The big grey male, Johnathon, was dead this evening when I got home. Am very sad as he has a gorgeous personality.

 

He has left Hermione on 3 eggs.

 

What is the best option:

 

• Put food in the nest box for her everyday and let her continue?

 

• Foster the eggs to another hen who has just started laying?

 

• Put another cockbird in. Am not keen to do this as I don't know why Johnathon died.

 

Very sad. Vale Johnathon.

NO......you dont put another cockbird in.

 

Eggs can be fostered to a nest only if they are at the same stage of development

 

Have you candled the eggs to see if they are fertile ?

 

How old are the eggs ?

 

No need to put food in her box apart from some millet sprays...she will still get out to feed and poop like they normally do.

She now has 4 eggs, so she's laid another today. the first was laid on the 5th July. I just candled them and at least one is definitely fertile. the others I think might not old enough to see yet.

She will be fine to incubate and raise the chicks by herself. As she has laid only a few eggs chances are that any others laid may be infertile so only a few babies will be no problem for her if she is a good mum.

My single hen has up until now been doing wonderfully well. I candled the eggs last night and she has at least 4-5 fertile eggs. In one I could even see a tiny heart beating!! It was amazing.

 

All was good this morning, I went out for a while and when I came home she was sleeping on the perch. I left her another 15 mins or so and just observed from a distance, and it was quite evident from her behaviour she had no intention of going back in the box. Up until now she would dive out for a quick bite and dive back in again asap.

 

So I checked the eggs and they were quite cool, not dead cold but very very cool.

 

I have another hen on 4 eggs that is about 3 days behind this hen, so I have marked them and popped them under her.

 

Have I done the right thing. After being so cold to they even stand a chance?

 

Will it upset the foster hen? Why would she suddenly do that?

 

Sorry about so many questions, but I am trying to get my head around all of this.

 

By The Way red the baby is doing famously, it has its eyes open now and seems a lot more aware of the world around it. It is soooo fat!! Being a single chick with two doting parents!

Can't help with your questions, Moglet, but just want to wish you and "your" eggs all the best. Poor mum, maybe she didn't know what to do without dad to help her?

Thank you. I was wondering the same. As a single mum for the last 5 years I can totally relate to her feeling overwhelmed! Possum seems to have accepted the foster eggs. I just hope she can cope with them all. We are preparing to have to feed the chicks from a young age because if she hatches all the eggs she will have about 8 chicks. As a first time Mum I'm not sure that she could cope with that.

 

I guess now it is a waiting game.

 

I put Hermione (the single hen) back into the flight aviary and she looks soooo happy to be back with other birds. She is chirping and singing and nibbling on all the treats. I think it was just too much for her.

How is it going with the eggs now? (I'm no expert, but I think you did the right thing.)

Hey Finnie, The eggs are going FAMOUSLY! Third one hatched today. I wrote it all up in my breeding journal and I am about to post in some more pics of the new bubs