Ever had a winter broody?

[Betsy57]

My 6 month old EE went broody on me already. Didn't want that; want her blue eggs. Put her in the basement in a cage for 2 days and that seems to have stopped her, for now.

 

[smarsh2]

as a child, and that was awhile ago, i had a hen to hatch a single chick in the sheep barn loft on a zero degree day. It didn't live.

 

[lawatt]

hatching day here, for my crazy went-broody-after-only-laying-for 2-or-3-weeks swedish flower hen:

it remains to be seen how many of the seven eggs she's been sitting on made it through our recent Big Freeze, but one has hatched already (see empty shell to her right), and in my brief nest-check i could see that at least one more is pipping...!

 

[Cencor]

Or some super cute pictures our black silkie snow (named as when we bought her she had 7chicks) is sitting on eggs our little chicks are due 23/12. These are our first hatch an broody but shes doing great.doesnt attack we open her brooder box she gets out for a while herself an she was a great mum when we got her. Cant wait to see your piccies when the chicks arrive x

 

[chicken farmer]

I FINALLY got a tarp for the pen with my broody white silkie hen in it and I put straw on the ground where the tarp was and theres 4 days till they should hatch,i can't wait till Thursday!

 

[lawatt]

update on my broody girl: three chicks have hatched, four eggs still unhatched...

 

[chicken farmer]

Aww I love it can't wait till mine hatch!!!!!

 

[Nomibear]

Following this thread just to see all the sweet babies

 

[chicken farmer]

Following this thread just to see all the sweet babies

You'll see more this Thursday of mine!!!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My Silkie has hatched in cold early February (also in May and fostered in September).

She went broody in January but I was in denial and certain she couldn't hatch in winter, but by February I finally got some fertile eggs and put them under her. By then she was so settled I put a divider around her nest box in the main coop as I didn't want to disturb her but had to keep the others from laying around her...she was still trying to drag any and all eggs under her even with the 5 that I had given her.

Of the 5 eggs I let her have, 3 hatched (2 were infertile). She did fine and so did the babies. I couldn't believe it at the time as I thought they would surely all freeze to death because while we don't typically get snow, we were having a cold weather snap (upper 20's at night and mid 30's during the day). Those 3 chicks never seemed to notice they should need a heat lamp and brooder but quickly feathered, never minded the cold, and grew into fine early maturing hens that laid early (one at I swear....by 13 or 14 weeks! I keep checking the calendar but that's how old she was!).

Mom kept them safe and warm without heat or light...however she was out of the weather in the coop (I am in rainy Oregon so I do keep mom and babies out of the wet...here if you get wet you get cold).

Since that time I've built a separate broody hutch which I've used several times to great success with her and several other broody hens. She fostered for me in cool September successfully. (2 EE's). Fostering is trickier. I had tried to add some chicks with her February but I lost all the fosters due to not making the transition from store to the cold...however the 3 hatchlings not only survived but thrived. I find if they hatch in the cold they do fine with mom.

My Silkie appears to be going broody again, so yup, I'm planning on putting some eggs under her any day now...hoping to start some Buckeyes from a breeder if she can get them shipped during this crazy Christmas season.

One photo of the February hatch below and then one of the 3 grown babies...the rest you can see in my byline.
Lady of McCamley

first week with Mom in COLD February

at about 10 weeks of age