Ever had a winter broody?

[chicken farmer]

Post your winter broodies here and tell how it went and post pictures I have a white silkie hen that went broody 3 days ago and it's cold and snowy out can't wait it see how it goes

 

[xxnativewolfxx]

I had one of my banty hens go broody last winter around this time and again a week ago but I never have eny luck on her hatching because our big hens (buff orphington, jersey giants, light brahmas, sex links, easter eggers, astrolorps, polish, rhode island reds, Dominique's, mixed hens) are so fluffy that the roosters can never seem to do there business so we never had eny real luck hatching but she hatched 3 last winter but they dident survive because it was so cold here.

 

[chicken farmer]

I'm afraid of it being to cold too but I'm gonna get a tarp and put it over the pen so the chicks feet wont be in the snow

 

[xxnativewolfxx]

if you do that im shure they will do JUST fine! see I couldent do that I would of LOVED to do it but our run is sooooo big its like 100 feet long and 30 feet wide I couldent do that! lol I would say the only thing you would have to worry about is how good of a mother the hen is. I wish you the best of luck!!

 

[chicken farmer]

if you do that im shure they will do JUST fine! see I couldent do that I would of LOVED to do it but our run is sooooo big its like 100 feet long and 30 feet wide I couldent do that! lol I would say the only thing you would have to worry about is how good of a mother the hen is. I wish you the best of luck!!

Thank you I have her and another white silkie hen and a buff silkie rooster in a pen I made out of a swingset frame and I have another big pen that is 20foot by 20foot and 7 foot high so the swingset pen will be easy to cover
Picture from a few days ago

picture from summer

 

[MalcolmHawkins]

i have a winter broody right now. i dont think her eggs are fertile or not we have a rooster but we'll find out soon

 

[xxnativewolfxx]

I love your coop!!! ive been thinking about making something like that to use as a breeding pen! I love silkies!! lol

 

[wood&feathers]

Got a cubalaya hen with 3 chicks coming up on 3 weeks old.

 

[chicken farmer]

I love your coop!!! ive been thinking about making something like that to use as a breeding pen! I love silkies!! lol

Yea I was gonna use it as a breeding pen then the 2 rooster brothers got into a bloody fight so i moved him in there with the 2 white silkie hens but now I want to leave it empty for a grow out pen for older chicks but oh well 17 days till her eggs hatch!!!

 

[wood&feathers]

They are outdoors. I have a broody box about 2x3'attached to a small 4x8 run. I put plastic around 2 sides, north and west. Piled leaves up against the plastic. For the first few days I had a heat lamp in the brooder. Then I moved it to the run. The hen takes the chicks back into the box at night. The heat lamp keeps the drinker from freezing. The winter weather last week dropped to 14 F. Only a little of the drinker would be thawed in the mornings, so I took it inside to wash and refill. They are still too little to risk the heated dog bowl.