Broody hens, but still too cold?

[dragonshiner]

Okay,

My girls have officially been laying for a few weeks now, including the ducks, yay! But now some of them are starting to go broody. By "some" I mean two or three out of fifty. It's still hanging around upper 30s to low 40s around here and is expected to do so for a couple weeks still. I don't have a problem with collecting eggs and selling them. The problem is that very few people are splurging on fresh farm eggs and they are backing up in my fridge.
Is it too early to let my chickens start to sit on thier eggs? Can I let them sit on duck eggs? Will they all just freeze?

 

[silkiechicken]

WELCOME!!

You can let them sit on e ggs no problem. 30-40 will be just fine for the hen and if she doesn't have too many chicks to keep warm. Just have food and water close by so they don't have to go too far to get food.

 

[crazychicken]

coughs *you might want to take the roosters out of the fridge*
Oh and I do not think that hens will sit on roosters.

But in 30-40 they will be able to sit on e ggs just fine.


Just havin some April first fun

 

[basicliving]

My two broodies were setting on e g g s when the temps were only getting in the 20s during the day. They hatched out just fine. If you've got broodies and you want some chicks, I think they would do just fine setting right now.

 

[dragonshiner]

Umm, thanks for the warm welcomes, but I've been a member for over a year.

Still very nice of you though, if I were a newbie I'd feel very special. Heck I still feel special. LOL

Well in follow up to my earlier e g g or r o o s t e r question I've been trying to get my girls to sit on some duck e ggs. The ducks don't seem to want to set at all yet, and the h ens seem to be turning thier beaks up at the e ggs. Can the smell be turning them off?