Broody Bantam...

[mstanton]

We have a little bantam cross sitting on a dozen eggs right now. She is very small, and some of the eggs are from our Rhode Island Red. I guess the main issue I am having with her decision to be a mommy is that we live in Maine. This is probably the worst possible time of year for her to decide to sit on a bunch of eggs. She is being a really good Momma. When our Red goes into the nesting area to lay her egg, the bantam jumps out to get some food and a drink. They are taking turns and working as a team, with the little bantam doing almost all of the sitting and the Red donating new eggs. I've marked a bunch of the eggs and we are pulling the fresh ones every day.

Would you continue to let them sit on the eggs, even though winter is coming? I know that if they hatch we have to take them away and bring them inside. Even if it weren't 30 degrees out, our rooster killed a chick earlier this summer. But it seems like it's not a good idea to have little chicks outside for another six months...is it really fair to young chickens to make them live inside for that long? Do you think they could go outside earlier than that?

 

[RanchGirl13]

I think it is ok to let her sit on the eggs as for them staying inside for six months i dont agree I think once they are about three to four months old they should be alright because then they are pretty much full grown and start to lay but I suggest you put a heat lamp out there for when you do move them in there because if they get cold they can just move under the lamp as they need hope this helps

 

[ChickenLegs13]

If you don't have a proper brooder box, cage, pen, garage, shed or whatever to raise the chicks in then don't hatch them.

 

[mstanton]

If you don't have a proper brooder box, cage, pen, garage, shed or whatever to raise the chicks in then don't hatch them.

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[RanchGirl13]

Ithink you should just wait till they are full grown i think they might live then and when you do move them out just put the heat lamp out there so incase they get cold

 

[ChickenLegs13]

If you don't have a proper brooder box, cage, pen, garage, shed or whatever to raise the chicks in then don't hatch them.

  

Without knowing how much protection from the elements your coop or pen provides, keeping them in your garage until they are fully feathered, which should be about 3 months, would be an appropiate time. Acclimatize to the cold gradually when you move them outside; in other words if your heated garage is 80* don't suddenly dump them into a 10* coop.