Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 8:56 pm Post subject: One cock breeding with 2 hens
I have 3 kaks and I have separated the 2 hens and noticed that he bred both females.... My question is both hens are now sitting on eggs... What do I do when they hatch? Do I put both hens together in the same cage so the male can feed the babies? Please help, I am not at all experienced enough to figure this one out......
This is very unusual....
generally the male and 1 female pair off , become terroritial and the other hen has to be removed before serious damage takes place to it.
I do not have the 'picture' clear in my head....
u have the females now each in their own cages sitting in nesting boxes and the male in a 3rd?
I would put the male back in with one of the females, watch her reaction and see if they are a 'matched' pair... if so all good.
If not try the other female... hopefully they will be good.
Put a 2nd nesting box in the cage that has the pair for the femaleto lay the next batch around the time the chicks get adult colouring.
The other female, may or may not be on fertile eggs, I would suspect very unlikely to be fertile...leave her till she either hatches or abandons the eggs, remove the nesting box and hopefully she will stop laying.
If here eggs are fertile she should raise the chicks quite well on her own if she was avairy raised (not hand raised)
And if not aleady done so, make provision for a holding cage when all these birds get weaned off.....u have the current potenual of 6 to 16 more birds. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Thanks very much for that.... I do have the male in with one of the hens. Do cocks ever incubate eggs? It seems that the male sits on the eggs but does allow the hen to sit on them also... I have no idea what is going on with these birds?
I have just put in a second nest box for each of the cages... Does the color of the eggs give any indication as to the eggs being fertile? Seems that most of them have a pinkish tint to them? Any follow up greatly appreciated.
It seems that the male sits on the eggs but does allow the hen to sit on them also
Males do not sit on the eggs, they feed the female and when hatched feed the female and chicks. The male will also riase the chicks if anything happens to the female.
Generally 1 or 2 of a batch of eggs doesnt hatch... there is a therory loosely held by several members, breeders including myself that not all eggs are meant to hatch....a couple act as hotwater bottles in cold weather, when the hen leaves the nest for bath / food etc..
The very young chicks tend to prop themselves up up over the eggs.
To check eggs for fertility, use the "quick Search" block on the left with th word candling _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
Words
Forum FAQ
Search
Log in/Register
