Q One of my favourite hens has gone broody on a clutch of seven eggs. I want her to hatch out some chicks but I&rsquo;m worried that April is too early &ndash; the weather is still cold and there&rsquo;s not many insects out yet. Will she be able to hatch the eggs, feed the chicks and keep them warm, or should I try to discourage her and hope she goes broody again in the summer? A Michelle Dunn says:Ideally, your hen would go broody around June or July. This is when the days are at their longest, the weather is warm and there are plenty of insects and worms for young chicks. Hens, however, are individuals and don&rsquo;t always follow the rules! The warmer, wetter winters seem to have convinced wildlife that spring has arrived earlier. This year our wild birds were nesting at the end of January and our daffodils were over by March. It&rsquo;s hardly surprising that chickens are getting their dates wrong as well. Having said that, there is no reason why your hen should not successfully hatch and raise her chicks in April. Make sure she is in a warm, draught-free place and that you provide plenty of food for her and her chicks. If you succeeded in stopping her going broody now she may well fail to go broody in the summer, so it&rsquo;s best to let her do things her own way. Good luck!

Ideal Broody Time

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