Broody hen

[KDchickenmomma]

My hen, Dorothy, went broody 3 weeks ago now. We decided to let her sit on the eggs and try to hatch them. I just candled and her only eggs looks to have a blood ring ;( It appears that her friend Chelsea has been laying eggs in the same box and now I have no idea how old the other eggs under her are. Dorothy is a Cochin Bantam and Chelsea is a Prod Red, so the eggs are very easy to tell apart. My roo is also a Cochin Bantam, so I don't think Chelsea's are fertilized, but I'm not sure. Can a Bantam mate with a full size hen? Every time I have seen him try he jumps on her back. I have seem his mate with Dorothy.

Should I just give her an adopted 1 day old chick to raise?
If so, does it need to be a Bantam like her or any chick will do?

 

[donrae]

Bantam roos can breed large hens, but the fertility rate is lower, especially with cochins.

You could give her day old chick(s). Bantams can raise large babies, just not quite as many. Mine has raised six easily. A lady I know used her bantam cochins to brood and raise turkeys and peachicks, but I don't know how many each time.