How many eggs should our broody sit on?

[fastbob]

Our Dutch Bantam is setting and we have plenty of other fertile Dutch eggs we want to slip under her. What's a reasonable limit? I searched but didn't find much but I'm thinking 10 is OK but if we should keep it less we will or if we could add more than 10 it would be nice. Thanks for your help.

 

[Triplecross]

2 years ago my daughter's Mille Fleur bantam sat on 12 bantam eggs and only 1 hatched. I think she had too many and couldn't keep them all warm. I'd say 10 or less just to be on the safe side.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I agree- for a bantam 9 eggs tops for a regular sized hen 12 tops to keep it safe- it looks cute for a hen to sit on 40 eggs but they won't all hatch. If I have a hen setting in nest boxes I mark them with an x and get the others out until hatch time. and save all the ones I want to hatch until I get enough then they will all hatch at the same time.