Bantams Starting to Lay

The warmer than usual spring has brought bantams in to lay early this year. Our silkies and pekins have been laying steadily most days since the last week of February. Personally, I think that these early eggs are best used for a tasty meal, rather than being set, as fertility rates will only just be starting to rise. It is, however, time to make sure that breeds are seperated to keep chicks pure bred. Remember bantam and chicken hens will remain fertile for 2 weeks after mating , so they need to be kept in with their own cockerels for two weeks before eggs can be known to be pure.