How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] When in doubt, try try again.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Re: [CHICKENS-101] When in doubt, try try again.

That's hard to answer. It's 40 outside and a really nice, mild day here. Cloudy. If it's a cage, I'd cover it better.

But if you have a determined setter, and she's acting like that, I'd just take food and water to her, put it down right in front of her so she does not have to get off. What do you have to lose? 3 weeks or less of eggs from her at 1 a day.

Myself, I would encourage her. Keep her safe and protected as well as possible and see what happens. Trust her judgement. She's still turning them with her feet under there, a lot more often than you would.

Growing chicks inside an egg give off warmth. When they die, the egg gets cold, and you will see that Mama kicked it out of the nest. If you pick it up and it's cold, discard it. May get down to the last couple, and even then they may hatch.

She may be getting off the nest when you don't see her. Just for a few minutes, maybe only once a day. A sitting hen is sort of hibernating, not fully awake. They just sit there in a trance----unless disturbed much. Which is when you can lose a hand!

I imagine you already found that out.----I'm grinning. Learned that the hard way also. One minute you think she's unconcious and you can just sneak a feel under her, the next there's blood running down your arm!

You know, if she sits once, she probably will again, successful or not. She's more valuable than a regular layer, she'll raise more of them for you! And if you time it right, if you can get some day-olds about the same time hers are due to hatch, she'll accept them and raise them for you too.

I'd just put feed and water in a couple of cups or something and set it right under her beak and leave her alone.

Good luck! Too cold here, but the days are getting longer and I'm just getting the first eggs of the season.

Diane S.

----- Original Message -----

From: Laura Quick

To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 3:41 PM

Subject: Re: [CHICKENS-101] When in doubt, try try again.

I have a related question to the snippet below. I have a hen setting a dozen eggs. It's been unusually cold where we are in Southern CA. Down into the high 20s / low 30s at night. The hen's in a cage partially covered with a towel, so she's out of the wind but still in a pen outside. The hen is a first time setter and has pancaked out to cover the eggs, but she doesn't come off the nest for food on cold days. Should I be concerned about her? The cold? The chicks? I've had hens hatch out chicks before, but never when it was this cold. Thanks.
LQ in L.A.