NY chicken lover!!!!

[marquisella]

It depends. Silkies are hard & take longer. I have 2 coronation sussex that go broody oftern, 2 days in the cage does it for them, but they have gone back to beinng brooding after a week or so, so its back in the cage, etc. I'm surprized at how many go broody in the winter. I can understand when its warm, but now?

I also prefer they lay, I have an incubator for brooding...

 

[Tough Old Bird]

It depends. Silkies are hard & take longer. I have 2 coronation sussex that go broody oftern, 2 days in the cage does it for them, but they have gone back to beinng brooding after a week or so, so its back in the cage, etc. I'm surprized at how many go broody in the winter. I can understand when its warm, but now?

I also prefer they lay, I have an incubator for brooding..

Good stuff to know. Thanks for answering my questions!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

You peeps are killing me! All this talk about broodies and hatching and incubating is driving me crazy. I soooooo badly want to fire up my new bators and fill them and hatch! I am trying to hold off until february or march. Ahhhhhhhrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh! Thinking of building a brooder instead of using a cardboard box. Found a simple one I like. Maybe I can get the future son-in-law to do it for me.

Ok--running out to do some housekeeping on the big coops. Silkie coops will be done tomorrow. I like the warmer weather melting all this snow!

 

[rancher hicks]

when the girls decide to go broody. I don't think I'm turning on an incubator this year. Last year I stopped counting broody hens at 25.... so I'll just use natures incubator

I have to agree, except I'll still do some myself and let them do there thing when the time comes. I always give them the egg breed I choose though. Next year I hope to have a couple of broody coops done. I have been saving up the materials. I scored some really nice plywood at HD and figure to be able to build at least two, two hen coops. I'll post pics when I do them.

One thing I think about new coops is they are too high. The old fashion coops were lower in the back and high in the front but not 6 feet tall, like I see today. Chickens don't need that much head room IMO. A low 4-5 ft in the back and 6ft in the front should be sufficient.

Because my runs are covered my birds spend most of their waking hours outside.

 

[rancher hicks]

You peeps are killing me! All this talk about broodies and hatching and incubating is driving me crazy. I soooooo badly want to fire up my new bators and fill them and hatch! I am trying to hold off until february or march. Ahhhhhhhrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh! Thinking of building a brooder instead of using a cardboard box. Found a simple one I like. Maybe I can get the future son-in-law to do it for me.

Ok--running out to do some housekeeping on the big coops. Silkie coops will be done tomorrow. I like the warmer weather melting all this snow!

I use a kiddie pool surrounded with hardware cloth. Much easier to clean after use and store.

FOLKS, please be aware that a 250 watt heat light is NOT always necessary nor safe. There are 150 watt lights available on line. I have also used 100 watt or less regular lights depending on where I brood.

In my office a 250 watt is way to hot and I've lost a couple of chicks finding this out. I use multiple thermometers. One inside the brooder and one outside, though how your chicks behave can be a good indication of how comfortable things are for them.

 

[rancher hicks]

It depends. Silkies are hard & take longer. I have 2 coronation sussex that go broody oftern, 2 days in the cage does it for them, but they have gone back to beinng brooding after a week or so, so its back in the cage, etc. I'm surprized at how many go broody in the winter. I can understand when its warm, but now?

I also prefer they lay, I have an incubator for brooding...

I had a Domonique go broody and hatch two for two in the dead of winter and below freezing temps. I have no idea how she did it.

The sussex I got from you brooded and stayed with the chicks far to long IMO. They barely fit under her and in the end didn't. My birchens brood and with in a few weeks perhaps four , are done and back on the roost.

I'll post pics asap.

 

[rancher hicks]

Marans pics. The hens have nothing much on them in the way of silver. I got them from Jon Burton in NC. They don't look nice like Green Fires.

 

[featherz]

I loooooooooooooooove my ecoglows for brooding chicks. I don't even have to worry about the littles and they just tuck themselves under at night. I think 250w bulbs is way too hot in most cases - my house is around 60 and the one week old chicks are out running around 75% of the time, only occasionally taking a nap under the ecoglow - plus they sleep there at night.

As for broodies, my little perpetual broody princess is STILL trying to sit on her 'chicks', both of whom are much larger than she is. I think they are 10-11 weeks old and twice her size lol.

 

[Lynzi777]

I had a Domonique go broody and hatch two for two in the dead of winter and below freezing temps.  I have no idea how she did it.   

Did the chicks stay outside or did you eventually bring them in? I'm wondering if I can get these newbies outside once all their feathering comes in, or if I really need to keep them indoors until Spring. Either way is fine, I do have the space, I just know the bigger they get the bigger the mess.

 

[stonykill]

I have a hen raising chicks right now. Born on December 23rd. A good broody is a magnificent thing