single hen

[lawrie]

i have a hen that has dropped her eggs, the problem is,  she isnt paired. will she be ok rearing her young alone?

[Guest G.Drysdale + son]

What happened to the cock ?

[Guest frank dooman]

no! as a rule  and the egg might not be filled if its paired with another hen ive only ever done that once and that was last year but the hen did win the calaidonian combine from maidstone with a bit of playing about with her best of luck

[DJWa]

a pal had a spare hen last year lay 3 rounds and rear them herself

not usual but does happen

[lawrie]

i got her a couple of weeks ago, she could have been paired then or one of the cocks have had her.

 

i have never seen it happen so should i leave her or remove the eggs?

[billt]

i got her a couple of weeks ago, she could have been paired then or one of the cocks have had her.

 

i have never seen it happen so should i leave her or remove the eggs?

 

Leave her with 1, make life easy for her

[Guest vander mungo]

a pal had a spare hen last year lay 3 rounds and rear them herself

not usual but does happen

 

made of granite they hens up there

[Guest frank dooman]

if you have a cock for her re-pair her and set her down for the race you chose if not let her sit the eggs but take 1 away and put a chenny in and write  the day of the second egg down if she sits it full time just be ready to put a wee yellow under her if it doesnt hatch but only let her rear the 1 if youre going to race her then  switch the y/birds every 4/5 days for something older untill she,s sitting something about 10/14 days and help her feed it or switch y/birds after some other pair has fed there y/birds so you dont take too much out of her all the best

[lawrie]

she has came from another loft. she wont be racing for me. does this make a difference? would a cock pair to her even if shes on eggs?

[Guest frank dooman]

no you will have to throw the eggs out and re-pair her and let her go back down with the cock in his box

[lawrie]

i will let her rear one egg and see how she is.

 

once the youngster has left the nest i will pair her up.

 

thanks guys :)

[Guest frank dooman]

you could float her eggs under another pair that have laid at the same time but thats dodgy given that you dont know if the eggs will be filled and also what they are off better to re-pair her

[Guest G.Drysdale + son]

I put 2 yb's in a nest last year along with 2 that were already in the nest they were about 10 days old cock and hen reared them no problem fed the 4 of them.

[lawrie]

i checked her eggs last night and they are full. shes stock and doesnt race. shes an 08 hen, im sure she has reared before now. she should be fine with one youngster.

[Guest pigeon82]

she will probably leave the egg as she wont sit a full 21 days well i never seen it but you mite be lucky pal

[Peckedhen]

There's more chance of her sitting on two eggs than one. I'd replace one with a plastic egg.

[lawrie]

has anyone had a hen raise young on her own?

[REDCHEQHEN]

has anyone had a hen raise young on her own?

 

Most of my hens wouldn't even sit their eggs if there's been a holdover and their mate is away !!

[lawrie]

she isnt paired. does that matter?

[REDCHEQHEN]

she isnt paired. does that matter?

 

IMO she won't sit the eggs

[peterpau]

There's more chance of her sitting on two eggs than one. I'd replace one with a plastic egg.

 

Sounds right to me. If she's keen to sit leave her one to hatch. I might be inclined to leave 2 eggs till the last. I think she may well leave 'em before though.

 

 

[JohnQuinn]

Let her sit both eggs, if there is going to be any problems rearing 2 its the weakest squab that will lose out. Don,t interfere with nature let it run its course. I know hens that sat the eggs on their own and won racing feeding the yb's. If this one isn't racing let her earn her perch.