I have a Yellowface Type 1 Blue Spangle who is almost 2 years old.

 

Last year he and his partner successfully raised 4 chicks with no problems at all. A couple of months ago I put him in with a first time hen I have and she laid 3 eggs, each of which were smashed after they were laid - I thought it was the hen.

3 weeks ago I put him in with another hen - she is a good mother, never had any problems with her. She laid her first egg, smashed. The 2nd egg was smashed also and she started to attack him.

 

What would make the cock start smashing eggs this year??

Well, if the eggs arent broken first and he decides to "taste" them....which in this case it seems he is actually smashing them. ....he has begun to see the eggs as a source of food. I do not think he will get over it now and he must be retired from breeding. Alternatively you can collect the eggs as laid and put them in another nest for hatching.

Thanks Kaz, I thought I would have to retire him from breeding. I don't want to have to be hovering around the nest box until an egg is laid and taking it straight away.

 

Always seems to be the ones you really want to breed with that you have the problems

You can swap the eggs for fakes for a while - it will make him realise after a while they they will not break and he will give up.

That was advice given to me too last night Liv, I have an egg smasher, but it is the first time I have bred this pair, and I dont know yet which it is, the hen or cock. I saved 2 of their eggs and put them under another hen, but I dont hold out much hope, I have a gut feeling they would have been addled.

PM our member *daz* as he invented a nestbox with a false floor section in it, so the egg rolls into a cavity underneath for safe keeping. You then transfer the egg to a safer pair.

Thanks - did as suggested

 

It's disappointing, these are such a good looking pair and my only green clearbodies

That is weird - Poor thing -

 

I agree with Liv & Kaz ...

See if you can add fake eggs for a while ( if his young produced were Nice ) otherwise early retirement as suggested

He may not like the hens, and they probably don't like him either if he is smashing their eggs which would explain why one of them attacked him. You could try him back with his original hen if possible and put a small dish of straight egg and biscuit soft food on the floor of the cage daily for him to eat instead of the eggs, and some native branches to occupy his time. Could be a protein deficiency or boredom. Other ideas include introducing the pair in the cage without the nestbox for a week, then add the nestbox.