The Poultry Keeper

anni · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 25 Location: UK

Hi, hello to all- though this site was fab and so useful!

I have hatched bantams under a brrody before, but this year I am trying to hatch a much larger number. I have 2 buff susex bantam broodies sitting on 14 eggs (some orpingtons, and some from the incubator mix), and have about 12 in an incubator. The eggs I have are a mixture of silkies, pekins and sussex, all bantam eggs.

1. I was wondering how long bantams take to hatch cos some places say 18 days, and others 21 - i am confused! I know its not an exact science but I dont want to get it wrong in thw incubator - do i still wait til the day 18 to turn hu,mdity up and stop turning the eggs- or do i do it sooner. I am also finding the humidity is really high at de mo?

Also, I was planning to put the incubator eggs in earlier than those under the broody, and then let her surrogate the incubated chicks when they hatch - how do i do this without her rejecting them - she is a good mother, last year she hatched 8 out of 8 and a lavendar ducking!

Please help!

JustChickens · Joined: 24 Mar 2008 Posts: 867 Location: Sussex

Roughly day 19 pipping day 21 hatching. Same as large fowl Smile

To put the chicks under your broody, plan it so they hatch the same time, then at night put them under the broody and hope she accepts them Smile

Goodluck!

anni · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 25 Location: UK

thanks, I'll give that a try

CP · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject:

Don't leave them much longer than 24 hours though or your broody may not accept them.

We tried one year & the broody beat merry hell out of them! Shocked

We currently have 4 eggs in the incubator & plan to move them to a surrogate broody if they hatch.
We started with 8 eggs, 4 were clear & 2 of the remaining look a bit suspect! So we're not holding our breath... Confused

moosele · Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 9 Location: suffolk

Have always found that bantams hatch around day 19, piping from day 17. So would stop turning around day 17 and increase humidity. I only hatch under broodys but have found that this has always been the case with the ones that I have hatched. 21 days is standard for most eggs, but dependant on size of egg and outside temperature have had cream legbars hatch on day 19, exchequer leghorns on day 19-20 and marans from day 21-25 under the same broody, so a wide variation Very Happy

At the moment have got 6 silkie cockeral to, buff pekin, lavender pekin and silver laced whyandottes eggs under a broody for a friend. As the eggs are very small they will only make day 19 at the max, and probably hatch day 18 if they are fertile!

Good luck with all the chicks!

anni · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 25 Location: UK

yes - i seem to remember last years bantams hatching on days 19/20, so ill stop turning a day early. I thinlk these eggs are quite a lot smaller than my sussex ones so they will probably hatch a little earlier - thanks for your help!

Smile