How many large chicken eggs can a bantam incubate?

[Rachel96]

I have a broody Leghorn bantam at the moment, under whom I would like to set some eggs. But I've never incubated 'naturally' before (I have an incubator), and the only fertile eggs I have at the moment, however, are regular-sized ones - the mothers are a mix of Sussex cross, Ancona, ISA Brown, and one full-sized Leghorn.

While I don't doubt that the broody bantam CAN incubate these eggs, I'm not sure how many I should put under her. At the moment she's quite happily sitting on six golf balls. I don't want to give her too many eggs in case she can't keep them warm enough.

I was planning on putting six eggs under her, but if I can put more than that in, I'll do it (I have a surplus of fertile eggs at the moment, pending the purchase of a second incubator). Does anyone have any reccommendations of a good amount of eggs to put in?

from Rachel.

 

[bloonskiller911]

if she can sit 6 eggs, comfortably covering them all, give them to her, it just depends on her size. 4-6 is usually how many i gave our bantams when we had them.

 

[Rachel96]

Thankyou for your help!

I just know that sometimes when I collect the eggs from the next, I find one of the larger birds comfortably sitting on eight or nine eggs! I wasn't sure how many a bantam could sit on. Thanks!

from Rachel.