Too late to raise chicks??

[TMNfarm]

I live in Northern MN. It has consistently been below freezing every morning for the past couple of weeks, and is usually getting into the 40's, but not always, during the day. This is my first winter with chickens, so we are making modifications to the coop as we go to make sure they are snug for the winter.

My real question is about raising chicks right now. I have one hen who went broody and has been for a few weeks now. She is constantly in the nest box. I have only seen her out of it once or twice in the past month. I have a rooster, and I do want to expand my flock, but I was going to wait until spring because of the cold weather. However, I would like to get more eggs as soon as I can. I am finding that I have more people that want eggs than I have chickens to lay (I have 12 and am getting 7-10 eggs per day). Since I have a broody hen right now, is it too late in the year or too cold to let her try to raise some chicks?

If I do let her sit on some eggs, how many is a good number to let her have? Do I leave her with the rest of the flock, or should I move her into my heated kennel building by herself?

So many questions... I loved raising these hens from baby chicks this spring, and I am really looking forward to raising my own little flock... Any advice from those much wiser and more experienced than myself??

 

[aoxa]

My hens are raising chicks now. I'd start ASAP, so they will be fully feathered by January.

Give her 4-5 eggs. If you see that her chicks don't get out from under her very often, I'd move her to your heated kennel building if you have it (lucky!).

Wish I had a heated building so I could keep chicks all year round

I'll be hatching, but just small #'s, and they will live in the barn with heat lamps until they are old enough to co-mingle with the older flock.

 

[TMNfarm]

Well, I did it... Ilet her have 5 eggs yesterday mmorning, and I added one more this morning... So now it's wait and see. SHe was happily sitting on them this morning. I ordered an egg candler so my kids and I can watch the progress. So exciting! I'll start a thread and post updates on the chick raising forum...