Fostering help please

[JaeG]

I have a very broody Old English Game Bantam who hatched bantam chicks for me not so long ago. She was laying again by the time the chicks were 6 weeks old, and she laid for a month, then went broody again! She has been such a pain in the coop I have recently taken her out and set her up in her own little cage.

I can get some standard Orpington chicks newly hatched in a weeks time but I am wondering how many she could handle? I've only hatched bantam eggs before so I have no concept of how big a standard chick is, and OEGBs are pretty small.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Sounds about right for an OEGB

I think I'd try her out with 3 or 4. She'd probably be able to cover more of them as day olds, but as they start to grow, they'll quickly pass her in size.

Good luck!

 

[JaeG]

Sounds about right for an OEGB

I think I'd try her out with 3 or 4. She'd probably be able to cover more of them as day olds, but as they start to grow, they'll quickly pass her in size.

Good luck!

Thanks for that. I thought my bantam Wyandotte was bad laying for six weeks then going broody like clockwork! I'm sure she will volunteer herself soon if we have no luck getting two pullets this time around.

Could my OEGB look after a couple more if I give her a heat lamp? I will be keeping her inside for a little while as winter has finally decided to arrive here in New Zealand after a very warm May and although we don't get snow where we are it was rather frosty yesterday morning and I think we are in for more this morning.

My Mum has lost two blue Orpingtons at young ages from two different breeders but this breeder I'm getting the chicks from only keeps her buffs separate so her birds are hopefully stronger genetically. We have a very limited gene pool in little old NZ.