Broody in the winter! UPDATES!

[chicmom]

Yes, that's right....My little bantam frizzle Cochin girl is broody. She's my favorite little bantam...very petite--She's the size of a guinea pig, and she's soooo friendly. She's been hunkered down on the eggs for about one week now.

Anyhow, it's Ohio! It's downright cold! I think I'll take her into the basement and let her brood those eggs.......She's setting in a plastic bin, so I can just pick the whole bin up and put her downstairs in my chick brooding room. (I have a walk out basement). My plan is to let her raise those babies down there.....

My A-frame coop isn't a good setup for babies.....I'm afraid they wouldn't survive the winter....

Do you think my plan will work OK?

Thanks for any input you have,
Sharon

 

[kinsey228]

Mt banty Wyandotte went broody too. Then a week later, my Marans. I have them in a home made brooder in my basement on a few eggs.

 

[ck-newbe]

My Buff Brahma has been sitting on eggs for seven days. We are currently in a cold snap here, with a high of 17 degrees today. I wish I could bring her inside the house, but DH says no. We put a heat lamp above her nesting area to help keep her warm. Good luck with your girls. And I say, yes, bring her inside if you can!

 

[chicmom]

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Kinsey, broody poo is so stinky! Do you smell that in the house? That's what I'm worried about...They hold it all day and then when they poo, it's just awful!

And CK Newbe, would you keep me posted on how things go since your Brahma is brooding outside? I'd love to know if she's successful!

Sharon

 

[kinsey228]

Quote:
My Hubby isn't home right now to tell me no

It is supposed to get down to -20 with the wind chill tonight. I am glad I have an insulated/heated coop !

 

[ck-newbe]

Quote:
Will do!

 

[ck-newbe]

Quote:
My Hubby isn't home right now to tell me no

It is supposed to get down to -20 with the wind chill tonight. I am glad I have an insulated/heated coop !

Lucky chickens!

 

[kinsey228]

Quote:
Not at all. I clean it out at least once a day, and the pine shavings are pretty deep. If it smelled, I wouldn't keep them in my house.

 

[sonew123]

I have a huge broody brahma sitting on eggs right now day 4..its -8 right now...She's inside a barn in a pen...I have never had a broody so intune and in a comatoast state like her...She hasn't moves in days or touched her food...She is seperated off and I know how much food I gave her to start...Gets me worried in Winter..Tonight I will scramble some eggs for her and feed her some just to ease my own concerns! The only reason I let her sit is because she is in great health ..nice and meaty happy girl!
Now all of a sudden I have another 2 LF cochin hens broody! I almost want to put eggs under them too but our winters get -40 below at times and that is just too much worry for me...If they are still broody when I get home...I'm going to look at what eggs I do have and see if its worth it...good luck with yours and if you can handle the smell of broody poo and the all the dust from the chicks growing up-more power to you!

 

[ozark_chickies]

My first winter broody hatched out five chicks a week before Christmas. She was in a unheated hen house, in a nest box five feet off the floor. I worried that it would be to cold for her to hatch any, but she did. DH and I also worried that it would be to cold on the chicks when they hatched, but decided to leave her in the hen house to take care of them.

I put her and the chicks in a tote in the corner of the hen house with food and water, and they have thrived. They are now almost three weeks old, feathering in nicely and can even fly. She takes them outside, but spends allot of time in the hen house where it is slightly warmer. When the chicks get to cold they run under her to warm up, then come out when they want.