I've got a perpetual broody silkie. I usually just move her to the boody pen, let her just have some eggs and that's that....buut I've not yet had to deal with her going broody this late. And she is NOT a quitter. Its eiither hatch or die with her. I have no problem giving her some eggs, but the DH isn't so keen on the Basement Broody Brothel any longer. So, I have a covered carport, heat lamps etc. And living in the Pacific Northwest, we don't get freeziing, frigid temps throughout the wiinter. So, I'm thinking it will be fine to hatch and have Mama take care of them for a while, then heat lamp it... whatare ya'lls opinions on the matter?
If you want her to do it, let her do it. I also live in the PNW, no snow and hardly much frost here but LOTS of cold rain, and, I've had a lot of successful hatches under my Araucanas here. They're often either as broody as the typical Silkie or moreso.
I don't even use heat lamps, and I live in Oregon... just give her some eggs perhaps 1 or 2. She'll keep them warm just fine. I think we forget that these girls have down coats on! Right now I have a broody with 3 5 day old chicks and a broody with 4 eggs set to hatch Halloween. They'll be fine with no heat lamp. The chicks are doing great! Let Mama raise them all the way! I see no reason to help... jmo only! Your mileage may vary (YMMV)
Thats what i did my broody Mille fleur D'uccle just hatched 4 and shes keeping them warm by hershelf just like in nature.
Let her do it. Mine sequester themselves in a special little hide-away in the coop to set and raise the hatchlings in amongst the rest of the flock. No special heating arrangements for them.
I figured it would be ok. I was most likely going to do it anyway, just wanted some validatiion, I guess. I already started to collect some eggs I know will be fertile (I only have one little banty roo with 18 hens, only 5 of which are banties, so I have to collect specific eggs. I KNOW he's not doing anything with my 10 pound Brahma!) I like to take the chicks away from Mama a little early, so I can be the Mama and raise them more hands on. My mama hens are good with me messing with the chicks, but I've found that they are way more skittish when mama is clucking to them. Sso I let Mama raise them for a few weeks, then take over, whereupon they would need the heat lamp.
