okay, i was not expecting this to be an issue this early on. I do not want my hen to go a second round, so the PLAN was to pull the nest box when the babies were big enough. This am Star and Jester were mating again.................ACKKKKKK!!! The oldest chick is 2.5 weeks and the youngest is 1 week. It's to soon to pull the nest box..........so what do I do? ANY help or advice is greatly appreciated, as I said, I DO NOT want Star to lay another round.

 

Also, what do I need to be watching for in the hens behavior, as far as harming the chicks? At what point will she want to start readying the nest again?

Edited June 17, 200718 yr by KeetCrazy

If I am correct you can adle the eggs and then either 1 put them back OR you can 2 take them out and put fake eggs there. Let her lay on them until she is disinterested and remove them.

 

But let the experts confirm this...I know there are many topics on this if you do a search...

Don’t worry too much yet, I have a pair that’s been mating for weeks, but still no eggs & the chicks are leaving the nest, so just because they are mating doesn’t mean eggs will come for awhile. That said it’s often very hard to stop the next batch of eggs, as often hens will start to lay before the chicks have left. If she lays too soon, the chicks will probably dirty & knock the eggs around anyway & be damaged. But if you don’t want to breed again, you will just have to remove the eggs.

Don’t worry too much yet, I have a pair that’s been mating for weeks, but still no eggs & the chicks are leaving the nest, so just because they are mating doesn’t mean eggs will come for awhile. That said it’s often very hard to stop the next batch of eggs, as often hens will start to lay before the chicks have left. If she lays too soon, the chicks will probably dirty & knock the eggs around anyway & be damaged. But if you don’t want to breed again, you will just have to remove the eggs.

 

Like Norm said, I wouldn't worry about it just yet either. I've often had the hen start the second round while at least some of the babies are still young and in the nest and have never had a problem.

 

Do you have a pair you can foster the eggs out to?

If you remove the eggs, won't she just lay again?

Just let her lay & leave the eggs in the box * when the chicks have about 30mm tail feathers.Put them on the cage floor for the cock to feed & take the hen away & remove the nest box.End of story.

maybe it would help if you dont feed the hen as much calcium. Because in order for your female to lay eggs she needs calcium right?? - eggshell is made of calcium.

 

I am not sure about this though. So first let it be confirmed by the experts.

maybe it would help if you dont feed the hen as much calcium. Because in order for your female to lay eggs she needs calcium right?? - eggshell is made of calcium.

 

I am not sure about this though. So first let it be confirmed by the experts.

 

Not really Marlon...how much calcium a bird gets is not the sole reason for laying eggs. As we all know hens will lay eggs whether or not she has enough calcium...the difference being if she hasnt enough calcium she tries to lay soft shelled eggs or becomes eggbound or gets ill.

The hens compulsion to lay eggs comes when the chicks are at a certain age usually or instigated by the cock, urging her to start another round....sometimes sooner than expected or sooner than we would like.