Too cold to broody break?

[chickcrazyNC]

Hi y'all! For over a week now my 8 month old cochin has been sitting in a nesting box morning, noon, and night, but she is still laying eggs albeit at a slower rate. She let's me get eggs out from under her but pecks if I try to move her. Would this be considered broody? If so, is it too cold this time of year to keep her in a broody breaker with no bedding to keep her warm? We have 20 degree F lows forecasted for the next week at least. I'm looking forward to letting her batch some eggs sometime, but I'm not set up for that right now. Thanks!

 

[chickcrazyNC]

Now she is pecking at me even when I try to get eggs from he lol. And I reviewed my egg log and her last egg was either 3 days ago or 6 days ago, so I think she's definitely broody. I used to see her in the years more than anyone else but I ever see her out there anymore. My hubby is picking up a dog crate tomorrow. Do you think she will need a heat lamp at night while in the broody breaker? Thanks in advance for any replies, I just want what's best for her and to have my sweet hen back!

 

[aart]

She'll likely be fine in a broody cage, just give her a 2x4 (wide side up) roost above the floor of cage so she can cover her feet when she sleeps at night.


My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a few bricks right in the coop and I would feed her some watered down crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.