freezing cold sitting banny

[MakNat]

I live in Ky. So as we speak it is 3 degrees outside. It was 58 2 days ago. Anyway, I got a little hen sitting on 5 eggs in the coop. I just let her be. If they hatch it should be a day or 2 after christmas. Should I bring her in the house under heat if they do hatch?? Should've I already done that? Or will they even hatch? It has been driving me nuts. I am a firm believer of letting nature take it's course. In a few more days I'll have to make a decision. I want to do the right thing..?? What would any of you do??

 

[swtangel321]

She should be ok outside as long as she is in a draft free coop/place. You could put a heat lamp out in the coop above her for a little added heat if it makes you feel better !!

 

[emsevers]

I've kinda been in the same situation and I did put a heat lamp in with her. She seems to be doing just fine now. It hasn't been that cold here though. It's been just below freezing for about a week now. I'm thinking that once they hatch I'll bring them all inside so the little babies don't freeze but for now I figured I'd just let her do her thing.

 

[swtangel321]

The hen shouldnt have any problems keeping the babies warm, they are very good at that. They can raise the chicks much better than we can and they know whats best !!

 

[MakNat]

I'm afriad to put heat in the coop. I've heard too many stories of people burning there coops to the ground.. I love my birdies too much to risk it. I'm a scaredy too. I think I'm just gonna let Mother Nature take her course. If sadly it doesn't work out, there must've been a reason.. Thank you for your input!!!!!!!

 

[Marlinchaser]

She will be fine with no extra heat

 

[Southerngirl]

We had a Japanese banty hen that had hidden a nest in our haybarn a couple of years ago. My husband was out feeding the animals and heard baby chickens in February !! We had ice and snow on the ground and here comes a little hen with 4 babies in tow. He scooped them in his jacket and brought them in the house. The temps were in the mid 20's. We put a small heat lamp on them for a few weeks till the temps were higher to move them outside. She will be fine till they hatch, but afterwards she may need extra warmth for them. Good luck!

 

[Frizzledhen]

It's minus 2.2 here in MI and expected to get much colder tonight. I have a banty sitting eggs out in the barn and I am not the least bit worried about her or the eggs. She hatched chicks last winter with no losses and no extra heat. I don't know how they do it but I know they do. When the chicks hatched last Feb. I put a heat lamp out for her and she took her chicks and they sat at the opposite end of the enclosure. Made me feel better but guess she didn't feel she or her chicks needed the extra heat. Things can go wrong and you may have losses so it is up to you as to just how much intervention you want to take. Good luck.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
I'm down in Columbia, KY, and I have a broody sitting on eggs, too. It's about 11 degrees outside, here, right now.

I did put a heat lamp above her nest box, just for extra warmth - not sure what to do when they hatch (if they hatch) I may have to bring them inside. I already have 9 chickens in the house

7 five week olds and a pair of 1 week olds.

I'm just taking a wait and see attitude - it is supposed to warm up again on Christmas to about 50-ish, so this cold snap shouldn't last too long.

I would just watch and make sure she doesn't take them outside, or if you can lock her inside the coop, she'll be ok. Mine free range, and I just open the coop door for them to go out or in when they please - so I may have to take hers away and put them inside if it gets too cold for her to take them outside.

Although, I'm thinking tomorrow they all may get locked inside for the day - brrrrrr

meri

 

[chickenannie]

I was in a similar situation recently, and what I discovered was that the chicks can get warm under momma, but they can suffer when running around. The young baby chicks will not ever want to leave the nest (and momma's warmth) to eat because it is too cold outside for them, and they may starve to death.

It becomes a more stressful situation for everyone because of the extreme temps. Momma has to eat a lot more to keep herself warm too. You can insulate with haybales etc. or give them a small nest they can sleep in to retain heat.

I had 3 little ones who grew too big to fit 100% under their mom, and what happened was one morning they ALL had purplish frostbitten heads because their heads werent' covered. They were blind because their eyelids froze shut. Well, obviously I felt horrible. I had to bring the 3 little ones inside my house with the heat on every night, in a cat box with straw, so they could recover from the frostbite. They are all fine now, no blindness or anything, but mother nature is right to hatch most chicks out in the spring and summer (not fall and winter). I would take extra precautions for sure.