Ridiculous bantam hen hatching eggs

[KCNC06]

While adding fresh straw to the fowl houses yesterday in preparation for unseasonably cold weather this week, we discovered a well hidden nest. Silly little bantam hen had 8 eggs just about ready to hatch. Sure enough, 4 of them had pipped this morning. Now, when I say "unseasonably cold", I'm talking nighttime temps in the low 20's... it's rarely below freezing here this time of year but still too cold for chicks. We decided to bring momma hen, and all her eggs, inside to give them a chance.
Under normal circumstances I know chicks aren't supposed to go outside until they have big chick feathers and can keep warm. But these little nuggets won't have real feathers until....what? January? By that time this nasty cold nonsense is more common. I just don't know what to do with them. Since we have the momma hen in with them, could we possibly move them all back outside in a couple weeks? If they're in something with a good about of straw to snuggle down into? Or, assuming some chicks survive, are we just stuck with wee chickens in the house until spring? We don't have a heat lamp or heat source outside and I'd prefer not to put one out anywhere because they seem like too much of a fire risk. I don't even use heat lights inside with babies anymore.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The hen should be able to take care of them just fine outside provided she has draft free places to take the chicks to for shelter. Her instincts should tell her to stay in the nest on the floor with the chicks at night to keep them warm.

 

[KCNC06]

The hen should be able to take care of them just fine outside provided she has draft free places to take the chicks to for shelter. Her instincts should tell her to stay in the nest on the floor with the chicks at night to keep them warm.

That's what I was hoping. She's a small bantam though and depending on how many chicks survive, she doesn't seem big enough to cover too many of them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

That's what I was hoping. She's a small bantam though and depending on how many chicks survive, she doesn't seem big enough to cover too many of them.

If the spot she was nesting in can be fenced off a bit, maybe with a solid wall (even something like cardboard works in a pinch) in a direction that gets any wind, she can probably manage, depending on the chicks. Once they're a couple weeks old you'll likely find that the chicks don't really need much heat from her during daylight hours.

The other thing to think about (and the reason I'd want to keep her outside if at all possible) is you really don't want to have to reintegrate her if it can be avoided, and its optimal to let the hen handle integrating the chicks with the other adults as well. I don't think you'd want to be trying to deal with that yourself in the dead of winter.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

I’ve got a bantam hen with babies right now. Weather here is in the low 30-20f at night. I’ve got her in a rabbit hutch that is off the ground. The best way to make sure your little babies stay warm is to make sure they always have food and have a place to get out of the wind/weather. Your hen will be able to take care of her chicks without needing to be brought in the house.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Read this thread. A well-respected member of this forum let a hen hatch and raise chickens in Michigan in a colder time that you have. It may help you.

Broody in Michigan Winter? | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

Her conclusion was that yes, a hen can raise them but she would not do it again. But I'll let you read it.

 

[Yardmom]

Chicks can be outside before they are fully feathered, but they need a heat until they are feathered. The mother hen is the heat source for the chicks. Just like she kept the eggs warm, she will keep the chicks warm.
I have had hens hatch chicks in the prime of winter. The biggest challenge was keeping chick safe water from freezing.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

If the hen’s body can heat the eggs to a temperature hot enough to develop the eggs and hatch them she can keep the chicks just as warm. Whether there are eggs or chicks sitting under her the temperature is around 100F underneath her. On another note chicks do not need to be kept warm 24/7 only have a place to go and warm back up. I raise and brood all chicks outside with a brooder plate. They spend most of their time running around the brooder out from the heat even in cold temps.

 

[KCNC06]

Since we weren't sure about the temperature, and didn't have any way to separate the hen and babies from other hens and roosters, they're inside currently. I think 6 of 8 eggs hatched and seem to be doing well. One wasn't really developed and the other pipped but then turned itself around and suffocated. I don't know why we've had bad luck with bantam chicks in the past but even hatching in summer they didn't survive more than 48 hrs.

I think we'll work on getting something set up for them over the next few days. I think we might have one bigger coop that isn't usually used in the winter. It's the drake's "summer house". Once their hormones chill out they're allowed to go in the big duck house with the girl ducks.

Anyway. It sounds like the drake summer house might be our best option. It has a ramp for little chicks to climb, and it's also big enough that I can put a large dog crate or box in there. I could probably even use a couple bales of straw around the crate or box as added insulation right?

I definitely don't want momma hen to go through being picked on going back to the flock. At the same time, our chickens seem to be monsters. A couple Silkie Roo's caught and killed a baby snapping turtle a couple years ago.

I was looking at the forecast again hoping we'd have a warm day coming up but this cold really seems to be stuck. We're in kind of southish central NC. I don't ever remember seeing low temps in the teens before February but that's what we're looking at for nighttime lows in the next week. At least it's supposed to get into the 40's during the day. And I can't believe I'm talking like 40's are tolerable temperatures.

 

[KCNC06]

If the hen’s body can heat the eggs to a temperature hot enough to develop the eggs and hatch them she can keep the chicks just as warm. Whether there are eggs or chicks sitting under her the temperature is around 100F underneath her. On another note chicks do not need to be kept warm 24/7 only have a place to go and warm back up. I raise and brood all chicks outside with a brooder plate. They spend most of their time running around the brooder out from the heat even in cold temps.

That's a good point. I guess it's the winter temps issue combined with a hen brooding that is throwing me off. And dealing with chickens. I haven't had chicks in a good 4+ years. I'm used to ducks now and don't let momma ducks brood them. They seem to grow up more friendly when they're around people more.