Too hot for a broody hen?

[Bigbody]

Well, I should have been asking different questions about a week ago. I've had chickens for 3 yrs now, and there's always more to learn. Last year I attempted to make a home made incubator, which I guess technically did work, but hatching 2 of 10 is not good success. So this year I bought a styrofoam incubator with the auto egg turner and fan and digital readouts for temperature and humidity, I successfully hatched 5 of 16, with 2 different issues with 2 different eggs, I felt I could have successfully hatch them both, but I blundered and lost them both. The first pipped and I know you aren't supposed to help so I refrained. Eventually I had 4 chicks fumbling around in there and after a day I decided to get them out along with the shells they left behind. While doing that I touched the pipped ones beak because I hadn't seen it move in a while. Sure enough the membrane had dried to it beak and suffocated it, I felt like I should have paid closer attention to it and could have possibly help it out, but that's how it goes. Also at that time I had a new pip, I kept a much closer eye on this one and after 12 hrs and no new shell cracking I decided not to sit idlely by and help this one. In less than 10 minutes of me helping it out of it's shell it quit breathing. So I could do no right. For others new to hatching, I let the rest of my eggs keep going and did get one more hatch at day 25, so don't give up on yours to quick, sometimes you'll get a late bloomer. So I literally just finished with those trials and tribulations, I have 5 new chicks and I'm happy to have them. I'm all set up, got my brooder box going, got my grow out pen ready for 5-6 weeks from now, and of course when I got home from work yesterday I have a hen sitting on eggs for the first time. She was very protective, very vocal letting me know the eggs under her, she was keeping, I let her peck my hand away 3-4 times and decided to just let her have them, I went out this morning and yep she was still sitting on them. My question is, and I'm truly sorry about the novel I wrote, and thank you for sticking with me this long, I have milk crates for laying boxes, for just such an occasion, if she's still sitting when I get home this afternoon, tonight I'm going to move her out of my main coop. I want to know if I put her in a plastic dog crate with vents on the side and thin metal rod door, will she over heat on my porch? I live in south MS, as in any further south and you're swimming in the Gulf. It's been running around mid to low 90's during the hottest part of the day, humidity around 50-60% typically. She'll be in shade 100% of the day on my side porch, but the reason I ask is last summer I had a sick hen and I put her in there on the porch and it didn't take her long and she was panting heavily. I ended up bringing her in the house to keep her cool, but ultimately lost her. I don't really want to bring her in the house, but I will if I have to, but any advice is greatly appreciated. Again I apologise for such a long post to ask just one question, but I've never been short on words. Thank
you in advance

 

[azygous]

It might have just been a coincidence you lost the sick hen on a hot day, and she was under stress from illness to begin with, and perhaps the heat and being dehydrated from being sick all conspired to do her in.

As for the broody hen, if you can find a cooler place for her to incubate her eggs and be able to drink water when she needs it, that would be preferable to sticking her in a crate where it's hot and she can't leave if she feels overheated.

If it's not possible to put her in a cooler place, keep careful watch over her for panting and signs of heat stress. When chickens are overheated, they get bright cherry red on their combs and wattles and facial tissue.

 

[gimmie birdies]

My hen decided to go broody in the heat, I put a frozen water bottle near by that will be replaced daily, I am home so I can do this, there is a wood divider that will keep her from kicking it near the eggs, on the outside of the coop, I propped up boards to keep the sun from beating down on the little coop.

 

[Bigbody]

Thank you both for your advice. I ended up keeping her in the dog crate, but out in a pen with a tin roof. She never showed signs of over heating and hatched 5/6 eggs. I like your water bottle idea, and do believe if I am in the same spot again I will use it.