I have 2 broody hens -1 cochin & 1 silkie- each with 6 count 2 week old chicks. They're in 'brooder coops' outside. The weather has been in the 50s nights until tonight. It's been rainy & chilly all day, has not gone above 50 F, and it's going to be in the low 40s tonight. One broody has a proper small coop for warmth. It's wood. Covered with bubbble wrap on the outside, for now (except the vents). The other hen has a covered cat litter box with deep pine litter, a atiff foam, bubble wrap & duct tape awning over the door, and bubble wrap taped around the outside of the cat litter pan. The pan is raised on pine boards and her awning is 2 ft out from the door. There's still a hole opening the size of a cat. No other ventilation. She's in a predator-proof sandy run in the main run, btw. Is this warm enough for the chicks, who can snuggle under their mommies? I'm about 5 days away from having the walk-in coop completed for them. I promised my husband no more chicks inside. I just passed the blame there, didn't I? What should I do?
Momma does a perfectly adequate job of keeping her chicks warm. She has the best insulation around: her fluffy feathers and a nifty heat generating body underneath 'em. Don't worry. Chickens have been hatching chicks for millions of years, in all sorts of weather.
