Need Advice

[phoenix 0]

I have an indoor aviary with 5 cocks and one hen (that was supposed to be a cock) The hen looks like she may be about to lay. She is in breeding condition as are the males. But I don't have a nest box as I didn't intend to breed, hence why I wanted all cocks.

My question is, if I give her a nest box would she be okay with the other males? We don't know who the father is but it could be one of three, the other 2, one is an old boy who takes no notice and the other has french moult and keeps away from the rest. I have ordered a nest box but don't know if it would be okay to put it in the aviary with her or to take her out and guess at the father.

I am worried she will lay in a feed bowl she seems interested in and will attack the males if they go there to eat.

[robyn 0]

If you decide to let her breed, I'd say it would be okay, with only cock birds. It's usually the hens fighting over nests etc that cause the problems.

 

Does she seem to be mating or bonded with any particular bird? She may decide to lay even if she hasn't mated, surely one of them would step up and take over the Daddy role l.o.l. I'd add the breeding box and take it from there, see if she bonds with one cock IF you are happy to breed her. If not don't add the nest box, just remove any eggs she lays.

[phoenix 0]

She seems to switch between the three males mentioned. Bit of a tart really. I have seen all three feeding her at some point or other. I would love to have babies but that's my problem and the reason I didn't want to breed, I wont want to get rid of any and will end up with hundreds if I'm not careful. So I forced myself into only getting cocks but this little minx crept in.

I think she has already mated as Her bottom is "plump" and I have seen her pulling at the feathers around her vent and rubbing at it with her foot. She is also keeping away from the cocks or chasing them off when they get near. Before she was chasing them to be near them.

Edited February 1, 2013 by phoenix

[Finnie 0]

I have no experience with aviaries, to help you with, so I have no idea if 5 cocks and 1 hen is a good combination. I have always read that too many cocks will fight over the lone female, and pester her with mating advances. But yours seem to be working it out okay. (I would never do that combination in one of my large indoor flight cages.)

 

HOWEVER, you mentioned that one of your birds has French molt. I would be concerned about that contaminating the nest box. It is a virus that kills chicks, or if they survive, it can cause them to have permanent feather damage. For this reason, my opinion would be to remove the hen and one cock to a breeding cage, in a separate area from the aviary. (And hope that the hen isn't already a carrier of the French molt virus.)

 

As she seems friendly with all three of the cocks who feed her, I'm sure it won't matter which one you choose. If she does lay and produce chicks, it's already possible that you can get some from each of the fathers. But if there is a father that you would prefer to have chicks from, choose him, and maybe he will get to have more influence on any eggs that get fertilized next. This would be a fun clutch to watch feather up.

 

I also agree with what Robyn has said. Only let her raise a clutch if you WANT to breed. If not, you might consider removing any seed dishes that resemble a nesting place, and replacing them with some other type of feeder. And then just throw away any eggs she lays.

 

Good luck! Let us know what happens.

[phoenix 0]

Thank you for your help. Unfortunately one of the cocks died yesterday, it was the old boy and he just died naturally. So I now have 4 cocks with only 3 being interested in the hen. How long is the French moult virus live for? The french moult guy has a red ring on his leg, not sure what year that would be. He doesn't seem to be suffering with the illness any more. Since I have had him he has grown tail feathers and all his other feathers are in good shape, he can fly better than he could when I got him although still not a well as the others as he is smaller. If there is a chance the virus could be passed on to any chicks then I wont breed from any of them.

[Finnie 0]

I'm not really sure how long they carry the French Molt. It's been a couple of years since I looked it up, and it seemed like most of the articles were speculating, that healthy surviving birds could be carriers for life. But I also read things where some breeders keep French molt survivors in their flock and breed from them because they think it increases the immunity of their flock to it. You may want to research it for your self, and see if there is more certain knowledge now.

[phoenix 0]

I've been reading and it seems no one is really sure. Some think it's an infection they have from the mother inside the egg.

[robyn 0]

Hi phoenix, the french moult thing seems to be a real puzzle. I ended up euthanasing a lovely pied violet because of this disease ...? There doesn't seem to be any definite info on it. They say it starts in the nest box and chicks don't feather up. Mine was through 2 moults before he showed the signs. Rather than keep him and maybe have it spread, I didn't want to chance it. Touch wood I haven't seen any others like him so hope I have dodged it. Who knows though when It's such a puzzle as to disease or gene's gone awry?

[phoenix 0]

Hi phoenix, the french moult thing seems to be a real puzzle. I ended up euthanasing a lovely pied violet because of this disease ...? There doesn't seem to be any definite info on it. They say it starts in the nest box and chicks don't feather up. Mine was through 2 moults before he showed the signs. Rather than keep him and maybe have it spread, I didn't want to chance it. Touch wood I haven't seen any others like him so hope I have dodged it. Who knows though when It's such a puzzle as to disease or gene's gone awry?

Yes, it seems to be a real mystery. I have been looking about the net and there are so many different views. I've spoken to one breeder who has had a bird for 10 years and its clutch mate was fine. She hasn't had any other birds with the disease since and the infected bird is still in the aviary.

[hilly 0]

Hi Phoenix French moult is a virus called polyomavirus and I think like all viruses it is evolving all the time and common practice within breeding setups is to rest them for six months or more so the birds develope an immunity then try again.

The problem usually arises when you introduce new birds as they may not be immune to your particular virus and yours visa versa.

I find also if you are going to have a problem it is usually in the second or subsequent nests as the virus multiplies with each nest unless killed by a disinfectant that kills the virus.

Your birds have all been exposed to the bird in question so they should have developed an immunity.

Cheers Jenny