Breeding problem

alyce reilly · Post by **alyce reilly** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:12 am

Could any one please give me some advice on my hen IRI. She is 2 years old has never breed. She paired up with a blue cock who is 3 years old and they have been mating for the pass 10 weeks ( Since July) She in the nesting box 24/7 and she has not layed any eggs yet. She is eating fine, She is feed protien, vegs and also has cuttle bone and calcium blocks in her avairy. She looks the same as before breeding season and her bottom half is not swollen. I have never had this happen. Do you think maybe she just isnt ready to lay eggs this year? Any suggestion would be apprecaited.

rod038 · Post by **rod038** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:50 am

I have a 2 year old hen with a mature cock and she hasnt laid yet either. Another 2 young hens I have just started laying in the last few days, Yet I have another pair with 3 week old chicks in the nest. Where abouts are you?

alyce reilly · Post by **alyce reilly** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 3:32 pm

Thankyou for replying.I makes me feel better knowing that this has happened to other hens. I live in Newcastle NSW so breeding season began in july. All my breeder friends IRN hen's have now all got babies as well. I wasnt sure if it is because it is her first time breeding but in saying that my cream-ino hen layed and raised 3 chicks last season and she was only 2 years old. Where abouts are you? and thankyou again for you reply.

rod038 · Post by **rod038** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 11:59 pm

I am in Bathurst. My Creamino Hen was also 2 years old and she laid and raised 5 for her first time last year. This year she is a Foster to some Violets. I think next year though I will start them later as it has been very cold and I have lost a few chicks at night time due to cold and young hens not sitting tight enough or letting the chicks stray at night.

Last year my pairs were all young and it was their first time.
1 pair laid their 1st egg on the 1/8 and the next 2 pairs laid their 1st eggs on the 5/9 and the 14/9.
This year I have a mixture of older pairs and young 1st time pairs.
The older pairs that had laid last year had all laid their 1st egg by the 4/8 and 1 of themn that I removed the eggs from laid again on the 8/9. The 1st time pairs have just started laying in the past week.

alyce reilly · Post by **alyce reilly** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 12:17 am

Hi, Well hopefuly she may still lay if yours layed around this time. She still is mating with the cock bird so fingers cross. With my cream ino i put her box in a bit later for we have also had a lot of cold weather, She is due to lay anytime. I also have voilets, they are a beautiful mutation. I am breeding a voilet cock to a cobalt blue hen so hopefuly i get some nice colours.

rod038 · Post by **rod038** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:01 am

My Cobalt Cock is only last years young so I have left him this year with another of last years young which is Turquoise Violet. I will give them a box next year. Do you handraise at all? I havent yet, but may have to at some time I guess.

alyce reilly · Post by **alyce reilly** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 4:33 pm

I havent handraised any babies im a bit scared to i have heard alot of horror stories and all my hens do a good job at raising them so i havent really worried. I just handle the chicks alot. The breeder i go to hand raised a voilet a brought of him for the partens stop feeding all the chicks after a few days and he said it was very hard work with feeding times and of cause you get very attached to them and worry more. This season he has breed voilet cleartails so i cant wait buy one.

rod038 · Post by **rod038** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:47 pm

A breeder I have bought off hand raises all his chicks, so his birds will lay again and he doubles his chances. I have tried using a foster pair and removing the eggs once the hen stops laying and it worked this year with her laying again and her first lot of chicks being raised by an experienced pair. Another breeder this year will handraise all because last year he lost alot of chicks to the cold.

I will get the equipment but use it just in case as a last resort I guess. All my Hens have been great at feeding their young but the week of cold weather we had last week was too much for the babies. I was losing 1 chick a night who either strayed or was pushed out from under the hen. These were up to 2 weeks old and hadnt got any feathers yet. Their crops were full. I will have to work something out because its frustrating when you wait all year to breed them and you lose the chicks. From the 4 pairs that went early I had 16 eggs and have 4 chicks to show for it. Only one egg was not fertile and didnt hatch. Not a good strike rate.

I have 2 pairs of Cleartails that just started laying this last week so I hope I can breed some of them.

alyce reilly · Post by **alyce reilly** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:26 pm

Hi, its so sad you losed the babies due to the cold. I losed a chick not long ago and i was so up set for days. I love breeding season but when that happens to you in really hurts. In newcastle is doent get as cold as were you life. I have got handraising equipment however i have never had to use it, im the same if i have to handraise to save a chicks than i will. I dont have any cleartails yet i have three pairs which are cobalt blue hen with violet cock, cream ino hen with a handraised blue lacewing cock( Talks your ear off) and a blue lacewing hen with blue cock. This year i will buy a cleartail of my breeder, the hardest will be picking a colour for he has breed blues, violet, cobalts and the turquoise. What colour are your?

rod038 · Post by **rod038** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:17 pm

I have a pair of Blues and a pair of Greys. I wasnt expecting too much as they are both young pairs. I am hoping to get Pied later this year.

alyce reilly · Post by **alyce reilly** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:27 pm

Hi, Pieds are very nice i was just speaking to a breeder about them. He is breeding them this year but they are a bit out of my price range. I checked the box this morning and still no eggs oh well i just dont wont her to get egg bound.However my cream-ino has just layed 3 eggs in the last few days so fingers cross i get some babies

rod038 · Post by **rod038** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:33 pm

Well good luck and I hope you get some chicks. Which breeder do you buy from?

alyce reilly · Post by **alyce reilly** » Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:28 pm

Hi, Thankyou i hope i get some too. I buy cleartails and violets from a breeder in gosford his name is mike Gearly. Lovely man and he knows what he is talking about, i would recommand him to anyone. The man i spoke to about the pieds his name is chris and lives in the hunter valley not far from me, He has been named on this site thats how i found him.

birdtalker123 · Post by **birdtalker123** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:53 am

ROD038 Quote" I will have to work something out because its frustrating when you wait all year to breed them and you lose the chicks".
I have the same problem!! It is frustrating,you wonder what you are doing wrong but i think it is nature at work some of the way.I am a first year breeder ,plenty of babies ,non successful past 3 wks,!!!

all i can say is keep trying & Good Luck !!

IndianRingNeck.com

Breeding problem

Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem

Re: Breeding problem