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Well my girl, Elsa, is turning out to be a bit of a sketchy mum. Things started out well... I had her in a brooder pen with 2 chicks. Two weeks later I gave her 5 more chicks of the same age for a total of 7 chicks. She took them all in and was doing great for several days. After a few days, I let them all out of the brooder pen. She still was being a good mum and even started taking them outside. Then the weather turned bad a few days ago. It started with some bad storms and then a 60 degree temperature drop. I was quite surprised when she took the chicks outside during the storms. They are still not fully feathered either. At dusk she didn't take them back inside the coop but tried to settle down on the covered porch instead. I made her go inside with them. They all huddled in a corner, wet and cold, while she jumped up on a roost to snuggle between my two roosters. It was dark outside so I removed her from the roost and put her in the corner with her babies. She stayed with them the rest of the night. The next night (last night) I went ahead and put a MHP out there for them. I was worried about it was going to be REALLY cold last night into the single digits. I went out after dark and, sure enough, Elsa was on the roost and abandoned her chicks again. They were all huddled under the MHP. This morning she had gathered them all out in the run again and was mothering over them again... So I'm not sure what to think?
 
TJAnonymous said:
Well my girl, Elsa, is turning out to be a bit of a sketchy mum. Things started out well... I had her in a brooder pen with 2 chicks. Two weeks later I gave her 5 more chicks of the same age for a total of 7 chicks. She took them all in and was doing great for several days. After a few days, I let them all out of the brooder pen. She still was being a good mum and even started taking them outside. Then the weather turned bad a few days ago. It started with some bad storms and then a 60 degree temperature drop. I was quite surprised when she took the chicks outside during the storms. They are still not fully feathered either. At dusk she didn't take them back inside the coop but tried to settle down on the covered porch instead. I made her go inside with them. They all huddled in a corner, wet and cold, while she jumped up on a roost to snuggle between my two roosters. It was dark outside so I removed her from the roost and put her in the corner with her babies. She stayed with them the rest of the night. The next night (last night) I went ahead and put a MHP out there for them. I was worried about it was going to be REALLY cold last night into the single digits. I went out after dark and, sure enough, Elsa was on the roost and abandoned her chicks again. They were all huddled under the MHP. This morning she had gathered them all out in the run again and was mothering over them again... So I'm not sure what to think?
Click to expand...
Sounds like she just forgets come night 😆 My Elsa is unpredictable.. it seems like all the Elsa's are a little quirky!
 
I just went out to check on everyone. Elsa was sitting in the corner of the poop board with 6 chicks stuffed under her... The 7th chick which is the smallest was chirping pathetically on the ground. I think she was still too little to get up there by herself. I gave her a helping hand and then stacked some pavers so they can reach the roost easier. Poor little things... One of my roosters has taken over the MHP and was sitting on top of it. The chicks were probably scared to go under it....
 
TJAnonymous said:
Well my girl, Elsa, is turning out to be a bit of a sketchy mum. Things started out well... I had her in a brooder pen with 2 chicks. Two weeks later I gave her 5 more chicks of the same age for a total of 7 chicks. She took them all in and was doing great for several days. After a few days, I let them all out of the brooder pen. She still was being a good mum and even started taking them outside. Then the weather turned bad a few days ago. It started with some bad storms and then a 60 degree temperature drop. I was quite surprised when she took the chicks outside during the storms. They are still not fully feathered either. At dusk she didn't take them back inside the coop but tried to settle down on the covered porch instead. I made her go inside with them. They all huddled in a corner, wet and cold, while she jumped up on a roost to snuggle between my two roosters. It was dark outside so I removed her from the roost and put her in the corner with her babies. She stayed with them the rest of the night. The next night (last night) I went ahead and put a MHP out there for them. I was worried about it was going to be REALLY cold last night into the single digits. I went out after dark and, sure enough, Elsa was on the roost and abandoned her chicks again. They were all huddled under the MHP. This morning she had gathered them all out in the run again and was mothering over them again... So I'm not sure what to think?
Click to expand...
How old is Elsa? Is this is her first time being a mum?
 
Milli my bossy hateful lil pullet has gone broody in JANUARY in snow! Ugh!
I got concerned when an egg the other day was really warm...but brushed it off as just being laid. Then next time I checked on em she was in next box...whole time I was down there. Thought she was layin so left her alone. Checked again and still there. Went to put hand in and got flogged lol.
So I was like nope not doing this in January so I got her out. She ate drank, then got right back up in there.
This morning same thing so I finally shut the coop door...she camped out on the ramp! So got her off that and shut the pre-fab completely.
Now she's pacing back n forth the 8' pre-fab poor baby!
 

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