FoxySonia
Songster
Well, seems Spring fever started early for my Bantam pullets as more started becoming broody soon after the 1st one. I now have 6 bantam pullets sitting on mixed eggs, 2 black Silkies, 2 splash Silkies, a golden neck OEGB and a white Sultan, and seems 1 of my mottled Cochins might also become broody soon. I don't know what I'm going to do if the majority of 31 of my pullets become broody.
Here are the 6 mamas-to-be.
Beautiful Coco the Silkie
View attachment 3058172
Goldie the OEGB and unnamed black Silkie
View attachment 3058198
Snow White the Sultan
View attachment 3058197
And the 2 splash Silkie sisters
View attachment 3058205
Every morning I take the out if the nest box for a few minutes so they can eat, drink, stretch their legs, dust bathe, scratch around and poop outside. So far That's been working to keep the nests and eggs clean. And I provide them with food and water they can eat while sitting on the eggs.
OMG, Coco's chicks started hatching 1 day early! Now I'm freaking out, wonderimg why I allowed 6 broodies to lay on eggs. How am I going to keep them separated from each other and from the frock so there is no fighting and no chick gets injured or killed? I have a 4' x 7' cage with no bottom, but the space between th e bars is about 1", that's too big, rats can go through a 3/4" space. I have 1" poultry wire but can't use that because of the holes actually being over an inch wide. I guess I can kick my Bantams out of their 5' x 7 1/2' coop and try to keep all 6 broodies and their chicks in there, but for how long? And what do I do if the mamas start fighting with each other?
Update: Coco is being such a good mom. Just 2 chicks have hatched today. The rest are due to hatch tomorrow. It's very cold and windy here in NYC today, tomorrow will be warmer.
Oh, 1 chick came out of a blue egg from my bantam Easter Egger. The other chick came out of a small white egg. It looks to me like both chicks are going to have a puffy crest. The possible father can be any of my 4 roosters, a buff Polish, a cream Brabanter and 2 golden neck Old English Game Bantams. The females I have that lay small white eggs are the Silkies, Sebright and Polish bantams, the Brabanters and Appenzeller Spitzhauben lay extra large white eggs. Can anyone make their best guess on the parentage of these 2 chicks?
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