Urgent ? RE: New Regular Chicks and Broody Bantam Hen

[2wheelnurse]

I was planning on setting my 1-2 day old regular sized chicks under a broody bantam Cochin hen. A. Will that work? and B. How many will fit or how does one know how many is too many? I have 7 chicks. I have a plan for how to do it, just wasn't sure about the size difference.

 

[1muttsfan]

It may or may not work, depending on the hen - be sure to watch carefully to make sure she accepts the chicks, and does not peck them to death. Usually bantams can handle around 5 eggs or so, so 7 full-sized chicks may be a few too many - again, you will have to watch that all the chicks will fit under her.

Check this thread out

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/430832/how-many-eggs-for-bantam-broody

 

[2wheelnurse]

Many thanks!

 

[2wheelnurse]

Well, tonight I was able to get 4 of the chicks under one hen. I have 3 broody hens. So I moved another one to the spare coop and put a couple of eggs under her. I'll move the remaining 3 to that hen tomorrow night and let the 3rd one try to hatch some of their eggs, if she wants. It's my first time with new chicks outside of the very first 7 I got last year. I'm anxious to see if this will all work. I wasn't real keen at the possibility of rocking my happy flock, but when the husband came home with the school project leftovers there wasn't much else to do