We discovered around 10 days ago one of our hens is broody and sitting on around 16 eggs, a couple more rolled away so they were discarded.





She's been sitting on the first for about 13? days now.  At first we thought the "forest got her" but she came back after two days, and then went away for another two and we thought she was gone for good now... nope, she came back every 2-3 days.   Not too sure how she got so many eggs to sit on in such a short time she was only 'gone' for 2 days before she came back... and another 3 before we found her spot.





We now have this huge storm hitting OR, WA, CA and lots of rain, sadly the spot she chose (hiding next to shop under misc. stuff) is in a low area so it will get 2-3" water so we had to risk moving her and the eggs.  At first she couldn't find them, but once put in front she got on them and has been on them the last 3 days.  





I was out of town for the last week and upon arriving home got her into a more 'safe' spot for this storm.  She's in a large dog crate now (with nesting material, food, water) that's under a 4' x 4' piece of steel with plywood on 2 sides.  Protected from most wind, and all of the rain that's already arrived.  The dog crate is also elevated off the ground to prevent standing water from coming in. (It's a poly/plastic crate with the vents at very top, and steel/mesh door, the door has been crossed with 2x chicken-wire so she doesn't kill herself.)





At what outdoor temperature would you guys move her into the garage in the dog crate?  


This rain and cloud-cover is keeping nighttime temps in the upper 40s with low 50s during the day.
 

low 40's? pretty much now. The problem is once the chicks hatch, they may not survive long enough to dry off.

TimberTodd,

I had a hen go broody late, and she got chicks about three weeks ago.  I am in WA state, with temps about what you describe, and a storm hitting us.  Not one problem with the chicks.  As long as they can stay dry, and the temps are above freezing, I'd let the broody hen take care of them outside.  This is the third time my hen has gone broody in fall, and raising the chicks in the cold has never been an issue.

We let her stay outside until yesterday (23rd day approx.) and have a wind + rain storm coming in so we went to bring her in and 6 had hatched and were dry already!



She's in the plastic pool in the mudroom with the eggs and chicks and has food/water of course as well as oil heater keeping it nice and toasty in there.



As of noon today there are now 8 fluff balls running around sqweeeking away.



Pics, etc coming :)

we also just had 12 hatch and 8 live outside. I did round them up and put them in prison. Our chicken house is divided into 5 smaller sections. I have hung a heat lamp for the chilly nights and they gather under it in the evening. The hen now quit hiding them under her wings this week. They are 3 weeks old i think now and growing feathers. I would get newborns in right away here in ohio. You should be fine out west. I think chicks are sturdier then everyone thinks.

We're up to 12 hatched now too   #13 is on the way ;)





Tomorrow I've got to build the chick coop they will have their own lil coop, and run, within the bigger run.






We haven't had snow yet, but it gets cold here :) and snow on the ground every winter.




 

We had one of our hens hatch chicks when it was in the 20's during the day and in the teens at night.  We waited until they hatched, then moved her into the shed with a heat lamp - mainly so the chicks didn't get attacked by the other hens.  They did fine, but unfortunately all but one of the chicks was a rooster.  We culled the roosters.  The remaining hen got pecked to death a couple weeks after we introduced it to the flock.  Seems like chick rearing always goes so much better in the spring.  Winter has always been cruel and tragic to chicks.

Boo for no pics.

Sorry about the pics



Tomorrow I'll get more pics, and upload some old ones too.  My phone + home network are not playing nicely so I haven't uploaded any. (Cell at my location is about 2KB/s if it works.)



They're all still alive, and doing well. MIgrated from pool in mudroom to dog crate in mudroom... the mudroom is still covered in dirt from momma hen doing dirt baths and our super powdered sugar like dirt we have...



Tomorrow they all go outside!!! In their new coop, new enclosed run, etc... I'm sure they'll be excited to have more room, and momma to get 'outside' in the sun!!



The new coop is going next to the 'grown up' coop, and their smaller run is within the big run so it's extra safe!



4' x 4' wood framed box with steel roof on top providing snow/sun protection off the side and around an 8' run.