Chicken bald back

[Tiggy]

is it OK to put a bantam boy in with my girls (warrens) my friend has bantam girls who go broody a lot, so in the spring we wondered if it was OK to hatch them out under her to get slightly bigger girls that maybe are not so broody all the time.

[Redwing]

Yes, that would probably work

 

it would need to be a reasonable size bantam to get the highest chance of fertile eggs, something a bit taller like a Sussex bantam would be ok. A Pekin could struggle with the big girls, he'd certainly tread them but 'making contact' may be a struggle

 

A Pekin or Silkie cross will result in a bird more likely to go broody than other crosses, a bantam Welsummer, Maran, Araucana and possibly Sussex or Wyandotte would be better

 

In saying that there are plenty of cross breeds running around that are testament to the persistance and flexibility of small bantam cockerels

[Tiggy]

Yes, that would probably work

 

 

In saying that there are plenty of cross breeds running around that are testament to the persistance and flexibility of small bantam cockerels

 

one of mine squats for even the cat passing by little madam

[Chook n Boo Mum]

My big girls send Baby flying ...........they are Orpies/Marans/Black Rock/Cotswold Hybrids........he's a persistent Pekin

 

I've never bothered to try hatching any of the big girls eggs as I have fussy Pekin mamas who kick big girl eggs out of the nest , so I don't know for sure if he's ever actually 'scored'..............

 

Good luck with the experiment if you try.....

[Tiggy]

My big girls send Baby flying ...........they are Orpies/Marans/Black Rock/Cotswold Hybrids........he's a persistent Pekin

 

I've never bothered to try hatching any of the big girls eggs as I have fussy Pekin mamas who kick big girl eggs out of the nest , so I don't know for sure if he's ever actually 'scored'..............

 

Good luck with the experiment if you try.....

 

maybe we will give it a go in the spring

[Griffin]

I got some day olds from a friend for a broody a few months ago. Dad was a lemon cuckoo Pekin, mum was one of the green egg laying hybrids I hatched last year, LF Marans x CLB. I couldn't believe my friend when he told me who the father was Mum was red pyle. The chicks inherited dads cuckoo barring but with mums darker colouring and the crest she'd inherited from her CLB dad They were Pekin sized but sadly all boys

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Aww Griffin what a shame , they sound a gorgous mix.....

[Clairey]

Hi

This may sound like a silly question but here goes: I have considered giving one of my hens eggs to hatch but worried I would also get some or all boys: what do you do with them?

I certainly could not bring myself to culling them!

Thanks

[Chook n Boo Mum]

If you can't keep, cull or rehome them, don't go there with hatching ..........sorry if that sounds harsh, but you will get at least one if not more boys & they will need special attention at some point...I have a 17 week old and a 7 week old Pekin I am actively trying to rehome at the moment....if I can't they will have to have a one way trip to the big Free Range Field as my neighbour is miserable enough with the boy's dad living here, add 2 sons to the racket & he'll go ballistic...again