Broody Hen
I have a Buff Orpington hen that has decided to go broody in November. I have been gathering the eggs daily all summer and incubating them, so she didn't have a chance to sit on her eggs. I decided to take a break from incubating, and one day a couple of weeks ago I failed to collect the eggs and it was the next afternoon before I went to collect them. The hen took the opportunity and stole all the other hens eggs for the two day period. She now has 14 eggs that she is sitting on and if i calculated the date correctly the eggs will be hatching on November 30th. I have left her in the coop for now, but the weather is turning colder here in North Georgia with the lows reaching in to the low 20's tonight and the next couple of days. I have the coop wrapped in a clear plastic vinyl so she is protected from the wind but I am concerned it will still get cold inside the coop. This is a new experience for me since I have always incubated the eggs. She is the first hen I have had to go broody this late in the year. If anyone has any advise they would like to share I would appreciate it. Should I bring her in doors now or wait until the chicks hatch and bring her and the chicks in then?Rhonda
