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One of my 3 pekin bantams has gone broody again, so I gave her 9 fertile maran bantam eggs last night and she has just completed day 1. She is looking very pleased with herself.
She and another broody hen shared 9 eggs in 2007 hatched all 9 successfully and brought them up beautifully, until the fox tore a strip of wood off the side of the house one night and ate one mother and 2 babies. The other 7 survived with one mother, but they were used to being kept warm at night under wings, so the ones that didn't fit under sat on her back at night. It was sooo sweet. I was amazingly lucky because I had 1 cockeral and 8 hens and I hatched the majority for a friend who was happy to have whatever hatched. I kept 2 of the babies. My friend wants more and I want a few bantams that actually lay eggs beyond February as I hate seeing them broody all year if they are not actually sitting on anything. For one thing they get very anaemic because they don't eat properly. I offered my broody a grape today on the nest, she turned up her beak at it as she has far more important things to do with her time and can't succumb to her favourite food. She does eat and drink when I throw her off the nest.
Elizajay
She and another broody hen shared 9 eggs in 2007 hatched all 9 successfully and brought them up beautifully, until the fox tore a strip of wood off the side of the house one night and ate one mother and 2 babies. The other 7 survived with one mother, but they were used to being kept warm at night under wings, so the ones that didn't fit under sat on her back at night. It was sooo sweet. I was amazingly lucky because I had 1 cockeral and 8 hens and I hatched the majority for a friend who was happy to have whatever hatched. I kept 2 of the babies. My friend wants more and I want a few bantams that actually lay eggs beyond February as I hate seeing them broody all year if they are not actually sitting on anything. For one thing they get very anaemic because they don't eat properly. I offered my broody a grape today on the nest, she turned up her beak at it as she has far more important things to do with her time and can't succumb to her favourite food. She does eat and drink when I throw her off the nest.
Elizajay
She's a good Mum taking over all the babies but so sad to hear about the other Mum and babies to the fox
Fingers crossed you have mostly girls. 
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