How many eggs for bantam broody?

[donrae]

I bought some bantam cochins to use as broodies this spring/summer. I mainly want to hatch out my own eggs, but of course have started looking at hatching eggs for sale......bad idea! If I did decide to buy some eggs to hatch, how many can my girls brood easily? I will have them hatch my own eggs first a time or two, to make sure they're good mommas. Just looking at the beautiful eggs for sale and dreaming

 

[Ridgerunner]

I cannot give you a definite number. Chickens and eggs come in different sizes. A bantam may be able to cover and hatch a dozen or more of her own eggs but only three or maybe six of a full sized hen's eggs. A full sized hen can possibly handle 18 or more bantam eggs. If the hen can comfortably cover all the eggs, she can hatch them. If she cannot cover them, then she has too many.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I usually put 8 under an OEGB hen. My girls are small.

 

[rcentner]

My bantam raised 2 bantams and 3 standard size together, all went well, but she had to stop covering them at night when they got too big to fit under her. Funny how she has chicks as big as her (they are 10 wks old). I wouldn't do more than that cause she really had a hard time keeping them all warm. Then, my wyandotte hatched 2..1 bantam and 1 standard..so I have a real small hen with large babies and nowhere to put them and 1 really large hen with room to spare! too bad they wont share babies.

If it was warm out I don't think it would be much of a concern, but my broodies always sit when there is snow! either early spring or early winter..silly birds.

 

[spartacus_63]

I had a bantam hatch 13 of 13 this year. Two of them were LF eggs. I do not recommend more then 10, but what ever she will cover is the answer.

 

[donrae]

Thanks all for the answers.

 

[debilorrah]

I think it depends on how far they can "spread". I have a 10 ounce turken that hatched 14 eggs. I am SERIOUS! Blew my mind, but she has a good spread. I also have an American game hen that has two 13 week old juveniles that she STILL tucks under her wings. Small birds have no concept of how small they are.

 

[Faraday40]

Hope someone is still reading this thread, but I have the same ?

How would you measure "the spread"? Is it about the same as her size (including fluffy feathers) when she flattens out or do you take a little off around the edges & just consider her body area?

This is my hen we're considering below. She's got a lot of fluff, so looks much bigger than she is.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Try starting your own thread for better results. (Start a New Thread) button right beside the (Post a Reply) button.

They do tend to spread out more when they go broody. You can use real eggs or fake. When she goes broody try and fit as many that will fit without being uncovered or without stacking. I had a OEGB that could only successfully cover 4 LF eggs, but about 10 of her own.

 

[debbie50chicks]