in my avairy we have one breeding pair who two years ago successfully reared three beautiful healthy birds, last year unfortunately one of our other females got in to the nest box and slaughtered the two day old babies and destroyed the egg, this year the breeding pair have tried again and the mum has layed one egg but now seems to have abandoned it and although i am watching the egg and trying my hardest to protect it the bird who killed the young last time is threatening it,

one of my friends has suggested bringing the egg inside and rearing it myself (which i dont mind doing as i am at home all the time anyway (but i am not sure what to do))

or i could leave the bird to kill the egg.

 

could anyone help as i am very confused.

I would think that would be very difficult to incubate an egg and replace the mother. I would say remove the culprit who is threatening and isolate them. Or put the pair in their own breeding box so they have privacy. I have also read that many hens will not sit on the eggs until they have laid a couple more, so she may have not abandoned the egg. That seems like the most logical way to go about this

 

Also possible thinking about pairing off the couples into their own breeding boxes so they have privacy, and no threat. Instead of colony breeding.

 

I am sure someone with more experience will be there to give you more advice too, good luck.

Firstly, hi and welcome. Colony breeding, as you have found is just not a safe thing. Females will fight, and kill. Nature is cruel. Toss that egg. Take out all nesting boxes. If you really want to breed, bring a pair into the house and breed like that. Do not try to breed with more than one pair to a cage.

Once a bird is a killer it is always a killer & will continue to do so.

You must remove the killer hen whenever you intend to breed.