Maybe put a tarp or a plastic shower curtain over the top and down some of the sides. Staple it securely in place (on the sides, not the top, so you won't have leaks through the staple holes.) That is usually enough to keep water out for a few months.View attachment 3712640
This is the small coop I used it in the summer to introduce new my chicks when they grew up to my original flock. I took down the run and it just sits there now but I’d have to fix the roof if I could figure out how to do it.
The small coop should not need a heater for a broody hen in those temperatures. After the chicks hatch, they should not really need a heater either, except maybe to keep their water liquid. The hen is all the heater needed by the chicks.We have a small coop thing but it’s not water proof and i’d need another heater. So I would have to fix the roof. If I did use a dog kennel where would I put it? In the coop? Or the house? It rarely gets down to 20 degrees F where we live.
If you did use a dog kennel, yes any of those places would work.
While she is broody, she will not be lonely. A broody hen is not interested in socializing.If I remove her from the flock will she be lonely? When can I put her back in?
You put her back in when she is done hatching eggs. You can put a broody hen and chicks back with the flock, or you can wait until she is done raising chicks and put just her back. If you put a hen & chicks with the flock, be sure the pen is big enough. A broody hen will usually protect her chicks by making all the other chickens stay far away (3 feet away, 6 feet away, 10 feet away-- it depends on the hen.) This works when they are free ranging, and in large runs or large coops, but it can cause problems in smaller spaces because they just can't get far enough apart.
It is fine to check the eggs and then put her back. Don't do it too frequently (stress for the hen), but once or twice a day is probably fine. With other hens in the same coop, it is a good idea to check at least once a day to remove new eggs before they have time to develop chicks.Ok! One more thing the little spaces are big enough for a chick to slip through. I gave her her eggs that she left and she tucked them under her. I took one that looked odd though. Is it bad to lift her up to see how many she has then put her back on?