BANTAMS breeding like crazy.

[Ellie in FL]

Well I lost my background information, but here it is in a text. I guess. Computer spell check would not accept the word or words nut shell. Other than taking /eggs away from the broody hens, or giving them Winn dixie eggs (supermarket eggs) and leaving them 2 or 3 fertile eggs, what can I do to stop the breeding of Arthur, their Dad, to his Daughters, Dolphin, Bear, and Jet? They are free range.
I can try to get eggs from the neighbor"s chickens, they are free range also. My problem is that how many chickens ARE enough for a yard, free range. When is enough free range chickens?
The neighbor's have about 60 to 80, I have 13 total, and trying to keep control of our stock.
Here is my question: Should I buy big eggs to put under the broody hens? They would be fertile Braham Eggs, big assed chickens like Barred Rocks or , Rhode Islands. I would need to pen them up, and the hens will be like WTF, when the chicks hatch. Has anyone substituted big eggs for small eggs.
need to know, Ellie in Florida.

 

[Mylied]

I've given my silkies full sized eggs before. They hatch them and raise them without a care. Pretty sure they'd care for any baby you put under them.

 

[Ellie in FL]

Thank you, I am going to try it. The Roosters well, they are for the stew pot, I have no other option. The hens we can keep. Can't have half roosters and half hens. Looking for the Wild Bird center, who takes care of our wounded pelicans and sea birds to be able to make them into neutered males, for the stew pot, or pets. They are called capons. If they do not crow, they could stay. I will have to dig into this in more detail

 

[Mylied]

Thank you, I am going to try it. The Roosters well, they are for the stew pot, I have no other option. The hens we can keep. Can't have half roosters and half hens. Looking for the Wild Bird center, who takes care of our wounded pelicans and sea birds to be able to make them into neutered males, for the stew pot, or pets. They are called capons. If they do not crow, they could stay. I will have to dig into this in more detail

There is an interesting a detailed thread on caponing here. It's a touchy subject so I'm not going to get into it but if you do a search I'm sure you can find it. Good luck with your flock!