broody too hot in central TX??

[lindsaybambini]

I'm wondering how folks have their broody hens set up in very hot climates. i just had a hen sitting on 15 eggs and only 3 live chicks hatched. I wonder if they got too hot: Instead of putting the eggs in a nest/box within a (separate from the bigger flock
) 4 sq. foot cage, should I just put the eggs in the straw in the cage without the nesting box?

 

[sumi]

I've had two broody hatches fail a few years ago when I lived in South Africa and we had a sudden heatwave with temperatures up 130F. Neither of them were in nest boxes, but it was so hot, the eggs probably would've hatched without the hens sitting on them lol In general they handled the temperatures fairly well though. Letting the hens hatch the eggs on a nice straw bed should help a LOT in your case. Good idea.