Hello, just wondering breeds.

[Lady of McCamley]

Ohh Call duck eggs/ mandarin eggs are smaller or just as small as bantam chicken eggs/ Call ducks and mandarins are the size of bantam chickens.

Thankyou so much for your help!

Ah...didn't know that as I'm not a duck person...then this should work out beautifully...with an obsessive broody.

LofMc

 

[buff goose guy]

Quote: It's ok this is my first time being in the chicken part of this website, and i forget that when i say call duck people don't automatically think of a super cute mini duck

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I will make a point to go see some call ducks when able...sound adorable.

Take video to post in the broody chicken thread when your broody chicken momma sees her babies paddle in water the first time...I'm told it is hysterical.

LofMc

 

[buff goose guy]

Ok sounds like a plan i cant wait to see it myself.

Is there any specific age that they should really begin going broody ?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Ok sounds like a plan i cant wait to see it myself.

Is there any specific age that they should really begin going broody ?

Depends on breed and hen...generally speaking, your bantam Cochins (if indeed that is what you have), will go broody as soon as they reach sexual maturity and have laid eggs for a period of time...how much a lag between sexual maturity and brooding depends on the season and hen. My bantam Cochins went broody in April/May which was the first spring of their first year...so just after the dark days of winter...I had purchased them at 3 months of age in late October...so they would have been about 8 to 9 months old. They went broody again in late fall, which I didn't use, and they have gone broody again this spring, which I have used.

Silkies can go broody after the first egg laid then try to hatch that, which is sexual maturity around 6 months of age. I can almost time hatches around a Silkie, they tend to brood every 4 months or so. (My first Silkie was every 4 months almost on the dot, my second Silkie tends to be every 4 to 5 months).

I can highly recommend picking up a 1 to 2 year old Silkie, or young pullet, to accompany your bantam Cochin. They are so adept at brooding a number of them have been purchased while brooding, moved with eggs, and continued to brood and hatch in the new home. (Not all will do that of course as that is a very dedicated broody).

If you are serious about making this a repeatable event, having a string of broodies (2 or more) makes it very feasible to brood for replacement birds with regularity.

Good luck with your hatching plans.
LofMc

 

[buff goose guy]

thank you

 

[buff goose guy]

Does this help with the comb thing ?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Looks single from these photos. Hard to tell at this age sometimes but pea is usually wider.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree

 

[buff goose guy]

Again chicken newbie , so single comb means which breed again ?