Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:34 am Post subject: pairing
Hi there folks I am new to this so bare with me.
I have two pair of kaks, one pair about 3 months and one about 5 weeks.
Each pair have their own avairy 8x3x6 feet and share the same shed,with a nest box each.
So far no sign of any breeding or eggs and i am woundering if i am doing somthing wrong.
They seen to get on fine and and i feed a seed mix plus lots of fruit and veg daly.
Any help to make nature take its course would be great.
Basically they may not be ready to breed, espec if related.
For best results is put them all into a single flight with 3 or 4 nesting boxes.
This allows them to pair off naturally.. which gives far better/ stronger off spring.
When they start to go to nest, or there abouts.. get territorial around a nesting box... remove the pair that has not paired off to another flight.. leaving 2 nesting boxes behind.
If the flight is next door, then make sure the nesting boxes and immediate area around, are not in line of sight.
Once they go to nest ,, them make sure you have a large holding flight to take off spring...
This will eventually have some spare single males... the off spring are moved to this flight a 2 or 3 days after coming ouyt of the nest. The spare males will 'uncle' wean the new chicks
And crunch the numbers
Do it right you will produce a batch of egg every 8 to 10 weeks, with a healthy adult to egg ratio about 78/80%...and ove the next 2 1/2 3 yrs will produce around 120 healthy adults per pair, when the female will start to become infertile _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Thanks for your quick reply,
I tough of the idea of putting them all together and i let them out to meet
each other a few day ago, but my older hen didn't seem to get on with my
Younger hen.
I will keep introducing for the next few days and if they get on will put them all
Into the one flight.
I shall make some mote nest boxes and put them in soon as.
Thanks again and if you have any more info I'm listening.
Cheers.
You NEED at least 2 nest boxes per pair.The hen goes to nest, egg hatch, when adult feather start to show she lays in the other box
The male continues to feed wean the 1st batch and the hen.
!st batch comes out.. no red iris in the eye for 2 weeks , so easy to ID and move to holding flight to finish weaning with the rest of the flock there.
And repeats.. all yr round.
Good diet, fresh water is essential for healthy solid chicks and maintain the health of the female for the next 2 to 3 yrs
make use of the "quick Search "block on the left things like nesting box diet weaning apple cider vinegar _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 2:04 am Post subject: pairing
Thanks again for the reply,
I have made two more nest boxes, and will put them and see what happens.
I have tried introducing the two pairs together the last few days but the two hens don't get on, as the older hen goes straight for the younger one.
Think I will try the new nest boxes and see what happens, it may be a bit cold here in Ireland yet for breeding but I least they should have all they need when they start.
Any preferred nesting .material they like. And do you make a dip in the bottom of the box to prevent eggs rolling out?
Thanks again and happy St Patricks day you all.
Cheers.
Dry compost in the bottom couple inches.
Or forest floor mulch.
Or 3 inches of wood turners shavings.. I use NZ native timbers, but oak and similar will do just as well.
Dont use macrocapa thu _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:57 am Post subject: pairing
Success! Today I went in to feed and tidy up and noticed the oldest hen missing.
After a while she popped out of her new nest box,so I had a look and found a single egg(warm) in a nest scrapped right down to the bottom of the box.
So hppefuly she will keep going ovrr the next few days, still a issue with the eggs rolling as she digs down through the compost and shavings.
Thanks for your help as the extra nest boxes did the trick.
kakariki have been prolific and effective breeders for many 100s of thousands of years... They will nest under plants, in holes , in trees.
They are very defensive and sensitive around nesting boxes
Leave them to it, esapec for the 1st couple batches... Even avoid going into the flights. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Well they are all nesting now, oldest hen has last seen and the yonger hen has just started.
I will leave them to it and see how they get on.
Are there any other things I need to look out for once they start to hatch?
Thanks for the help,
Hi there, well it's been some time since my last post. And the two pair went on to hatch.
But no luck.one set had nothing in the eggs and the other had some birds in them but Notting hatched.
So I took the eggs away so as hot to have the hens carrying on.
Any more tip are welcom.
Thanks.
the other had some birds in them but Notting hatched.
Not unusual thu not common for a 1st batch..
most common reason is not leaving them to it
2nd having more birds than the breeding pair in a smallish flight..
A territory thing.. when the female is sitting, she comes out for a few minutes.. see an intruder, goes into defend intimate the general area around the nesting box...and spend to much time out.
Nesting box in line of sight of the adjoining flight...similar circumstances to the above.
Parents have been hand reared, usually for 2 or more generations. They are able to lay then sit in most cases, but come to raise the young...they dont have not a clue ( similar to some higher mammal species.)
We will tend to leave eggs in the nest, eventually the hen will bury them deep in the mulch, then either lay again on top or move to the other nesting box. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
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