[Kathie]

Hi,

We received 2 bantams earlier in the month, Mini, looks like a mini black rock, the other is smaller and looks like a tiny (and that's her name!) dark, ex bat.  Would we follow advice given for encouraging broodiness in Silkies for these little girls or does it differ between breeds?  Thanks in advance.  Kathie

[joyfull]

how old are these girls?
not all hens go broody but you could try the pot egg method just to see. However if just 1 goes broody then it will leave 1 on its own, or do you have more hens? do you also have a broody coup? do you have a cockerel - if not where will you get the fertile eggs from? What will you do with the resulting cockerels (you could be unlucky and have just cockerels hatch  ).

[Kathie]

Hi Joyful,
Thanks for your reply.  We have 10 hens and 1 cockerel. The bantams are about a year old.  The farm we got them from told us that one has already proved herself.  We have built a broody coop and this was the reason for the question as while we were getting it ready the bantams began rosey like crazy trying to get in the box as we tacked the chicken wire around it and Sid the cockerel clucked for ages too.  The same thing has been happening for 3 days now.  We realise that hatched eggs tend to produce more cockerels than hens and have a few friends who will be happy to give them loving homes

[joyfull]

If you want chicks then go for it. I leave mine on false eggs or date written eggs for a few days just to be sure. Then I put fetile eggs under her and leave her for a few days sitting. Then I transfer mum and eggs into a broody coup - in the afternoon and close her in the dark to make sure she is going to settle. In the morning I open up the nest area so she can go into her run - this method works for me but others may do it different.