Can a mother hen keep chicks warm during a long freezing winter?

[joebryant]

Can a mother hen keep chicks warm and raise them during a long winter of freezing weather without any added artificial heat?
Has anyone had a hen raise chicks without extra heat during a long freezing period during winter?

 

[kees]

I have the same question!

Suzy

 

[Litewings]

I just placed bands on two baby racing homers. They hatched on 12/31/09 and we've had temp. in the low to mid teens (11-15 degrees) here for the past few nights. The babies were as warm as could be. The bird is doing a wonderful job so far.

Litewings

 

[RhodeRunner]

My neighbor sometimes has one of his wild hens hatch out chicks in the winter, and he says that most don't survive. I have hens hatch out chicks in the late summer/fall and winter can be a little tough on them. At nights/very cold days they stay inside the shed with some heat, and I have lost a few of them. Love chicks, but I do my best to keep them in the spring/summer.

Hope it works out!

 

[Farmer Benjii]

well normally if the coop is well insualated they can

hope it helped

 

[Marlinchaser]

Yes I had an Amerucana raise chicks without extra heat they hatched last January, and we had quite a few days where the waterers froze, she only had 6 chicks, but they all made it, same mom raised 14 in the summer, but dont think she could have covered that many in the winter.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I had a broody 28 wk old Barred Rock that sat on a nest for 2 months before I gave in and got her some fertile eggs to hatch. Only placed four under her for her first hatch. All four took and hatched out. They are now 2 months old and happy and healthy. Three of them are light brown leghorns who aren't suppose to be cold hardy and one black start (sex link).

Last month when the chicks were a month old, the Pacific NW had a week long cold snap. Daytime highs 23 - night time down to 9'. She kept those chicks warm and toasty in a non-insulated former horse stall. If the chicks got cold out in the run, they would snuggle back under Mom to get warm.

She was such a GREAT first time Momma hen. Two weeks ago with the chicks at age 1 1/2 months, she finally stopped sleeping in the nest box with the chicks and rejoined the other hens back up on the roost. For the first two nights, the little ones would run in and out of the nest box at night calling to Momma to join them and then finally gave in and joined her on the roost trying their best to get under her wings. Only two would fit (the pullets) so the two roos would snuggle on both sides of Momma.

Good luck with your little Momma.

 

[cubalaya]

i think its cruel to raise chicks in the winter unless they are incubated eggs and you keep a heat light on the chicks until they are feathered out. thats why hens get broody in the spring .

 

[dacjohns]

Hens go broody when they go broody, not always in the spring. I've broody hens more in summer than in spring. I had a hen go broody with one egg in the fall. I have an unheated coop and the hen and chick are doing fine. The chick is about 6 weeks old and I'm getting low temperatures between 10 and 20 right now.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
Joe, I would have thought you'd command Ann to go out there and breathe on them to keep them warm....