Should I let my broody hen sit on and hatch eggs in february

[Genevieve Levicki]

You can either move the nesting box to the ground OR you can try to move the current nesting box into a brooder indoors. Your choice. There aren't any other chickens there to disturb her correct?

Also, no NEED to candle, but you can just to see how far they are coming along. It's always interesting to do so.

TO CANDLE EGGS:

ONLY remove 2-3 at a time. You don't want any eggs out from under her for longer than 20 minutes in total. Make sure you mark each egg with a letter or number. Lets' say you are setting 6 eggs.

Remove 3 eggs (doesn't matter which numbers). Bring them inside and candle. Write down the egg number, date and how they look. Take the 3 eggs back outside. Remove the other 3 eggs and slip the first 3 eggs back under mama. Repeat the number, date and how they look. Slip them back under mama.

You'll want to do this on day 3/4, day 9/10, day 13/14 and POSSIBLY day 17/18 if any were looking *off*. After day 18, leave mama and the eggs ALONE. Do not pick her up off the eggs, even if you hear peeping. Leave her be!!! If you bother her too much while there are eggs unhatched, you could break her and she'll abandon possibly unhatched eggs.

Thanks for the information. She is in the coop with silkie roo.

 

[Genevieve Levicki]

What do I do about feeding them after they hatch? They're not just going to eat the chick starter that I put out for them. Does it matter if they eat chick starter vs. layer feed? Or does it matter if the grown chickens eat the chick starter?

 

[Smuvers Farm]

What do I do about feeding them after they hatch? They're not just going to eat the chick starter that I put out for them. Does it matter if they eat chick starter vs. layer feed? Or does it matter if the grown chickens eat the chick starter?

The first 3 days they don't NEED food, but put out chicken starter anyway... and yes, everyone can eat it. You have no one laying currently correct? I personally have a widely mixed flock of varying ages and of both sexes, and I feed nothing but starter/grower, and then free feed a calcium supplement (crushed egg shells). The girls who need it (for laying) will eat it.

Also, your chicken should come up off the nest at least once a day to eat, get a good drink of water, and leave a poop the size of which you never thought would be possible. She should get up every day UNTIL day 18. At that point, I suggest you move the food and water closer to her so she can eat without getting up, as she will NOT wanna get out of the nest.

If you'd like, check out THIS THREAD that will give you a TON more information than what I can convey to you here. If you have any questions though, please feel free to DM/PM me or keep posting here.....

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Your hen will have no problem hatching eggs in February. The question is can you provide a safe and cozy environment for your hen to rear her chicks in.

 

[Genevieve Levicki]

Your hen will have no problem hatching eggs in February. The question is can you provide a safe and cozy environment for your hen to rear her chicks in.

But whats the answer to that question? What are the criteria for a safe and cozy place?

 

[naf_appaz]

Find a used cat or small dog carrier and remove the door, works good. Often find them cheap on craigslist or garage sales...Does not have to be a covered box but it seems to me the hens prefer the security of a roof

 

[kwhites634]

I just lost my first hen, a silkie, to an animal attack. My poor silkie rooster wasnt able to defend her. I want to hatch her remaining eggs and was going to use an incubator, but my remaining hen is broody right now. Should I just have her sit on them and raise them? I live in Austin, so it's not that cold. I've never hatched chicks before.

For all intents & purposes, February is gone; any eggs set now won't hatch 'til the 3rd week of March. By then, Mama won't have any problem keeping them warm. For that matter, the same should be true in Winter, as well. Just be prepared to take over with an incubator in case the broody quits.

 

[Genevieve Levicki]

Find a used cat or small dog carrier and remove the door, works good. Often find them cheap on craigslist or garage sales...Does not have to be a covered box but it seems to me the hens prefer the security of a roof

Is this exclusive to the coop she already lives in? Or in addition to, like do I put it inside the coop?
She lives in an A-frame coop with a silkie rooster, but I let them roam around all day in our backyard.

 

[kwhites634]

What do I do about the nesting box being over 2 feet above the ground? Should I let the chicks stay outside with the hen or should I bring them in to a brooder after hatching? Also, should I candle the eggs during incubation or just leave it to chance?

Let Mama do her job; she's better at it than you are, anyway. Hens were raising chicks alone long before man stuck his 2 cents' worth in.

 

[naf_appaz]

Yes in the coop...I have a chicken tractor on skids that I move once a week with my four wheeler, when I have a broody sitting I attach the pet carrier on one of the bottom cross beams and I can still move my coop without removing the broody nest. works well for me often the hen will take the short ride and never leave her nest...I do use caution to insure she don't jump out while I'm moving the coop. They sell covered nest boxes but kinda pricey compared to an old pet carrier some one wants gone!