Tiny broody chicken

[lavendermarie]

Saturn, my golden laced sebright bantam x light brahma bantam cross has gone broody just last night. As you can imagine, she’s a tiny thing. And I didnt get a chance to look that well as I didn’t want to disturb her, but I think she’s sitting on about six eggs? Possibly a couple bantams, a few easter eggers and I saw a white egg in there for sure, either a white leghorn or a california white. Other than that I don’t know what’s in there. Anyways, again, she’s pretty tiny. If she hatches these eggs, will it be an issue when they all hatch and begin to grow? Will they have enough room to all sit under her? Is this going to become a problem and should I just take the eggs away from her? But it is going to be summer when the little things hatch, I estimate about June 7th-10th because of the bantam eggs. So maybe the summer heat will be enough to keep them warm for the most part. And my final thing I wanted to add, could I put a heat lamp in there after they hatch if there’s not enough room under mama? Or will the hen overheat? (She’d of course have room to move away from the lamp.) Anyways, sorry this was such a mess of information and questions!

(She may just end up abandoning the nest today or tomorrow but I just wanted to check in case. Thanks in advance!)

 

[Battlepants]

My theory is that the amount of eggs they can sit on without losing one should be a safe amount to try to hatch. I wouldn't expect a 100% hatch rate even in ideal conditions, so that reduces the chick count a little bit.

As for heat lamp, I wouldn't offer one for multiple reasons. In a broody situation, your hen is the heatlamp and she will make due with getting them all covered, even if she has to throw a wing over them. But yea, with the summer heat hitting soon, that should make her job a bit easier as well.

Now, the part that surprises me is how she is handling 6 eggs. My silkie hen, which is something like double the size of the average seabright, is only handling 5 eggs. Granted, these are not bantam eggs. In fact I would consider two of them to be slightly beyond the commercial "extra large."

Good luck with your hatch out!

 

[lavendermarie]

My theory is that the amount of eggs they can sit on without losing one should be a safe amount to try to hatch. I wouldn't expect a 100% hatch rate even in ideal conditions, so that reduces the chick count a little bit.

As for heat lamp, I wouldn't offer one for multiple reasons. In a broody situation, your hen is the heatlamp and she will make due with getting them all covered, even if she has to throw a wing over them. But yea, with the summer heat hitting soon, that should make her job a bit easier as well.

Now, the part that surprises me is how she is handling 6 eggs. My silkie hen, which is something like double the size of the average seabright, is only handling 5 eggs. Granted, these are not bantam eggs. In fact I would consider two of them to be slightly beyond the commercial "extra large."

Good luck with your hatch out!

Thank you for this! I’m still pretty new to hatching chicks, we did some last year with a silkie but theres still a ton to learn.

And I know! I was shocked at how many eggs she was able to sit on. And awh I hope everything goes well with your silkie, too. Those sound like some big eggs!

 

[Buckingham Palace]

Any pictures of your girl? Good luck.

 

[lavendermarie]

Any pictures of your girl? Good luck.

Yes, and thank you!

 

[Buckingham Palace]

Yes, and thank you!

wow. Shes adorabl. Iove her feathers.

 

[lavendermarie]

wow. Shes adorabl. Iove her feathers.

Thank you! I think so too. Sebrights have some of the prettiest feathers!