How cold is too cold for hen on eggs?

[threekidschicks]

I am new to this so forgive me if I am not posting this question in the correct spot. I have a hen sitting on 11 eggs that are due to hatch Wednesday. Unfortunately, our weather is going to be extremely cold the next 3 days (highs are -16F lows are -30F with windchill of -55F). Our hen is inside our barn. She has her own nesting box in her own pen that is 5ft x 4ft and 3ft. tall (made of wood). I have two 125 watt lamps in her pen, and her pen is covered. Do I dare try to move her and the eggs into our basement? Or should I leave her be? Any ideas on how cold is too cold?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I would. Or put a heat lamp on her. Maybe get a incubator ready just in case.

 

[Minky]

This happened to me last year. It was April, and the worst of winter shouldve been over, but on day 10 or something, it was like -28C. So I squished the cars up together in the garage, got a big appliance box, filled the bottom 8 inches with shavings and paper and then straw on top (what she is used to in the barn). I cut a large chunk out of the sides and top for breathing holes(sometimes i'd leave one flap open on "warmer" days....
Anyways, in the large box, i put a smaller cardboard box to replicate the size of the nesting box.I just got a 14x 14 box , taped the top closed, and cut out one side. Like a dog house. I had my husband help carry the eggs, i carried her and we transported them one evening. She was in a trance basically, so no biggie. I recall she walked around the new box clucking for a bit, and then settled down on her nest and that was it. I was very glad, too- because temperatures stayed really frigid and the day they hatched we had an ice storm!!!! The chicks were happy in the appliance box with mom for about 2 weeks, then I moved them (box and all) into the barn... then about 4 weeks she would mother them during the day but roost at night- so it was nice they had eachother (9 of them) and they would cuddle in the nest box without her, then some started to roost with her under her belly at 4 weeks or so.

Good luck!

 

[Gargoyle]

How are they doing? What did you decide? Please keep us posted.

If you're using those 125 watt bulbs, make sure they are clamped really securely so they can't fall. Also make sure they aren't the ones with Teflon coating, those are poisonous to birds.

 

[threekidschicks]

I went ahead and brought the hen into the basement on Tuesday because I felt the heat lamps weren't reliable (one was off just from the cord getting bumped a little and had come out of the receptacle ever so slightly). I was able to unscrew the nesting box from the outdoor pen, put a towel over it and carry it to the new pen in the basement with mama and all. She is an amazing mother and has accepted her new surroundings fine. I am not sure how many of the eggs will hatch - we are on day 22 and there are none yet. I can hear very faint peeping coming from an egg, but don't want to disturb mama to peek.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Yay!!!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Well done! Best wishes for a successful hatch!

 

[Minky]

Wonderful news!
Congratulations! Keep us posted and I look forward to some baby pictures!

 

[Animals45]

I agree with @ButtonquailGirl14 keep a heat lamp over her.

 

[threekidschicks]

We ended up with only 3 chicks. I finally candled the eggs late on day 23. Six of the eggs were not fertilized and had nothing in them (I was surprised by this because we bought eggs from a local hatchery nearby).

Of the remaining: one of the eggs had a chick that had obviously died probably around day 18. The other egg, had a chick and was still peeping on day 23. The shell was so thick, I couldn't see through it at all when I candled it. Therefore, couldn't see where the air sac or internal pip might be to make an external pip. I tried to scratch away a bit of the shell to thin it out where the tapping was the loudest, but the chick couldn't break out. It is always hard to know whether to intervene or not. I usually try not to. The chick never made it out and died.

None-the-less, I am happy that at least 3 made it - for my kids and for mama hen! It looks like we have two heritage Rhode Island red, and one white Plymouth rock. Tomorrow they'll go back out to their larger pen in the barn. The mama hen is a black orpington that we hatched in an incubator. Now that we have her, we haven't had to use our incubator the last two years! Her dedication always amazes me!