Well, I said I'd wait until things were on track and Marigold was sitting on her eggs but..... I couldn't! So.... I noticed yesterday and the day before Marigold looked eggnant (my term for egg bum ). Anyway, I decided to go along with it as I have room and the money. So I changed the cage and put a divider across the middle, a nesting box and everything. I was too late however, and Marigold laid the egg before she checked out the box. She laid off the perch so I removed the egg ( undamaged ) and put it in a container of seed. Marigold has been continuously checking out the box today and mating with Skye. I'm going to wait until Marigold has laid in the box before putting the egg in. More updates AND pics to come!

good luck with it all

Thank you! No more eggs today which pretty much certifies that it was laid yesterday. I made my special breeding mix ( spinach, egg, weet-bix, carrot, apple and crushed cuttlefish bone ) for them as well as some for tomorrow.

Second egg was laid today but was accidently cracked by a clumsy parent. Looks like things aren't looking up at the moment.

Hi, Ratzy! So Marigold really was 'eggnant'! :hi:

 

Here's hoping they don't crack any more eggs, and you will be able to put the first one in with some other eggs soon.

She has laid another in the box!!!So I have put the other back in. More updates soon I hope!

Good luck in your breeding venture. :sad:

Everything's going very badly. I feel so horrible.... there was a little gap that I didn't notice in the divider of the cage. The other hens got through and chucked the eggs out of the box. Not only that, but they attacked Marigold. She has some feathers plucked ( head and back ) and her feet have grazes on them. I stopped the bleeding but I still feel so guilty. If I had noticed that little gap.... She has been eating and drinking in the hospital cage. Thimble has a wound as well, so she is in a separate cage. I need to talk to my parents about a vet, but none are open now anyway. I HATE myself right now. The eggs didn't survive. Marigold is still eggnant, what happens if she lays the egg and incubates? Is there anything I can do?

Sorry to hear Ratzy

Everything's going very badly. I feel so horrible.... there was a little gap that I didn't notice in the divider of the cage. The other hens got through and chucked the eggs out of the box. Not only that, but they attacked Marigold. She has some feathers plucked ( head and back ) and her feet have grazes on them. I stopped the bleeding but I still feel so guilty. If I had noticed that little gap.... She has been eating and drinking in the hospital cage. Thimble has a wound as well, so she is in a separate cage. I need to talk to my parents about a vet, but none are open now anyway. I HATE myself right now. The eggs didn't survive. Marigold is still eggnant, what happens if she lays the egg and incubates? Is there anything I can do?

 

Warmth, which you have done. and she may lay her next egg in the hospital cage. Due to the attack she may stop after that and maybe its best if she does for now and let her recover for awhile.

What cage were you using and what divider if the other birds were so close to be able to get through ?

Thanks, I was using my large cage and the divider was wood ( safe ). I am cleaning out the cage now, I've taken out the divider. Marigold's wounds are not as serious as I had thought. The grazes are scabbing up with no sign of infection and there is no others, only the plucked feathers. She is eating and drinking and I made up some hand rearing formula and fed her a bit. I will let her recover for a few days then reassess. Thimble is pretty much ready to go back outside, I'm just letting her graze heal.

I'm so sorry to hear this, Ratzy! Don't blame yourself. It's not like you left a gap there knowingly, and sometimes things just come up that we didn't expect. It wasn't a bad plan, and in the future, as long as you check all the edges for gaps, this won't happen again. Sometimes we just can't forsee everything.

 

I think the wood was a good idea, because if you had used wire, the hens could have been biting each other's toes through it, or something like that.

 

I'm very glad to hear that both hens are okay, now.