Is it too hot to hatch with a broody?

[ozark_chickies]

We have had temps hit 112 this week, and I have a broody sitting on eggs. I wonder if they will even hatch, with this heat wave we are getting. On our hottest day it was 107 in the shade

. She has 7 days to go, and I will be so sad if she has sat through this heat for nothing.

 

[LarryPQ]

The eggs will probably do fine. Remember, the broody's 100 degree body heat is acting as an insulator to the ambient air temperature.

I have 5 broodies right now, co-brooding 6 eggs. They take turns in the nest box and down at the chicken pool.

 

[baustin]

I wish you luck with your broody hen. I've had a Wyandotte go broody and she was on 4 eggs. It's been 100+ here in the high desert and the two blue eggs burst and when she left the nest at 24 days I checked the other two and there were two chicks but both had died even though they were close to hatch. She was in the shade and had plenty of water so think it may have been the heat. Let me know how yours turn out. Thanks....

 

[ozark_chickies]

Laree, I hope you are right. I have caught her standing up in the nest during the hottest part of the day,like she was trying to cool things down.

baustin, sorry your eggs didn't hatch. I've worried about exploding eggs too. I candled her eggs Saterday,but couldn't see much because it was so bright out there. I could make out air cells in 9 eggs so I left them. One egg didn't have the cell so I took it. I expect her to start hatching early, if they hatch at all. I hope she hangs on till Friday (day 19), I'm as worried about her health as I am the eggs.

 

[Amyh]

I think the chickens know what they are doing. I am a firm believer in nature taking it's course, in human pregnancy as much as in animal husbandry.

A human mother doesn't boil her baby in 100 degree heat and a mother chicken won't either.

 

[StarStruck203]

Quote:
you can have a chicken pools? and they go in it? really? thats exciting!

 

[LarryPQ]

Well-- I have waterers....

My broodies are hatching two eggs as we speak. FYI- it is hot as Hades out there!

 

[ozark_chickies]

Quote:
Cool yours like the waters. I have shallow totes set up for mine,but they like mud better...

And great to hear yours are hatching!

 

[ozark_chickies]

Just wanted to say it wasn't too hot for broody to hatch eggs. The hen I was worried about started hatching yesterday. She left the nest this morning with 5 chicks

. Of the 4 eggs she left, 2 are in my incubator. The other two eggs were dead.

 

[Soli]

We've had some of the hottest weather on record here in TN over the last month, with humidity so high that you almost need gills to breathe. And my diligent broodies managed to hatch their clutch without trouble. (One clutch, two broodies, now they are sharing their chicks + the incubator chicks that hatched at the same time).