Silver-Laced Sebright Bantam on Full-Sized Eggs? (How Many???)

[ClareScifi]

My friend and I are in disagreement. He thinks I can put 6 regular-sized eggs under my broody Bantam, and I think there should be no more than about 3, because she is a true Bantam, one of the tiniest sized. I am afraid that if she can't keep all 6 covered, we may get no chicks. I'd rather have just 3 than none. However, last time I had a stepmom hatch chicks, I had 10 under her (a full-sized Barred Rock), and only 6 of them hatched. I've read that the hatch rate of eggs is usually 75% or so. So we might get only 2 chicks from 3 eggs, and usually there is 50% male, 50% female hatch, so I'm wondering if it would be better to try for 6 eggs? But I don't want the Bantam to be frustrated by no chicks hatching. What do you think is the maximum number of full-sized eggs I should put under her?
All 3 of my big girls laid today, so I switched out the Banty eggs for theirs, and the Banty happily took to them, without blinking an eye. If I put 2 or 3 more full sized eggs under her tomorrow (depending on how many big girls lay), will the Banty likely hatch all of the eggs, or would the staggering of 3 eggs today and more tomorrow result in her not hatching the latter ones, since I've read that a hen will abandon the nest after the first eggs hatch. But, if today's eggs should not be fertilized or viable, she'd have tomorrow's eggs for hedging her bet?
All feedback will be appreciated.

 

[sourland]

Six does seem like a lot for a Sebright. I'd give it a try, and if she can not effectively cover all six, remove eggs until she is covering as many as she can. She may leave the nest after the first eggs hatch. Have an alternative plan in mind for any eggs that are still unhatched. I don't like staggered hatches.

 

[ClareScifi]

Thanks for the good info, Sourland. Could I have an incubator set up for the eggs that have been under her one less day, to hatch them, or would it be tricky to set it up right?

 

[ClareScifi]

And do you think all 3 of the eggs I put under her yesterday are likely to hatch? Or do you think only 2 or so will probably hatch? I'm not sure how you can tell which eggs are likeliest to hatch?

 

[sourland]

Now how could I tell that? (picture a smiley - my emoticons are on break) Candle the eggs on day 7 to see whether or not they are developing.

You could have an incubator just in case or if necessary you could remove the chicks as they hatch and then return them to her when the next set hatches.

 

[ClareScifi]

Those are good ideas, Sourland! If I put 3 more fertilized regular-sized eggs under my broody Banty today, and the 3 I put under her yesterday hatch out first, does anyone have an incubator I could borrow for just one day, 21 days from now, to put today's 3 eggs into, to hatch, should the Banty abandon her nest right after the first three eggs hatch, about 21 days from now (if they do hatch)? Is it possible to rent an incubator from somewhere for just one day? Would this work, or would it be very tricky getting the temperature set correctly in an incubator for just the one day? Would it shock the soon-to-hatch chick too much, do you think? Any other solutions to this staggered-egg conundrum?

 

[ClareScifi]

I'm also worried about Merry Etta getting parasites/mites from being broody. An expert once told me this is the biggest danger with letting a hen go broody. They often die from this. What I am not clear on is whether it solely affects hens who go under a house? Merry Etta has wedged herself inbetween a very old plywood board I had propped up against the chicken coop for extra winter warmth and the side of the chicken coop which is made of chipped board with a liberal coat...ing of barn paint to waterproof. It was built about 3 summers ago She is atop some plastic bags covered with pine shavings. I don't know whether this is an environment conducive to harboring mites/parasites and whether I should just break her of the broodiness right now so as to alleviate the possible danger? I also worry about tampering with her hormonal state, because I've heard this can cause health problems, as well. The only chicken I have had die was one I broke of her broodiness. After I cooped her up so she couldn't go back to her nest under the house, I noticed her eyes and the skin around her eyes was very red in color. The feathers were plucked out of her breast, which I thought was from brooding, but now I believe it was a result of mites/parasites or possibly fatty liver disease. However, she ate the same diet as her sister, Esther Mary, who is now 4 and fine. My hen who died, died about 2 months after I broke her of her broodiness at the tender age of just 17 months, so I do worry... Either way. Was it parasites/mites that got her, from brooding under the house? Or was it a hormonal problem caused by my breaking her of her broodiness? She died while I was away on vacation or I would have had an autopsy done on her.