Broody Hen Conundrum

[RuralChick83]

Hi there! Sorry for the long story, but I want to give all the details I can.
I have an interesting situation I didn't plan for. I got a new flock of 12 chicks this Spring (1 roo and 11 hens). Since I was pregnant, I asked my husband how many he could handle and take care of once I got too pregnant and had our child. He told me 10 max and yet he bought 12. I cared for them and got them all situated outside before I went into labor and had to care for my baby. About 2 months later, I introduced them to my existing flock of 3 hens (3yrs old). Everything was good except when my new flock started laying, my rooster started getting a little aggressive with me. I read up on ways to deal with it, but I decided to put him back in the transition coop outside and see if he survives the winter and then decide. (Transition coop was our first coop we had that the students built at my husband's high school, but it was not the greatest and we then built a better coop with an 8x10 shed. We decided to keep it as a transition coop for new flocks before they move in with the old flock.) I have a big run area for my chickens, but I let them free range out in the yard during part of the day. One of the new hens is an easter egger and so is the roo. She would somehow get in to his area, which I figured out how she did it, but it wasn't all the time. What bothers me and I still haven't figured out is she would get out of the hen enclosure because I have netting above them and no real way of anything getting in, but I would see her in the yard when I had not let the others out or she would visit the rooster. I kept thinking I found the spot where she would get out, but I would still see her outside the fenced area. I, at least, know she can't get back in the fenced area because she will wait for me at night to be put back in by the other girls.
It wasn't until recently, I noticed I didn't really have any eggs from her in the coop. (She has the green ones and I have one older easter egger with green ones too, but she is molting now.) I thought maybe she was laying them around the yard while she was out, but the last 2 days she went by the rooster and I didn't get home until after dark. I couldn't find her outside and I checked to see if she was in the coop with the roo. She was, but she was in the nesting area, which I wondered if she wasn't feeling good until the next day she stayed with the roo and when I went to check on them in the afternoon once my baby took her nap she was in the roo's coop in the nest area and she did the chicken growl at me and then it dawned on me that she was laying her eggs in there and is now brooding.
So, I am trying to figure out what to do. Do I let her brood, or do I take away the eggs? I have never dealt with this before nor know how to help care for chicks in winter. Especially since they are in the transition coop and that is not as well insulated as the main coop. I live in Wisconsin and we usually don't get any major cold snaps until mid January to February. Any ideas? If I let her brood, do I let the rooster live to protect her, or do I finally eliminate him? Should I eventually eliminate her too since I still have no idea how she escapes and she is now really becoming a pest? If you need any pictures or more specifics on anything, please let me know.

 

[CoopBoots]

Not an expert, but off of the cuff a good broody will keep her babies warm as needed. As long as you can keep food available, thawed water they can't fall into, and drafts off of them, I'd be content to let a broody sit. Bearing in mind, of course, a first time broody may prefer sitting to hatching and mothering, so I'd have my own brooder set up in case I needed to take over. But if you are comfortable letting nature take its course this isn't necessary.

Can your temporary coop be better sealed from drafts while keeping overhead ventilation?

 

[aart]

First question would be.....
...do you want more chick(en)s?
Just because they go broody, doesn't mean you need to let them hatch. I've let a few or four hatch over the years, but I have broken the broodiness on many, many more.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Any ideas? If I let her brood, do I let the rooster live to protect her, or do I finally eliminate him? Should I eventually eliminate her too since I still have no idea how she escapes and she is now really becoming a pest?

I usually try to work with them for a while, but I would cull them both.. my tolerance for "pests" is quite low. Sometimes culling can mean rehoming, soup pot, compost, or even trash can. Survival of the fittest in my book means that which fits in the most.

Congrats on your baby.

Best wishes, whatever you choose!

 

[RuralChick83]

Not an expert, but off of the cuff a good broody will keep her babies warm as needed. As long as you can keep food available, thawed water they can't fall into, and drafts off of them, I'd be content to let a broody sit. Bearing in mind, of course, a first time broody may prefer sitting to hatching and mothering, so I'd have my own brooder set up in case I needed to take over. But if you are comfortable letting nature take its course this isn't necessary.

Can your temporary coop be better sealed from drafts while keeping overhead ventilation?

Yes, I can definitely set up a brooder if necessary. We usually set ours up in the basement

 

[RuralChick83]

My husband and I are debating what to do. I just looked in this morning and saw 16 eggs, but there could've been more under the hay. I will try to candle some tonight to see if anything is happening, but I know it is still early. I attached pics of our transition coop. The big door is 2 inch thick with insulation inside. Ventalation on top. She is is the nesting box. I did just add some more hay to it.
My husband was thinking about having the students at his school build us an 8X10 shed and get more chickens in Spring. If we decide to keep these, we will just have a bit of a headstart. Plus, if we are getting rid of mom and dad chicken, we will then have replacements. We just added a lean to the garage and have plenty of space to put a brooder in if mama hen doesn't want to be a mama. Lots of ideas and choices, but will need to make a decision soon.

 

[RuralChick83]

Update: I checked and we had 18 eggs to start. After candling them on possible day 7, got rid of 2 that weren't developed and on day 14 got rid of one. I heard cheeping on Wednesday evening and this morning I saw one head pop up. I have only heard one "cheeper" so far. Not sure how many have hatched and have had trouble checking under mama hen. I live in Wisconsin and weather has been around 30s-40s. Freak snow yesterday morning. 2.5 inches and was half melted in afternoon. I am hoping to try and candle this weekend if I find any eggs. Any suggestions on how to do it without disturbing mama hen too much or so no baby chicks get hurt? Any other things I should be aware of? If any baby chicks have died would mama hen have removed them? I try not to check on her too much, but I have not seen her move off the nest since Tuesday. I have food and water nearby, but she would have to move off nest for a little while and Idid give her some right next to her yesterday, which she ate.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm still not sure I understand what you want to happen. Assuming you want her to hatch and raise the chicks I'd leave her alone. She knows more about being a broody hen by instinct than I ever will. Do not candle eggs. Do not look under her to see how many chicks she has. I'd stop feeding her.

At some point the first chicks to hatch will get hungry and thirsty. They absorb the yolk before they hatch and can live off of that for 72 hours or more before they need to eat or drink. When they get hungry and thirsty they will start yelling at Mama that they are hungry and thirsty. She will take the chicks that have hatched and abandon the nest. If she laid all those eggs then you should not have any late hatchers but you don't get guarantees. After she abandons the nest clean it out. Candle to your heart's content. Don't expect her to hatch any more chicks. She has finished with the hatching phase and is into the raising phase. Have food and water available for the chicks to eat.

It can be harder for a hen to raise chicks in the snow and cold but they can do it. Good luck!

 

[Yardmom]

Most of my hens don't seem to mind me taking a look to see how it is going, but give her a day or two and she will move with the hatched chicks.
My hens have raised chicks in winter. The biggest challenge was making sure chick safe water was not frozen.

 

[RuralChick83]

Ok. I was not sure how involved I should get. I have been reading around and some say to wait a few days after first chick is hatched and some say to wait a week or so. I just didn't want any rotten eggs still under her. I wasn't originally planning on this, but she was my escape artist and would visit the rooster in his coop. So, now I have her in the coop with the chick(s) and the rooster in a smaller separate area. Thought we'd give this a shot since we were thinking of adding more chickens anyways, its just earlier then planned. Once mama hen is done caring for her chicks, we were going to get rid of her and the rooster.