The BANTAM ORPINGTON Thread

[Faraday40]

Cookie always hatches 7 full-sized chicks.

When I set 8, 7 hatched.

When I set 6, she somehow stole one & hatched 7.

Two weeks ago, I found her on a nest with 11 eggs. (How did she find them? Are my young cockeral really mating the hens? What is this chicken thinking going broody for the 4th time this year?) I walked away scratching my head. When I candled, 7 were viable, & I tossed the clears. They're due to hatch Sun/Mon. All 7 still looked good last night. i'm very curious to see if 7 really is my Cookie Monster's lucky number.

Because these bantams are so fluffy, I think 10 medium eggs could fit under their spread. You can estimate her body size when flattened out & compare it to a plate. Then look at the eggs' size and figure out how many will fit in that space. If it's colder weather, perhaps add fewer eggs & stick the rest in an incubator.

 

[Honora]

Well, I gave her 9 and she seemed to only be able to fit 8. She is happily sitting on her 8 LF orpington eggs now. I washed most of them, which apparently you are not supposed to do, but hopefully some will still hatch!

 

[Honora]

OMG now my other splash pullet is broody too. I had no idea this breed was so broody! They are snuggled up together in the nesting box now squawking at anyone who opens the door!

 

[Faraday40]

OMG now my other splash pullet is broody too. I had no idea this breed was so broody! They are snuggled up together in the nesting box now squawking at anyone who opens the door!

Yes. I only have one & she's more than broody. She just hatched her 3rd clutch this year! (Technically she went broody 4xs in 2015, but the 1st time was in Jan during a blizzard. The cold temps & snow talked her out of it.) When she's not broody, she lays an egg a day.

 

[Faraday40]

As requested, here are Cookie's chicks! 7 really is her lucky number.
The roo is a black orpington.
The chicks are:
4 purebred orps
2 EEs (most likely Legbar-Orps; hatched from blue eggs)
1 mix

As usual, DD picks her fav. This time it's an EE.
In the bright sunlight it has a brown hue on face.



The black one with the pink beak is the other EE.
The yellow/white chick is from Princess- Lay-a ( a lovable mutt but also an egg machine).



pic below: What do you guys think? Does it look like a male head-spot? (I believe that combo makes a sex-link, so only a male offspring could get the barring from the mother.)



Last 2 pics are DD's fav.

 

[tnmommy]

Some of my bantams that are FINALLY at breeding age! Getting fertile eggs at hatching size, almost 2 dozen ready to incubate!


Mauve Splash cockerel



BBS


Stubborn mauve pullet refuses to pose



My beautiful chocolate pullet, black pullet, and once again, one of my mauve pullets that refuses to pose.




Mauve cockerel with a mommy photobomb


Mauve splash hen and mauve cockerel


Chocolate rooster

 

[Faraday40]

tnmommy-
Those bantam breeding pens are looking good. I think you're going to have a lot of fun with them!

 

[ChubbySister]

Hello! I'm new here and making my way through this monster of a thread. They're all so pretty! I figured since I'm rummaging through all of your posts, I'd at least say hi.

 

[Honora]

Hello! I'm new here and making my way through this monster of a thread. They're all so pretty! I figured since I'm rummaging through all of your posts, I'd at least say hi.

Welcome!

 

[Faraday40]

Hello! I'm new here and making my way through this monster of a thread. They're all so pretty! I figured since I'm rummaging through all of your posts, I'd at least say hi.

Hi