Should I let a hen hatch eggs in Dec?

[chickenpiedpiper]

Ok, I have a pair of nice little Japanese hens. One has defintely gone broody. We dont mind little ones around, we have the room, HOWEVER. she choose a perching shelf built for my huge Cochins for her nest, (4 feet off the ground) it is Dec, and tho my coop is heated, between 35 and 45, I imagine it might be a bit chilly for babies. This hen is only 6 months old, and we snatched the first few eggs before we realized, so we dont know a time frame for the eggs she is on now.

And Lastly, when one of my Older RIR's was all broody this summer, she sat on eggs for at least 24 days, and then one day I went out to check, and the eggs were gone, and she was out and about, and normal, and never saw any signs of chicks or shells? did someone in my flock kill those babies? Will they kill any others? We have always raised from day olds, never hatched our own.....

Should I let this lil' hen sit on her treasures?

 

[@migocontodos~]

A heated coop and a hen...mmmm...I'd be hard pressed not to let her hatch them.
She so wants babies!
I'd let her if you can seperate her and the chicks from the adults in the coop. The adults might now want babies as much as she does!

As for the RIR...sounds like something visited the nest and enjoyed her eggs.
Were there signs of the eggs broken and eaten there or were they carried off?

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

No traces of any shell, or babies. only thing that can get into that coop tho would be a snake, it is severely predator proof, and the nest box she chose was high up, I dont think a snake could even pull that vertical climb off, and I knew some sneaky snakes in my younger years!!

We even suspected one of our young 'helpers' of collecting the eggs, but they all denied it, and nothing was in the suspect eggs! Real mystery in my book!

Just for giggles, heres the lady in question... isnt she cute!! Her name is Stevie Wonder.

 

[Attack Chicken]

She's very cute!

 

[debilorrah]

She is adorable. Remember that hens have been hatching chicks without our help for years and years. She will be fine. She can keep her little ones warm.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Let her hatch, I just had 3 batches hatch, and they are doing fine.

I would make the nesting area so no others can get in with her,

Yes it the RIR had babies hatch, and they got in with the other chickens, the other chickens will eat all the evidence, not because they are mean, but because its something small and moving.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

If your coop is heated--- yeah, why not!?

But personally, I'd move her and her eggs to a seapated area in the coop with her own food & water, just so no-one bothers her or tries to move her eggs when she gets up to eat.

We have our OE banty gal "Skooter" in my daughters room hatching 4 eggs--NONE are her own...she just refused to leave the nest after her egg rolled out and got "collected"... we would have left her in the coop separated, but have no where to do it right now...besides-- she the size of a robin! her
house" is a 15 gallon plastic tote! lol!

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Quote:
Mature birds will kill and eat babies? OH GOD! Now I feel awful! I only have the one heated coop, no barn, we converted a shed. How do I seperate this lil hen? and do I have to for the full 23 days? or just towards the end? I have seen photos of fuzzy babies with older birds, at what point do I put them back in with the older birds? I dont want babies in the house all winter, we have a small house... Oh jeez. We always raised our youngins inside, DH wont be real keen on me bringing a whole family in tho. He is wonderful, but that is pushing it!!

 

[dreamgirl]

If you ahve a dog crate or even a large cat carrier you can put her and the eggs in it (on bedding/nesting) with some food and water. I'd probably wait until a week before hatching for convenience since you'll have to clean out the poop and stuff. And, thoug I have no personal experience, I'd leave her and the chicks in for at least a week or two (make sure the cage is big enough, even better if you cna fence off a small area of the coop)--she will protect them, but it'd be better if they were a little bigger, if they are free range she (and they) can escape from the others, but if they are coop-bound... Don't forget they will need chick starter. Of course, once they hatch, you could just bring them inside and raise them the way you would bought chicks.

Good luck.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

how big is she??
Got a pet carrier big enough?
Or go to the store and get one of those big plastic totes/bins for storage-- add bedding and cover with a window screen or chickenwire instead of the lid....
put it in a quiet corner, then move her and the nest into it after dark.

she'll be fine as long as you give her a dish of food and water every day.