Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

Th cold can be a risk factor.
Mama can hatch and keep them warm, as long as everything goes smoothly.
Any trouble can be worse due to the temperature.

I use a breaker crate. Yes, they are 'sad' but can much better off in the long run.
You're the keeper, you get to decide.

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with fed and water

I let her out a couple times a day(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.
Feed and water added after pic was taken.

 

[1muttsfan]

It's really not ideal to have hens setting or chicks hatch in the winter. She and any chicks would be better off if you waited until spring to let her sit.

 

[robyn8]

Ok you convinced me to try and break her again till spring. Yesterday was the first day with the eggs so how far developed will they be if I try to take them away tomorrow? Or would it really be best to try to and take them tonight?

 

[1muttsfan]

If you take them away right now, you will not see any development and they can still be safely eaten.

 

[robyn8]

Ok great thanks!! We're going to take them away tonight and pull the plastic tray out of the dog kennel.

 

[aart]

Ok great thanks!! We're going to take them away tonight and pull the plastic tray out of the dog kennel.

You might need to put smaller mesh in bottom of crate?
Her'e some decent pics of how I did mine with 1x2 mesh.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

 

[robyn8]

We took her eggs but we can't get the plastic tray out of the dog kennel cause we forgot by husband had put chicken wire and wood around the edges when we had babies in there last. I left her in the dog kennel with no nest or eggs but food water and shavings. She'll probably still think it's a nest right?

 

[robyn8]

Hubs might have to make a wire bottom for it if she doesn't give up in the next few days.

 

[aart]

Hubs might have to make a wire bottom for it if she doesn't give up in the next few days.

You could turn the crate in it's side...or upside down.
Have seen the upside down thing done, with tray removed the bird escaped the 5' holes, but if your tray is secure, turn it over.

 

[robyn8]

You could turn the crate in it's side...or upside down.
Have seen the upside down thing done, with tray removed the bird escaped the 5' holes, but if your tray is secure, turn it over.

Good idea but we have wood on top of it cause the girls were roosting there. I'm sure we'll figure out something.