Hi have my 1st broody was wondering how many large eggs a small bantam can sit safely or comfortable, and she has been broody for a week already trying to hatch a golfball going to put eggs under her on Friday will she stay on nest till they hatch?
I wouldn't put large eggs under a bantam, but if you do, I wouldn't go for more than two or three. If they were all to hatch, within a week the chicks would be to big to crawl under a tiny bantam. I would go with bantam eggs under a bantam.
I put 4 large eggs under my bantam girl (cochin) and she hatched 3. She had no problem warming the chicks as they grew - and they will feather out faster being outside with mom. Oops - yes I would think she will stay until hatch. I have a MF cochin who has sat thru 2 bad clutches of MF eggs and just Friday hatched her first chick - this after 3 months setting. I DO keep food and water within reach of my broodies on the nest. That way they only have to leave to "relieve" themselves or for a quick dust bath.
I usually say a broody can sit on about a dozen eggs of the same size she lays, so 12 bantam eggs or about 5 or 6 standard eggs. I often give a few more in the summer when it's warm and less (like 4) in the winter when I think she may have a hard time keeping all the eggs covered. They can't count, so she should sit until they hatch. It's always a gamble with a first-time broody because you never know if they'll go the distance, but it's been my experience that most broodies will sit until something hatches. With first-time broodies, I always try to get eggs under them as soon as I'm sure they're broody just so they don't lose interest. Congratulations on your broody!
Quote:It is pretty entertaining to see standard chicks trying to tuck under their mama when they're bigger than she is, but that usually takes until they're 7-8 weeks old and fully feathered. Somehow they always work it out and bantams do a great job raising standard chicks.
Thanks for the replies, I'm in Florida so its not so cold, I notice her coming off her golfball to eat in the morning and then in the heat of the day she seems to come off for a longer period. She looks twice the size sitting on the nest I'll go for an odd number and give her 5.
I have a bantam Cochin Hen that hatched out and raised 10 standard size chicks. She was sitting on 13, but I pulled 3 out. No, she did have one of her eggs in the batch so 9 standard and one bantam egg. She would get everyone of then under her when needed. They did fine the 4 hens I got out of the batch are laying eggs now. Here is a pic of Tweety and her chicks. Not all of the chicks are in the picture.
Now that I've had a LF BO and a LF Welsummer both go broody, I want one of my bantams to do it too! I just wanna see a diminutive momma with big ol' chicks. (Sorry, I'm evil that way....)
As many eggs as she can effectively cover. Depending on the size of the hen-anywhere from 3 or 4 to as many as 9 or 10.
