Broody Breaker in the winter??

[MeredithLindsay]

I have a silkie who lives in the broody breaker far more than she lives in her coop it seems. The crate is in a shed without heat. Our temps have been in the teens overnight so I’ve been bringing her to the coop for bed and back to the crate in the morning. Being allowed to nestle down for bed though I know is prolonging the breaking process, I’m just worried about the temperatures. Is it ok to leave her in the shed? I can suspend a heat lamp from the ceiling but being so far up I’m not sure it will make an impact

 

[azygous]

Letting her sleep outside the cage at night is perpetuating the hormones and it will take far longer than if you leave her in the cage at night. Does she have any hens that she tolerates to be near her? Select at least one other chicken for body heat and let the two of them keep each other warm for the two nights it will require to break the broody hen.

What is your location? How cold does it get in that shed at night?

 

[MeredithLindsay]

Letting her sleep outside the cage at night is perpetuating the hormones and it will take far longer than if you leave her in the cage at night. Does she have any hens that she tolerates to be near her? Select at least one other chicken for body heat and let the two of them keep each other warm for the two nights it will require to break the broody hen.

What is your location? How cold does it get in that shed at night?

I could put the silkie rooster in there with her and hope she’d let him snuggle. I’m located in central NC. Outside overnight is in the teens. 17, 18 normally. I don’t have a thermometer in the shed so I can’t really say what that temp might be.

 

[neo71665]

Leave her in the cage and put the cage in the coop. Putting a rooster in there won't do any good.

 

[MeredithLindsay]

Leave her in the cage and put the cage in the coop. Putting a rooster in there won't do any good.

I can’t fit the cage in the coop. Silkies snuggle at night. They don’t roost, they cuddle up together. That would be the reasoning for putting him in the cage with her. Body heat

 

[azygous]

It will come down to whether she tolerates the rooster being in the cage with her. Broodies can be fiercely temperamental, so try him out and wait to see how she handles it before you walk away and leave them together.

My experience with broodies, however, points to them not tolerating a rooster near them while broody. Another option would be some hot water bottles to help take the edge off the cold. Empty gallon milk jugs filled with hot water, say three or four in a tight grouping, can raise the temp beside the hen for most of the night.

 

[MeredithLindsay]

It will come down to whether she tolerates the rooster being in the cage with her. Broodies can be fiercely temperamental, so try him out and wait to see how she handles it before you walk away and leave them together.

My experience with broodies, however, points to them not tolerating a rooster near them while broody. Another option would be some hot water bottles to help take the edge off the cold. Empty gallon milk jugs filled with hot water, say three or four in a tight grouping, can raise the temp beside the hen for most of the night.

That’s really smart. So literally just put some hot water bottles inside the cage with her? So simple.
She is a BEAST when broody. Yells at everyone and attacks innocent hens for no reason at all. He doesn’t usually mess with her. He’s learned to stay away when she’s cranky.