Nest box for a broody

[dannifer]

Here's the situation. I have an a-frame portable chicken coop with a small nest place in the top so it's off the ground pretty high. My hen is broody and I really want her to hatch some babies. I've been reading about where or what type of nest box to move her to so she can be ground level for the chicks when they hatch. So far all I've seen suggested is dog crates or cat little boxes with the hood. But it's over 100 degrees here right now - the hen would suffocate if I put her in one of those closed up things sitting all day (we've lost hens before in nest boxes due to heat). Are there any other ideas of something I can build or buy and put in the run - that will be cozy enough for her to feel safe and protected but also allow enough air flow in this heat wave??

 

[karlamaria]

Is your house cool? We put our broody in the house where she sat on eggs and did wonderful. We took her off the nest once a day so she could eat and drink and poop. She never pooped in the brooder,and she had the cutest chicks ! You can put her on in a pet carrier cage and she will do wonderfully. Chickens can come off the eggs for 15 minutes at a time so taking her off to poop and eat is just fine. We put food and water by her but she was not interested so we kept her healthy by hand feeding her and taking her out ot eat and drink. They go to town on the food and water and then back on the eggs.

 

[karlamaria]

Is the a frame in the shade? Yu could leave her there also and put in a ramp so she can get out with her babies unless it's like more then 2 feet off the ground. Is she your only bird? It's pretty hot to be broody, my girl is also broody but my coop is so well insulated its wonderfully cool in there. The windows are closed and it's cooler in that coop then my home! If you can, bringing her in the house in a large dog crate works out wonderfully. And sine they do not poop while sitting on eggs we never had a mess. We just picked her up and ran her out side lol.