Too cold for chicks to survive?

[peeboo]

My silkie is trying her heart out to hatch some eggs under my back deck, it is pretty Inaccessible to me since there is only about a 3-5 inch gap to get under the deck. i'm worried she'll freeze to death trying to hatch them since she doesn't get off the nest but in the early morning to get some grub. if she makes it w/o freezing, is it possible for the chicks to survive naturally w/ their mother? lately the temperature during the day is 40's and at night can get down to 7.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

That's a bit cold. Maybe if she wanders out with them grab them up and put them some place warmer. Good luck. It does amaze me what chickens will do for their young though.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Hey, Peeboo!
I'm in middle TN and my silkie hatched out four chicks back in December when we had that last arctic blast. I was worried too, but so far all have done great. Mama and babies are in the coop with the other banties, so that might help at night maybe, but nothing out there is insulated.
So far so good!

Is there anyway you can shove some hay under there? My silkie mama was pretty good about arranging the shavings to maximize the warmth.

Good luck!

 

[swtangel321]

It's possiable for her to do it !!! Yes, that is cold at night but mama hens have pulled many odd things off before !!!

Is there anyway you can get her and the eggs ??

 

[peeboo]

unfortunately i can't reach her or the eggs. they are way under there. but thankfully for my lazyness, i raked heaps of leaves under that little bit of deck. so i'm hoping she's snuggled in them. well i'm so glad to hear there so many success stories! yay yay. but i dont know how many more chickens i can keep at this point. my DH is getting a little crazy. lol. so if anyone is interested if they hatch, they'd be free to good homes. it would be a buff silkie and buff brahma cross.

 

[peeboo]

another quick question. i found yesterday morning a silkie egg from her nest pushed out from under the deck and it had a hole in it. i was wondering if it could have been a critter getting in there or if there is a reason the hen would have done that herself. just perplexed me a bit.