps have not been frigid, couple cold nights (3 & 11F)
but mostly 'mild' with day/night range of 20-39F.

Evidence of regular eating, drinking, pooping....
....she even got up on roost twice to poop, so good mobility.

Was able to see eggs a couple times when she was off nest and no broken ones.

Not sure I'll try to candle at 14 days, blue eggs hard to see thru.....
....so not sure effort is worth possible risk.

I do kinda wish I had marked the air cells before setting.

Fingers still crossed...tho hatch night/day(s) on ten day forecast show 1-20F.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think your plan is good. I don't disturb them unless they're off the nest but not in cold weather, I just let the eggs stay in the warm nest.
they'll stay under her so they won't know it's cold until she takes them for food and water. She'll set frequently to let them warm up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds good so far. I usually stop subscribing to a thread a couple of days after conversation has stopped, but I'll stick with this one.

 

[tntchix]

 

[SunkenRoadFarms]

Hopping in here. My silkie/polish went broody in me about a week ago. This is the first time I've let a hen sit, so I put three eggs under her last Friday (large fowl eggs, so she can't cover too many). Definitely have had some cold nighttime lows, so it's her against the incubator. Can't wait to see how your hatch goes!

 

[aart]

She's hanging in there, seems to be doing fine.
I decided not to attempt candling, figured I wouldn't be able to see anything anyway with the blue shells.
It's an exercise of faith in the fates and patience....lol.

I did pull her out of the nest to take a quick sniff for any rotters and to make sure she wasn't pooping in there, everything looked good.
Aimed her back in, she went in and settled back down then I got her to take some scratch from my hand and a couple pecks from my holding her snow bowl.

She's never been a friendly one and I have been doing the hand feed thing every couple days to build a little trust, get her used to me handling her so I can if necessary.

I figure 6-7 days to go!

 

[Ridgerunner]

When do you expect hatch, tomorrow or Sunday? I'll be watching either way.

 

[aart]

When do you expect hatch, tomorrow or Sunday? I'll be watching either way.

I set the eggs late afternoon on the 18th, my daughters birthday...so day 21 is Sunday evening.

Thinking it might go later because of cold temps <shrugs> am trying to quell my excitement/anxiety

Temps forecast Saturday 39, Saturday night 35, Sunday 39, Sunday night 20, Monday 27, Monday night 14.

I broke a rule by giving her food and snow within reach of the nest, (nono because they might poop in nest) wanted to make sure she had lots of fuel for 'lockdown' and we had a very cold night that night. She ate well and gobbled lots of snow...then got up on the roost board nest day and left a big wet one.