Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

Annie, can you fit the cage into a corner of the coop? A large dog cage with small mesh added around the base makes a wonderful set up for a hen with new chicks.
If you have to move her inside I would do it in a very cool area such as a garage or a garden shed. If you move them anyone heated they will take longer to acclimate back to outside temps.
If you do move them out of the shed I would only do it for a short time, they will be pretty mobile a listen well to mama within a week and then could probably go back to your current setup.

 

[hmbrown05]

Can/will hens go broody in the winter? I have a 10 month old EE who hatched a brood in September and has just recently come back into lay. She had been doing well laying in the nesting boxes until the last few days and she also had 't been coming to roost at noght wigh the other hens. I found her holed up in the pig pen hovering over an egg-talk about counter productive...the pig loves eggs... She has stayed in there since I removed the egg in about the same spot which happens to be close to where she nested previously, so my guess is yes, but I would have figured that would naturally be a no no with cooler temperatures and shortened day lengths granted we are in South Central Texas.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

As with anything else, anything is possible. I've had hens go broody in winter (and successfully hatch) but it's less common.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Annie, can you fit the cage into a corner of the coop? A large dog cage with small mesh added around the base makes a wonderful set up for a hen with new chicks.
If you have to move her inside I would do it in a very cool area such as a garage or a garden shed. If you move them anyone heated they will take longer to acclimate back to outside temps.
If you do move them out of the shed I would only do it for a short time, they will be pretty mobile a listen well to mama within a week and then could probably go back to your current setup.

I can't fit it inside the coop, my coop is pretty small for the girls already. I do have a shed but it has a lot of stuff in it. Not sure I could fit the cage in there. And no basement or garage either. I guess I will have to think about it tomorrow. I do have a small house I had made for the silkies that got attacked by the fox, but it is not very accessible to me and needs a door. Maybe I will have to modify that for tomorrow.

 

[fisherlady]

Can/will hens go broody in the winter? I have a 10 month old EE who hatched a brood in September and has just recently come back into lay. She had been doing well laying in the nesting boxes until the last few days and she also had 't been coming to roost at noght wigh the other hens. I found her holed up in the pig pen hovering over an egg-talk about counter productive...the pig loves eggs... She has stayed in there since I removed the egg in about the same spot which happens to be close to where she nested previously, so my guess is yes, but I would have figured that would naturally be a no no with cooler temperatures and shortened day lengths granted we are in South Central Texas.

Hens do go broody in the winter. I have had numerous hatches with no real problem and currently have 5 hens who are broody.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Can/will hens go broody in the winter? I have a 10 month old EE who hatched a brood in September and has just recently come back into lay. She had been doing well laying in the nesting boxes until the last few days and she also had 't been coming to roost at noght wigh the other hens. I found her holed up in the pig pen hovering over an egg-talk about counter productive...the pig loves eggs... She has stayed in there since I removed the egg in about the same spot which happens to be close to where she nested previously, so my guess is yes, but I would have figured that would naturally be a no no with cooler temperatures and shortened day lengths granted we are in South Central Texas.

My girl went broody weeks ago. She just hatched her first clutch yesterday and today!

 

[ochochicas]

My Marans loves to be broody. She hatched 7 chicks earlier this month. The chicks are doing well and don't seem to mind running around outside although it is only 34 degrees. They actually came out into the yard for the first time today with the rest of the flock. Momma wanted to show them how to eat scratch grains I guess.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I've had some of my best hatches in winter...so absolutely yes hens will brood through winter. It's crazy seeing the chicks run around in freezing temps until you remember they do have down jackets and a warming hutch (momma).

 

[vpatt]

I have decided to give Jessica a couple of eggs. She has been sitting in the big nest box again and i decided to divide it in half. It can be locked at night. I don't know why I never thought of it before. I have seen that some of our eggs are fertile so I will just use a few of them and see how she does. And it is only about a foot off the ground.

Olivia's chicks are one month old tomorrow.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Annie, can you fit the cage into a corner of the coop? A large dog cage with small mesh added around the base makes a wonderful set up for a hen with new chicks.
If you have to move her inside I would do it in a very cool area such as a garage or a garden shed. If you move them anyone heated they will take longer to acclimate back to outside temps.
If you do move them out of the shed I would only do it for a short time, they will be pretty mobile a listen well to mama within a week and then could probably go back to your current setup.

I think I might bring her inside today. I'm found a dead chick that was near her this morning. Will she push out any chicks that aren't strong enough? This one didn't look dried off like the other two. When I went outside last night I heard loud cheeping and I found I think this chick separated from Mama, so I put it back under her. I wasn't sure if she could reach it or not. Or maybe she couldn't find it it got away from her in the dark? She still has two eggs, but I will check their status soon. If they haven't pipped by today they are probably duds, any ideas?