IndianRingNeck.com

Hi everyone

I have a roughly 10 year old hen on a clutch of 3 eggs (I just checked the nest so not sure when they were laid). In past breeding seasons none of her eggs were ever fertile/hatched so I think it's a safe bet that these won't either.

How do I check if they are fertile/infertile and do I keep them in the nest to keep her occupied or do I discard the eggs if infertile?

Wessel

If you hold the eggs up to candle light you can see the chick inside, some say

Thanks AJPeter

Now if I can only retrieve the eggs without bleeding...the hen is protective of her territory to say the least.

Wessel

I used a lighted candle to check for a draft and gave my hen an awful shock but there were none.

When my hen was sitting in her eggs she allowed me to take them out one by one to check they were not cracked as they have in the past stuck to her, Billie was very complacent about my hand poking around in her nest.

Wessel, you just have to make it worth her time. Maybe you should give her a treat. Maybe a nut. Maybe a really big nut. Maybe a COCONUT!

I don't think you're going to get to do that.

Hmmm...a nut for a nutty bird?

Sorry I am new to breeding. Is it OK to touch the eggs. Thought the female will chuck them out if we touch?

Desiree,

I never risk touching the eggs precisely for that reason. All I do is tilt the nest a bit so I can have a better view inside.

One of my other hens had a dead chick, one barely alive and two eggs so I pulled the starving chick to handrear. She has a history of not feeding her chicks so I have to resort to intervening.

Unfortunately my breeding box mounted against side of aviary so not easy to tilt. But will keep an eye on what's happening in there. I so excited. This is my first batch of eggs, so I just hope it works out.

Just keep an eye on them and you should be fine. Is it the hen's first clutch?

Unfortunately the chick I tried to hand-rear died early this morning so my day wasn't off to a good start.

Sorry to hear about your chick. I would cry.
Yes it her first hatch. I see she Been on her eggs most of the day today. Can't wait to see what we get.

Have you kept an eye on how long she's been spending 99% of her time in the nestbox?

It's not uncommon for me to only spot the hen only once or twice during a 7 day period while she's incubating eggs. Those short appearances is just to grab something to eat and take care of toilet needs and then she disappears in the nest.

There is still two eggs in her nest so I might have to rescue a young baby again soon...hopefully with a better outcome.

Hi, since she started laying the eggs last week, she has been in and out. But the last 2 days i have noticed that she more in the box than out of the box. I checked again this morning, and there now 4 eggs. I know she started laying quite late, but that was cause we put the breeding boxes in very late. Will this be a problem?
Also is there any foods i should put out for her during this time. I read on one of the posts on the forum that they need calcium, so i went and bought a calcium cuttlebone today.

Just want to spoil her during this time.

Desiree

Just keep up their normal supply of food for now plus the cuttlebone.

Her starting incubating later shouldn't be a huge problem unless her nestbox gets overly hot. To help prevent this keep up a good supply of fresh water. I like to take a bottle of water out of the refrigerator in summer...that way their water stays cooler a bit longer.

thanks, will do the refrigerated water idea, cause it getting rather hot here now.