Should I let my broody hen hatch some eggs?

[Chickadee00]

Hello, new owner here. I've got my first broody hen, a bantam girl. I'm not sure if I want her to breed yet, since it's still pretty cold outside (-8° c, 17.° Fahrenheit). Can I put her and the eggs inside the house? Or should I let her breed in the coop, the other girls will bother her though. How many eggs can she hatch, she's pretty small and I'd like to put some of the other girls eggs (araucana, sulmtaler, leghorn, australorp) beneath her... I'm thankful for any advice.

 

[JaeG]

If you are happy for her to have chicks then I say let her. I keep mine in an indoor rabbit cage inside our coop for the first week after the chicks hatch so they can find their bearings and so the other hens get used to their presence.

You may have to keep her in a small cage or block off the nest box she wants to use while she's sitting and let her out once a day to stretch her legs, otherwise your other hens may interfere. (My bantams have a tree they nest in which isn't fun rescuing chicks from - silly birds). If you separate her from the flock you would then have to reintegrate her and her chicks which is more work.

Cold temperatures never stopped a broody but I would maybe only give her 4 eggs to sit on as that would be a good number of chicks for her to keep warm while it is still cold, especially if your other breeds are larger than she is.

Just remember that sometimes they want to sit but they don't always want to look after what pops out, so have the ability to throw together a brooder if the need arises.