Hi

Well Mickey & Minnie and Donald & Daisy are mating again. I cant pull the nesting boxes since Tweety still has 3 young babies (just have down feathers) and Daisy's have not fledged yet (next couple of days). I now have 8 babies, I have homes for 4 and plan to keep the other 4 (?), for a total of 12 in the aviary. I dont want another clutch until next year depending on if I keep the 4 babies ( i dont want any inbreeding) Do I just take the eggs as they hatch? I dont want to stress mom out by taking them. After all the babies have fleged, can I just remove the boxes? This wont be for about 3 weeks more though. Its the height of summer here and poor mom cant spend too much time in the box, since its soo hot. Tweety comes out, wings all lifted up panting, and goes and sits infront of the fan!

Daisy only goes in now to feed them, its got to be so hot with 3 big babies in there.

So i'd hate for them to have to be in the boxes in this heat 24/7 with a brand new clutch!

please any info would be great!

Just take the eggs away as she lays them,

When the babies leave the box take the box away.

GILL. :yellowhead:

i have 4 boxes in the aviary, 2 have babies in them. should i take the other 2 out now? will they hens with no boxes now fight for the other 2 boxes if i take them out? i figured i would need to wait until all the babies have fledged until i take any of the boxes out??? :yellowhead:

I would leave the boxes until all are empty. If they have settled down and baged a box each removing one or two could cuase fighting to break out for the other nests.

 

DOn't panic too much becuase you are removing the eggs, it's the rasing of the chicks that REALLY tire out the parents. Or if you wish you can shaked the eggs really hard or boil them so they don't hatch to give your laying hens something to sit on, or even buy some fake ones.