Ever had a winter broody?

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I haven't, as of yet.

 

[Shalom Farm]

I've got a winter broody right now. "Birtha" is a black OEGB cross. She seems to always want to sit. She's always been that way though. She does fine, but needs some extra heat on occasion. Our Roo use to snuggle between the 2 biggest hens to keep warm, poor Birtha is on her own, so we pack extra hay and shavings to keep her toasty since she isn't huddled with the others. We don't' get snow, which makes things a lot simpler.

 

[PrairieChickens]

As a matter of fact, our very first hen to ever go broody went broody in mid-October, and another hen went broody a couple of weeks later. Despite our concerns, the first broody has done an excellent job keeping the chicks warm, even on nights were the temperature plunged down into the single digits. The second broody was more neurotic, and was not doing a good job keeping her chicks or the eggs warm. Of her 10 eggs, only two hatched, and I'm currently taking care of both of them.

First broody Anna with her brood.








The two chicks that hatched under the second broody. They live in my craft room.



The first four chicks are already mostly feathered out. I'm going to try to get more photos taken of them this weekend.

 

[iliv4chicks]

my black silkie is on 3 of her eggs right now. they are going to hatch on Monday! but I am a little worried about them being in this cold weather. but she's really good mommy, so I know they'll be taken care of!

 

[nursemkt]

This is my frist winter with backyard chickens, and my first time with a broody....I think. One of my 8 month old silkies has spent the past 24 hrs in the nesting box. I took the egg....so she's just sitting. I will see what tomorrow brings.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

As a matter of fact, our very first hen to ever go broody went broody in mid-October, and another hen went broody a couple of weeks later. Despite our concerns, the first broody has done an excellent job keeping the chicks warm, even on nights were the temperature plunged down into the single digits. The second broody was more neurotic, and was not doing a good job keeping her chicks or the eggs warm. Of her 10 eggs, only two hatched, and I'm currently taking care of both of them.

First broody Anna with her brood.








The two chicks that hatched under the second broody. They live in my craft room.



The first four chicks are already mostly feathered out. I'm going to try to get more photos taken of them this weekend.

Aww, beautiful chicks!

 

[kkidsmom]

Are they just out in the coop? If so how do they do?

They are in the coop with a dog crate modified to give them a protected area. Since she was not supposed to be a broody type of hen, I feared moving her until they hatched. Then I am out of town and my husband is caring for them, so they haven't been moved out. I have a whole other coop that is not being used that I would like to move them to this weekend, so that somebody will be trained to use it at night the other coop has got to be getting crowded. I think I have 24 other chickens in a coop that was intended to keep about 16 total. As far as how they are doing? Well I guess, the mother has access to the dog crate and two nest boxes. We do not have a heat lamp or light in the coop at night. I am counting on her to be a great mother. Temps have been in the thirties most of the week thus far. I do believe today warmed up into the upper forties.

Did that answer your question well enough?

 

[lawatt]

I too have a winter broody right now, a young SFH pullet who'd just started laying about 2-3 weeks before she started sitting -- and she's been sitting through our unusually-cold snap here in Northern CA over the past week -- so am curious to see whether anything hatches, she's "due" on sat/sun this coming weekend.

 

[acsinos]

This hen, named Bald Eagle, just hatched these peeps about a week ago. Everyone is doing great! I have two more broodys on eggs now that are due in a week or so.

We have a cluch that was hatched in late Oct in which the mama has moved on. There are a few cochins in her brood that haven't fully feathered yet,so they are seeking refuge under this VERY sweet,patient rooster....

 

[cjphotog]

I had a pair of heritage turkey hens disappear in January of 2010 I thought they had bee gotten by a varmit when low and behold one of them was coming back towards the barn and then I heard a pathetic pee dee dee in the snow and looked to see 4 tiny poults making their way across the snow behind her. I scooped them up in my hat and took them inside and made a brooder for them. It seemed the hen had made a nest with another hen under a log that was next to a round bail of hay and that is how they together only leaving the nest one at a time, hatched those babies. They survived and grew up to be fine healthy turkeys