Broody hen is trying to hatch eggs in -10 degree weather!!!

[HotChicken623]

Hi, everyone! Recently I discovered my japanese bantam sitting on 8 eggs. She's very broody and has been sitting now for about a week. I did candle her eggs and 2 were duds, 3 I wasn't sure and 3 were fertilized and had bouncing embryos in them! I honestly didn't expect them to be viable since it was so cold. I removed the ones that were dead/unfertile. Can I let her hatch them outside in the coop if they do make it to day 21? She's also in a high up nesting box. I'm worried about the chicks hatching and it being too cold for them or them falling from the nest before I can get to them. Ideally I'd like to let her hatch and raise them with the flock. Does anyone have any experience letting a broody hatch eggs in winter??? Right now our temps are ranging from -15° Fahrenheit to 9° Fahrenheit.

 

[Chookchicken]

I don’t get weather that cold here, but I did hatch chicks with the same nesting box situation you have. I got the broody hen a different coop to raise her chicks in......

The smaller one is the broody hens “sleeping area”. It isn’t in use at the moment because the hen took her chicks up to the top with everyone else. If you don’t have a caged run like this you can just put the smaller coop next to, or right near the big one. When you have little chicks take the grid out, and add it again when they are about 4-6 weeks old. Here is the inside.....

Don’t mind the chick, this is the best photo I have. As you can see you should/can add bedding, chick starter, water, and (if you choose) food for the mother hen too. If you are going to add food for the mother hen the chicks won’t eat it they’ll pick at it but most of the time they won’t eat it (or at least the bigger bits). I did mix some chick starter with it so when she was digging around in the seed she could find it and eat it. I hope this helps and wishing you luck with your chicks

 

[ellasflock]

Hi, I think you should give it a go, because chickens temperature is very high and perfect for hatching chicks. All I would suggest is try and keep it as warm as possible in there, maybe put blankets and lots of straw and wood shavings because when it hatches it will still be under the hen and only come out for food.

 

[HotChicken623]

Thank you both for your help! I added a heater to the coop and she is now on day 18. Hopefully we'll have some chicks in a couple days! Fingers crossed.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Just thought I'd share my recent experience with a similar situation. My bantam girl decided to sit on a clutch in a high nesting box, since I had no problems moving my previous broody and clutch from the same box to a floor box in my brooding pen I let this broody carry on. Temp was -25c. She refused to be moved, so I tried again after the first egg hatched, she still refused, the other eggs had pipped and it was after lights out so I thought she would wait it out for the rest of the clutch but the first chick fell out of the nest and the broody made the choice to stay with the hatched chick on the floor. The remaining eggs, partially zipped, died alone in the nest before sun up.

ETA: If I could do a do over I would have stapled some cardboard up to make a higher lip on the nesting box, but unfortunately I don't have a do over button. If you can somehow make sure the chicks can't get out, you might be able to avoid this possibility. I'm not saying it will definitely happen, but it is one unfortunate outcome.

 

[HotChicken623]

Just thought I'd share my recent experience with a similar situation. My bantam girl decided to sit on a clutch in a high nesting box, since I had no problems moving my previous broody and clutch from the same box to a floor box in my brooding pen I let this broody carry on. Temp was -25c. She refused to be moved, so I tried again after the first egg hatched, she still refused, the other eggs had pipped and it was after lights out so I thought she would wait it out for the rest of the clutch but the first chick fell out of the nest and the broody made the choice to stay with the hatched chick on the floor. The remaining eggs, partially zipped, died alone in the nest before sun up.

ETA: If I could do a do over I would have stapled some cardboard up to make a higher lip on the nesting box, but unfortunately I don't have a do over button. If you can somehow make sure the chicks can't get out, you might be able to avoid this possibility. I'm not saying it will definitely happen, but it is one unfortunate outcome.

I was afraid she might abandon the nest if I moved her, so I did make a lip on the nest with some cardboard. I also made a run to the supply store and they had tons of baby chicks. I ended up buying 4 day old chicks yesterday. My broodys chicks are due tomorrow. I was hoping she would adopt the chicks I bought at the store. Have any of you had any experience witb that? I'm wondering when the best time would be to sneak them under her. Before or after hers have hatched? Or even during? I have a kennel set up on the floor of the coop to move them to once her eggs have hatched.