Ever had a winter broody?

[tarutgers]

Everybody out for a drink and a quick bite to eat! Eleven hardy chicks total. Both mommies are sharing peacefully and the chicks run back and forth then snuggle underneath. It is -11 with windchill -34. Brooder area is right at 33 even with heat lamp and 250 watt bulb and everyone is acting great. AMAZING!!

 

[wilder-son]

Very rare!

 

[tarutgers]

Just noticed typo should have read 33 degrees in the brooder not -33. Still pretty AMAZING!

 

[luvmypets]

Hen went broody, and added one of her own to the clutch. Due on the tenth

 

[Jharper]

My australorp went broody in mid-October, and she ended up hatching 11 of 17 and I hatched 4 of 5. After 1 new hatchling died, I was able to put the incubator chicks under Louise, and she has raised all 14 chicks. And she has been a fabulous momma. To see her covering all of these chicks has been amazing. Just in the last few days (they are now 5 1/2 weeks old) she isn't able to cover them, but they are all huddling together with her. After she hatched them in the roost area, I moved her and the chicks to a dog crate within the run. During the day, I let the chicks and momma out of the crate 2-3 times a day. But the other hens and 2 banty roosters are sort of nasty to the chicks, and to momma. So that is making me reluctant on letting them co-mingle at this point. But I can't leave them in the crate too much longer, just because of their size. They're running out of room. I'm wondering at what age the chicks need to be that they can keep themselves warm. I had 1 degree F the other morning. As for the next week, I'll have a bit of a warm up. Hoping to integrate them while I have warm weather and get them to start roosting together at that point as well. We'll see!!! Here are a few pics of how these have grown. And BTW, of the 14, I think I have ONLY 4 pullets.

My Australorp was a horrible mama. She crushed two chicks and would stomp on all the others.

 

[PrairieChickens]

We had a scare with our babies yesterday. We were getting ready to leave for Christmas dinner at my aunt's, and when we checked on the chickens, we discovered the power had been knocked out to the coop. While four of our six chicks are mostly feathered out and have two willing broodies to help keep them warm, the youngest two were in a brooder by themselves without a broody and only the lamp--now out--to keep them warm. I opened up the brooders thinking for sure I'd find Cinco and Seis frozen to death, but luckily, Cinco was large enough to keep them both warm. They weren't happy, but they were alive.

Phew.

We got power back up out to the coop, and even upgraded their heat lamp to a more powerful bulb. Not only were the chicks happy, but our older chickens would wander over and lean against the side of the brooder for a few minutes at a time.

 

[Math]

I have a hen that began setting on Monday, 12.23.13.

 

[Percheron chick]

I have a Russian Orloff that's gone broody on me. Problem is I don't have a rooster, she hasn't laid an egg in a month and she's sitting on 2 golfballs. What's the incubation period for golfballs?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

  I have a Russian Orloff that's gone broody on me.  Problem is I don't have a rooster, she hasn't laid an egg in a month and she's sitting on 2 golfballs.  What's the incubation period for golfballs?

With a Silkie or equally broody type....forever...until you finally give in and get fertile eggs and let them be a momma. If golf balls could hatch a Silkie will be the first.

With an average broody...about 5 weeks when they figure its a bust.

If it drags on to that 5 week point, I like to give them chick saver or such in their water to boost their vitamins and electrolytes. Usually by then your average gal can be induced out with food treats.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Math]

I was getting plenty infertile eggs from my hens daily. I did not have a rooster in the pen with my hens so after about three weeks of daily taking fresh non fertile eggs from my nests, I purchased fertile eggs for her. She is happy now with her own fertile eggs. I marked the eggs so I will be sure to let her keep them.