Chicks are hatching.....

[juliejohnson805]

One of my EE went broody and I slipped 13 eggs under her hoping to keep some stock from my BFCM roo who sadly is no longer with us. We lost one early one, one got stepped on I think and died a few days ago and another was broken with no chick in it last night. Last night there were 4 that had pipped and this morning there are at least 2 chicks here. As you can imagine mom is very protective and did not want me messing with them. Hoping to see more this afternoon. Today is day 21. I have only had one other broody hatch anything and I moved her and chicks at around 5 days to a better location and it worked very well.
I am a little concerned about temps though. I tend to let things go as natural as possible with my chicks. I do not add heat/light during winter months and use the MHP when I purchase chicks. If mom is protected from wind will she and chicks be ok if temps go into the mid 40's?
Any other thoughts/advice?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks for including your location, that helps. I would not worry too much about temperatures. Mama will be able to provide all the heat they need and should keep them out of the worst of the wind. Occasionally you can see photo of broody hens leading their chicks through snow. Here is a thread about someone hatching in really cold weather that might interest you. Believe it or not, you are not that cold.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/broody-in-michigan-winter.947046/

You say you isolate the broody and her chicks from the flock. Any time of the year the biggest risk if doing that is if the chicks can get out where the hen cannot protect them they are at risk from the rest of the flock or certain predators. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with isolating them, just a warning to make sure they cannot get out.

Cold weather adds another risk. If the chick can get caught somewhere it cannot get back to Mama to warm up when it needs to it can chill. That does not have anything to do with isolating them, that can happen if you raise them with the flock.

Hens can and do raise chicks in weather colder than yours and usually quite successfully. But the cooler temperatures add another level of risk. it's not necessarily that high a risk where you are but there is some.

Good luck with the hatch.