How many chicks should I give my broody bantam Cochin?

[cochinfan05]

My little Sally is broody yet again this year and since I've never successfully been able to break her without letting her have chicks I've decided to place an order with Ideal for some bantam Cochin chicks. Problem is.....I don't now how many to order. At first I thought 8 would be plenty. Then I started looking at all the colors and I would really like to order 12. I really do have an addiction

. I'm confident that she will adopt whomever I give her I just would like to make sure she'll be able to care for 12?

 

[song of joy]

A bantam shouldn't have any trouble caring for a dozen bantam-sized chicks. Enjoy!

 

[donrae]

Bantam chicks, a dozen will be no problem, especially this time of year.

Large fowl, about 6 is good.

Have you read Ideal's policy about adding males for warmth? Unless you want a bunch of excess cockerels, you need to read that carefully and pony up for the additional shipping charges for a small order.

 

[song of joy]

Bantam chicks, a dozen will be no problem, especially this time of year.

Large fowl, about 6 is good.

Have you read Ideal's policy about adding males for warmth? Unless you want a bunch of excess cockerels, you need to read that carefully and pony up for the additional shipping charges for a small order.

Really good point! Last time I ordered 7 pullets from Ideal, I got 8 "males for warmth". There were all RIR cockerels.

 

[cochinfan05]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I did call Ideal today and ordered the 12 and asked if there was anyway not to get the additional males. The lady on the phone said for a $1.00 they would add straw instead of roos.

 

[cochinfan05]

Here's another question for the experts out there! My plan at this point is to pick up chicks from post office when they come in, place them in brooder during day then place under Sally that night. But.....I have never had good luck with chicks ordered through the mail. I've ordered from Murray McMurray twice and both times lost half the order within the first 24 hours. I really believe I'm doing everything right in the brooder and I've never lost any chicks that I've incubated. I'm wondering if I'm seriously better off just giving them to Sally straight from the PO? Even if it is light out? I guess I'm thinking she maybe able to provide something that I can't to reduce the fatalities??

 

[song of joy]

Here's another question for the experts out there! My plan at this point is to pick up chicks from post office when they come in, place them in brooder during day then place under Sally that night. But.....I have never had good luck with chicks ordered through the mail. I've ordered from Murray McMurray twice and both times lost half the order within the first 24 hours. I really believe I'm doing everything right in the brooder and I've never lost any chicks that I've incubated. I'm wondering if I'm seriously better off just giving them to Sally straight from the PO? Even if it is light out? I guess I'm thinking she maybe able to provide something that I can't to reduce the fatalities??

I've had good luck ordering from Ideal. I'm in PA, and I get the chicks the day after they ship them, so the chicks are approx. 24 hours old when they arrive. It's best to make sure the chicks are OK, and keep them in a quiet, dark location at the appropriate temperature until dark. Don't give them any food or water, as they will do fine on their stored yolk reserves. You may not have to provide any heat, as the chicks will keep each other warm in the small box that's lined with straw. Slip them under the broody hen very quietly at night. Considering the number of chicks, you may want to do this in batches of a few chicks every hour or two, but decide this based on her reaction. If she already has a good track record as a mom, she should readily accept them.

Alternatively, if you're very confident in her abilities, you could try giving her a chick or two when it first arrives, being sure to cup your hand over the chick to conceal it when you put it under her. If she's fine with the chick after an hour or two, you could give her additional chicks by placing them under her. Considering the number of chicks you're dealing with, this is probably much riskier than a night-time introduction, which gives mom and chicks all night to talk to each other before seeing each other.

I used a combination of these techniques when I fostered 4 chicks to a 1st-time broody this summer. I put 1 chick under her at night, then added another about an hour later. In the morning she was doing fine with these chicks, so I slipped the other two under her during the day by concealing them with my cupped hand while distracting her with the other hand.

 

[donrae]

The conventional wisdom is to graft chicks at night, but I've done it during the day with good results.

 

[cochinfan05]

I've had good luck ordering from Ideal.  I'm in PA, and I get the chicks the day after they ship them, so the chicks are approx. 24 hours old when they arrive.  It's best to make sure the chicks are OK, and keep them in a quiet, dark location at the appropriate temperature until dark.  Don't give them any food or water, as they will do fine on their stored yolk reserves.  You may not have to provide any heat, as the chicks will keep each other warm in the small box that's lined with straw.  Slip them under the broody hen very quietly at night.  Considering the number of chicks, you may want to do this in batches of a few chicks every hour or two, but decide this based on her reaction.  If she already has a good track record as a mom, she should readily accept them.

Alternatively, if you're very confident in her abilities, you could try giving her a chick or two when it first arrives, being sure to cup your hand over the chick to conceal it when you put it under her.  If she's fine with the chick after an hour or two, you could give her additional chicks by placing them under her.  Considering the number of chicks you're dealing with, this is probably much riskier than a night-time introduction, which gives mom and chicks all night to talk to each other before seeing each other.    

I used a combination of these techniques when I fostered 4 chicks to a 1st-time broody this summer.  I put 1 chick under her at night, then added another about an hour later.  In the morning she was doing fine with these chicks, so I slipped the other two under her during the day by concealing them with my cupped hand while distracting her with the other hand.     

I must admit that not offering a heat source,food and water as soon as I get them will make me incredibly nervous.....especially if it takes them 2 full days to arrive. I've also always wondered if it was my fault for fatalities because I over handle them right after they arrive by trying to "mother" them to much. You've given me a lot to think about.

 

[song of joy]

I must admit that not offering a heat source,food and water as soon as I get them will make me incredibly nervous.....especially if it takes them 2 full days to arrive. I've also always wondered if it was my fault for fatalities because I over handle them right after they arrive by trying to "mother" them to much. You've given me a lot to think about.

If the ambient air temperature is not appropriate, be sure to provide a heat source. You don't want them getting too hot or too cold. When I bought newly-hatched chicks a month ago, I put them in a small box with pine shavings and left them on the seat of my car all day inside the garage (out of the sun). It was about 90 degrees in the garage, and quiet and dark so they were able to rest. I did notice they were very perky . . . and much less stressed than chicks I've ordered through the mail. (I drove to pick up these chicks.) This was a good reminder for me that shipped chicks need peace and quiet, as much as food and water, when they arrive to recover from the stress and bumps of their long journey.

Just remember, each situation is unique and there's often more than one "right" way to do these things.

Best of luck to you! Let us know how things turn out.