[Roxy]

I thought  I would sit some eggs under them (not sure now the snow has arrived again, not very spring like weather!).  I picked out half a dozen eggs to sit under the first one.  Put them in the barn overnight in an egg box, in a plastic container. Went in the barn this morning, one of the farm cats appeared for his breakfast, and upturned the plastic container .........eggs not broken, but box had been upturned.  Will repeat this exercise again today, and store the eggs somewhere more safe.

Just got a problem of where to sit all the bantams that are broody - and some of them will probably not want to sit in the place I choose.  The banties tend to favour the bushes or under sheds, which for obvious reasons are not safe.

[harry]

move them at night in the dark into a box or pet carrier, cover it or one day with something to make it dark for one day, ring fence it and the roof to stop it flying out , put feed water in and it should stay there. i buy big pet carriers from car boots for this purpose, or rabbit hutches for about £5.. i have about 6 hutches and 6 pet carriers that they use to lay in so if one goes broody i pick it up and move it and ring fence it even put them back under the bushes but i net them in

[bamford6]

i get the green fruite boxes from tesco put straw in and leave them be .you could put them together in boxes will look great

[Roxy]

I have successfully hatched chicks under a bantie sitting in a pet carrier, which I placed in a rabbit pen, so the chicks could come out too.  I also pick them up at boot sales, and charity shops for a few quid!!  I will move them in the dark, and see if the reluctant ones are more co operative.  I tell you what, banties are small, but they can give a nasty nip when you lift them off their nest!!

Hopefully get a nice selection of chicks, as I have a variety of colours among the bantams.  Should be able to sell no bother, as people are always asking me for the bantam hens.  Obviously I will end up with mostly cockerels as usually happens.

[harry]

i never put nesting birds together, THEY ARE STUPID, if you put them together they will all sit on one nest letting the others die.

[Roxy]

Oh, yes, I never put them in one nesting box - all in separate pet carriers

You are right, Harry, about them all going in one nesting box.  Tonight, I  looked in the bantam coop, and there were three broody bantams all sitting together in one nest box - not that they have any eggs yet.  Good job they are only small, otherwise they would suffocate each other.