Heated dog dish as nest

[3riverschick]

Hi Blooie,
yes she's broody. she was sitting on 10 eggs. I took them away from her and she still broody. she's in the garage out of the Wind on deep litter. but she needs more warmth. I wonder if Mama heating pad cave would work?
you think?
Karen

 

[lomine]

How about a regular heating pad like the type used to make a mama heating pad?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/brooding-with-mama-heating-pad.67728/

I’ve noticed as the chicks get older they prefer to sleep on top of the pad. It’s covered in a towel and then straw. They usually scratch all the straw off during the day and just sleep on the towel. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for an older bird.

 

[Blooie]

Hi Blooie,
yes she's broody. she was sitting on 10 eggs. I took them away from her and she still broody. she's in the garage out of the Wind on deep litter. but she needs more warmth. I wonder if Mama heating pad cave would work?
you think?
Karen

You aren't out anything by trying. But I have to remind you that taking the eggs away won't necessarily stop the broodiness, so do watch her over body condition closely. Try to make sure she's eating and getting enough to drink...some do, some don't...and in cold weather calories and hydration are critical. Do a search for ways to stop broodiness, but I think you'll find that almost of the results will be to keep her belly and chest cold. That might be by putting her in a broody breaker, which is just a cage with no insulating materials in it and other suggestions like that, none of which make sense when you're trying to keep a lone bird warm.

How about a regular heating pad like the type used to make a mama heating pad?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/brooding-with-mama-heating-pad.67728/

I’ve noticed as the chicks get older they prefer to sleep on top of the pad. It’s covered in a towel and then straw. They usually scratch all the straw off during the day and just sleep on the towel. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for an older bird.

As I said, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Having her resting on top of it, though, might make her broodiness even more pronounced. This one is a true head-scratcher, ain't it?

 

[lazy gardener]

Karen, I was just going to suggest that you try adapting the MHP cave concept for her. Perhaps curve it around 2 sides of a box, so she has heat from 2 sides but not under her. I'd not want to put heat under her b/c that will perpetrate her broodiness (heat to the chest). My concern is that she will persist in her broody state till she reaches a state of physical decline which would be harmful to her.

 

[Blooie]

Karen, I was just going to suggest that you try adapting the MHP cave concept for her. Perhaps curve it around 2 sides of a box, so she has heat from 2 sides but not under her. I'd not want to put heat under her b/c that will perpetrate her broodiness (heat to the chest). My concern is that she will persist in her broody state till she reaches a state of physical decline which would be harmful to her.

My concern exactly! Hard part, I think, might be getting her to go in UNDER MHP if she's not used to the idea....

 

[lazy gardener]

Yep, by putting it on the sides, it would be less cave like, but still provide heat. However, my flock is hanging out in the nest boxes with this cold snap, and they are SEEKING out cave type of enclosures.

 

[Blooie]

Well, the Good Lord helps those who help themselves, so seems to me that by trying it she might be ahead of the game, especially if the heat isn't coming up from the bottom.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm sorry, but I'm losing something here.

Granted, I am in northern Oregon and not Pennsylvania, so I do not have really long cold winters at subfreezing for days on end.

But we have constant very cold damp (many Easterners complain it feels colder here). And, we get a lot of cold snaps with ice storms and wicked wind storms bringing subzero wind chills.

I have had single hens go broody every winter sitting alone in a covered, out of draft nest, and had excellent hatches. (Though I do have to keep clutches smaller as the fringe eggs tend to get cooler and develop more slowly if too many under a hen).

I've had bantam Cochins and Silkies brood in the wickedest of conditions. I've had full size Marans types. I have had them hatch in wicked cold with snow on the ground and subzero wind chill.

Never, ever, once have I ever had to heat a hen and her brood. Why do you feel you need to? You've got her in a protected garage.

Heating her will likely just overheat her and mess with the whole hatching process.

I just let them do their business.

But that's just me, I guess.

Lofmc

 

[Blooie]

Very valid points, @Lady of McCamley. My concern here isn't that she's broody during a cold snap - lots of people let their broodies raise chicks in winter and very successfully. You are an excellent example of that. My concern is that she is a lone hen and has been broody for so long after having her eggs taken away from her during this snap. I know you know how stubborn a broody can be, and often that she'll sit until she loses condition, body mass, feathers if broodiness continues for far longer than it would normally take a hen to set, brood, hatch, and then take the chicks out. This young chicken has no eggs to hatch.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

This hen hatched in frigid weather, alone in a side nest first time, then in a sole brooding hutch second time

at 4 1/2 weeks

• Lady of McCamley
• Feb 12, 2014

• Lady of McCamley
• Feb 14, 2013