How many chicks should I give my broody bantam Cochin?

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If your chicks are slightly on the cool side, they'll be more inclined to tuck up under momma vs wandering a little I think when grafting chicks its good to have them cool, I think the feeling of the chicks under her help kick the hormones over as opposed to seeing chicks wandering around.
 
All chicks arrived healthy this morning. I was running late for work so I placed them in brooder were they immediately started devouring their crumbles. Hopefully Sally will think they're as cute as I do. I'll slip them under tonight and hopefully have an update by tomorrow.
 
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Not the best picture due to the green tinge from the tote they're in.
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And believe it or not here they are again all tucked under their very happy Mama! At first I thought she was pecking at them but it turned out she only wanted them completely under her! Once they all were all the way under her abdomen and wings she settled right down and started cooing to them. It made me melt a little.
 
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Just an update! Sally is being a fantastic Mama. She's raising her chicks in the coop along side of my flock of standard and bantam Cochins. The only issue I've seen so far is her whooping one of the standards tail feathers when she went into lay an egg today. Poor big gal was all upset......but apparently Sally figured she was to close for comfort. Makes me happy that I'm allowed to snoop around. (Probably cause I'm the one that brings the yummy treats!)
 
cochinfan05 said:


Just an update! Sally is being a fantastic Mama. She's raising her chicks in the coop along side of my flock of standard and bantam Cochins. The only issue I've seen so far is her whooping one of the standards tail feathers when she went into lay an egg today. Poor big gal was all upset......but apparently Sally figured she was to close for comfort. Makes me happy that I'm allowed to snoop around. (Probably cause I'm the one that brings the yummy treats!)
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Looks like you had a great hatch, especially for shipped eggs. Do you have any advice you can offer to anyone else getting ready to use a broody to ship hatched eggs?

Thanks for any, and all, advice!
 
trailrider330 said:
Looks like you had a great hatch, especially for shipped eggs.  Do you have any advice you can offer to anyone else getting ready to use a broody to ship hatched eggs?

Thanks for any, and all, advice!
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Actually the chicks were shipped from Ideal Poultry. But I have placed shipped eggs under my broodies in the past also. Unfortunately I'm not sure if I have any advice besides making sure the hen is truly broody. I usually set up a quiet area, like a pet carrier for them in the bottom of the coop, then let them do their job. I've always had much better luck with a hen then an incubator. Plus the chicks are always healthier.
 
cochinfan05 said:
Actually the chicks were shipped from Ideal Poultry. But I have placed shipped eggs under my broodies in the past also. Unfortunately I'm not sure if I have any advice besides making sure the hen is truly broody. I usually set up a quiet area, like a pet carrier for them in the bottom of the coop, then let them do their job. I've always had much better luck with a hen then an incubator. Plus the chicks are always healthier.
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Thanks. I've read so much about shipped eggs doing better the more vertical you can keep them, especially if air sacs have been damaged in shipping, but I figured that would never happen with a broody. It's good to hear that you have had better luck with broodies than incubators. Maybe mother nature does know best.
 
That's usually my opinion. Make sure to candle them after you receive them. If the air sacs are detached, give them a couple days to see if they reattach before giving them to your hen. Shipped eggs are a crap shoot. Trying to find someone locally that has the breeds you'd like is the best bet. The postal system can be really hard on them.
 

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