The Cottage Smallholder


stumbling self sufficiency in a small space

Mrs Boss is sitting on bantam hatching eggs

lucky dip hatching eggs“Isn’t it weird? When Mrs Boss used to go broody it was a nightmare. Now it’s a joy that she has gone broody again as we need her to raise new stock for us.”
Danny was studying the lots of hatching eggs on eBay. We had decided finally to put a clutch of bantam eggs under our diminutive broody hen.

Our main flock was bought four years ago and they are well past their egg laying prime. Carol, the Maran hen, is now three and still lays well. She is joined on the egg laying front by Cloud, the gentle guinea fowl hen. The latter is an egg a day girl. Her paramour, Thunder, usually joins her in the nesting box or paces up and down beside the door of the hen house until she returns to him again. The other bantam hens lay sporadically. We need to add to our stock as all our hens are staying for life whether they lay or not.

We like giving eggs away or swapping them for other produce. We often end up buying eggs now – it’s crazy. If all goes well we should have some new bantams laying by next Easter.

Mrs Boss wasn’t keen on the ducklings from the moment that they discovered that they could swim in the water fountain. So the space between hatching the ducklings and going broody again was short. Last year she was happy hanging out with her adopted guinea fowl brood for months. Mrs Boss took over the nesting box of the main chicken house and egg laying diminished to a minimum.

We have throbbed over the simple question of choosing what sort of bantam eggs to put under her.

We rang The Chicken Lady and husband S for advice.
“Why not get Light Sussex? They are the same colour as Mrs Boss. White with black lacy collars and they lay well. Good steady chickens. They’d be perfect for you.”
“What about Leghorns? I’ve read that they’re good layers.”
“I think that they might be a bit flighty. They’re continental.”
I fancied them immediately.

S trawled through eBay for me and found some Light Sussex bantam hatching eggs. He also pointed out loads of other breeds that would be good. He even found some cross breeds
“They’d be tough little hens – It even says that they’ll lay in the winter.”
Meanwhile S was delighted with his five week old Araucanas, hatched from eggs bought on eBay.

We vacillated. The mixed breed eggs were expensive but the sales copy was seductive. Laying in the winter was a plus. They were christened ˜The Schmucks’.
“I reckon that they would be our best bet. They’d be like cross breed dogs, far tougher than a pure breed and they lay in winter.”
“Laying in winter could mean an egg a week.”
“How about six Rhode Island Red bantams? They lay well.”
The problem was I didn’t want six of any breed, even six Schmucks.

Then I found the perfect answer. Six lucky dip hatching eggs.

The pedigree breeds looked perfect but these weren’t bantams. I remembered that S has said that I could talk to the breeder and I might find that they could supply just what I wanted.

And he could. Eggmanellis took Danny’s Pay Pal payment at two on Monday afternoon and they were in my hand at ten the following morning. The delivery was so quick that I imagined that D had been sent the usual weekly box of printing ink. Four hours later I realised that the mystery polystyrene parcel might contain the eggs.

I opened it carefully and found six hatching eggs. Each one marked with the name of a breed. Some were truncated jottings and were just initials.

I reckon that Mrs Boss is now sitting on these eggs. A Frizzle, a Light Sussex, a Brown Leghorn, a White Leghorn, a Silkie and a Wyandotte.

I placed Mrs Boss on a plump nest in the Emerald Castle. Her head appeared to turn 180 degrees – checking that she was in a duck free zone. A few hours later she accepted the proffered Eggmanellis eggs.

She is now happily incubating her future friends.


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15 Comments

  1. Fiona Nevile

    Hi Pat

    The hens are a joy. I love looking after them. Even if I’m pressed for time the morning and evening visit to the run is 99% therapeutic. There is generally quite a lot going on. Hens are busy birds and absorbing to observe.

    Wish you had enough space for hens and a dog too.

    Hi Pamela

    I do hope that the Wyandotte egg hatches. Six eggs doesn’t necessarily mean six chicks as some of the eggs might not be fertile and often the chick just doesn’t make it out of the egg. Fingers crossed for Dixie Chick!

    Hello The Organic Viking

    I didn’t know about buying eggs on eBay until James mentioned it. Then so many people that I know turned out to be buying hatching eggs on Ebay.

    I find the element of chance quite exciting and we are really looking forward to our new chicks and the eggs next year if some turn out to be pullets.

  2. The Organic Viking

    That’s fantastic. It never, ever occured to be that that you could buy ‘lucky dip’ boxes of hatching eggs on ebay. I will add it to my growing ‘to-do one day’ list. Hope Mrs Boss stays happy!

  3. Hello Fiona
    I’m honoured and at the risk of counting chickens before they hatch I look forward to seeing pictures of Dixie. I just looked up wyandottes on the internet to see what they are like, they are rather lovely. However, if female, Dixie could turn out to rival Mrs Boss in the broody department apparently.

  4. Ohhhhhh Looking forward to reading all about the new brood!!!! Sounds like a nice little mix there. Getting really jealous here now wishing we had room for a hen or two besides a dog. 🙂 Enjoy!!!

  5. Fiona Nevile

    Hello Belinda

    We have an old hen moulting ATM which is odd. She seems quite happy but two months early!

    Mrs Boss looks quite scary when I open the Emerald Castle wall every morning and evening but if I touch her tail first (quite gently) she lets me pick her up and encourage her to take the air in the Castle grounds. This evening I gave her a pat from you.

    Hello Amanda

    Good to hear from you. Looking forward to hearing how soup is made in Spain!

    Hope that you are having a good time and resting with some sun on that back.

    Hello Pamela

    I was delighted that there are two leghorn eggs in the clutch!

    OK the Wyandotte will be called Dixie, whatever the sex.

    Thunder is so tender with his wife but a daemon with all other hens. Someone told me that Guinea fowl are monogamous “ we are thinking seriously about building a separate run for the guineas as he is giving male guinea fowl a bad name.

    Hi Natasha

    I do hope that our frizzie egg hatches out!

    Hi Kate(uk)

    Yes it™s amazing that you can buy hatching eggs on eBay. I™d highly recommend Eggmanellis for speed of service.

  6. Kate(uk)

    Wynadottes are fab too.Eggs on ebay-amazing!

  7. Natasha

    I love the frizzies, they are like puffs of cotton wool!

  8. I’m so glad your mixed clutch includes a couple of flighty leghorns, and the Wyandotte sounds as if it should be into C&W music! If the Wyandotte turns out to be a she you should really consider calling her Dixie Chick! Thunder is so the expectant father at the birth!

  9. We´re in Spain – back soon so will catch up with everything then. Meant to e-mail you before we left. Lots of love xx

  10. Belinda

    You inspire me with fowl friends..

    We are brand new to the feathered pet dept. Its all a bit mystifying.. like why do chickens decide to shed all their feathers (moult) at the onset of winter? Thats just crazy.

    Give Mrs B a pat from me (if she gives you the chance)

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