Colorado

[21hens-incharge]

They are asking 20 bucks for 6 eggs and 30 for a dozen. I know there is NO way she could ever sit on a dozen. I think 3 would be a safer number for her to sit on. She is VERY small even for a cochin bantam.

Kinda pricey for the eggs but not for the breed they are. They are advertised as greenfire line.

I should probably just try and get her some chicks instead. I do not think she would abandon them given how doggedly she sits but there is always that chance.
If I try and give her chicks and she does not take them I will be able to raise them so no worries there. Maybe only 2 chicks for her since she is so tiny.


This is her standing on a 2x4 roost with a Silver Laced cochin bantam in front of her.

 

[suncatcher]

Yep, I agree, if she is willing to sit, I would let her, you can feed her some boiled egg, I have done this with one that was not moving from the nest till she had babies!! Kept her weight on fairly well. Not sure if you are the one with the bator going, but you could always finish them off in the bator too, but knowing bantam Cochins, bet she won't give up on them!

 

[21hens-incharge]

I do not have a bator so I would be counting in her to do all the work.

There are some ads for barnyard mixes and true aracauna's (sp) too. The pics show rumpless bit to me it would not matter either way.
I will see what I can work out by Friday and update as to how things go.

Thank you

Babs

 

[maggiemo]

I have a question for anyone that has stuck eggs under a broody hen......

My gal has been fully broody for about a week now.
There is an ad on Craigs for fertile cream legbar eggs.
If I were to get ahold of say 6 does anyone think the bantam cochin could
A. Handle 6 eggs
B. Hang in there for them to hatch and then keep them warm

Last year she sat stubbornly for about 9 weeks before I managed to force her to quit it.
It would mean she would be sitting over a month again. Poor thing.

Or should I just get her 2 or 3 chicks and hope she takes them in?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Babs

I didn't stick eggs under a bantam, but I just hatched out 7 standard size chicks in an incubator and gave them to a broody bantam when the chicks were a day old. I gave her all 7 and she raised them no problem. It was pretty cold too. The chicks are 9 weeks old now, so she was outside with them since late February.
I have a friend who gives her bantams Cornish X to raise and she gives the broody up to 10 each.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That is a lot of chicks for a bantam. NICE that she did a good job for you. That must have been some chick pile under her lol like she was the cherry on top of the sundae.

A couple years ago I had a SS cockerel that went to a friend of DH's. If he still has him and some BA hens I may be able to get a couple of those eggs to have her hatch. The eggs would be huge compared to Itty Bitty's eggs. Like sleeping on boulders for her.
(he was a mean cockerel and turned into a beautiful but mean rooster) Bob really liked the bugger so hopefully he still has him.
DH said NO to the legbar eggs. I understand he has to draw the line somewhere.
(I will still cross it though

)

 

[swift081702]

Bantam question...can they roost with the LF or do they need their own coop? I've heard different opinions?

 

[samsr]

Bantam question...can they roost with the LF or do they need their own coop? I've heard different opinions?

My two bantom cochins are in with my full sized birds and they dont seem to have a problem.

 

[samsr]

It looks like my hatch is done. 15 out of 20 hatched. Only two of my olive eggers hatched though. I had put four in. So 50% from her. She is a bit young however. She has only laid about 20 eggs. I am going to collect some more of them and hatch some more. I have one fat little chick that is a cross between my americauna and my brahma. Its a big chick. Sure is cute though. Every one of the chicks has feathered feet. I definaty assume that featherd feet are dominant.

 

[maggiemo]

My two bantom cochins are in with my full sized birds and they dont seem to have a problem.

I have three bantams in with 20 full sized birds, they are fine. I have one little bantam chick in with 23 full size chicks and she is fine too.

 

[maggiemo]

That is a lot of chicks for a bantam. NICE that she did a good job for you. That must have been some chick pile under her lol like she was the cherry on top of the sundae.

She did fine.
I have another friend who had her bantam hatch two peacock eggs. She had to use her wings to cover the babies when they hatched, but she did fine too.