My first egg !!!

[FoxesFan4Ever]

Hi all,

I have just been out to clean out what I laughingly call a loft. Didn't notice at first but there is a bird behind a bit of plywood shelter with an egg on the floor and not in a nestbowl although there is bowls there but just the basic eggbox type.

Advice please.

Should I move it into a bowl or leave it where it is?

Should I clean round it or leave well alone until (if) hatching?

Anything else I need to know?

 

Thanks all

[Guest j.bamling]

just leave it the bird must be happy !! if you move it to a bowl it will leave it most probably

[pjc]

they like to find a dark secure place to lay and will always go behind a bit of board if there. No point trying to move the egg if you want it, just give them some nest material and let them get on with it!

[lithgilad]

lol i put nest bowls in etc  and most build nests on floor  mad ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Guest southern and mason]

my stock birds r murder 4 layin on the flor but the cock still keeps the box and wont let anythin in even thow the nest is on the flor. pigeons mad eh  ;D ;D ;D

[hannigf]

My experience is that allowing them to nest on the floor gives problems later. I have just had a beautiful young bird killed by the male of a pair I allowed to nest on the floor. The older bird considered the floor was his territory and the young bird did not have the sense to get away.

 

            Francy.

[jimmy white]

My experience is that allowing them to nest on the floor gives problems later. I have just had a beautiful young bird killed by the male of a pair I allowed to nest on the floor. The older bird considered the floor was his territory and the young bird did not have the sense to get away.

 

            Francy.

 

this can be a problem, but very rare, the birds usually sort themselves out in pecking order,, and nest where their happy, but sorry to hear of your mis-fortune

[Guest ROCKYandRAMBO]

my birds nest on the floor to in the stock loft . they start off in there nest boxes but on the second round there all on the floor hidden up some where lol . i leave them to it if there happy they will rear nice young birds i get more problems with young birds being picked in the first round as you know what there like they come out of there boxes then get hammered on the floor but when they are nesting on the floor there is no problem then .

[pjc]

my birds nest on the floor to in the stock loft . they start off in there nest boxes but on the second round there all on the floor hidden up some where lol . i leave them to it if there happy they will rear nice young birds i get more problems with young birds being picked in the first round as you know what there like they come out of there boxes then get hammered on the floor but when they are nesting on the floor there is no problem then .

 

 

If the stock boxes are big enough and you give them a 2nd bowl when 1st nest are 10days old they won't go to the floor.

If a yb gets out of the box there is always an old cockbird ready to scalp it!

 

[Guest ROCKYandRAMBO]

there big enough my problem is i havent blocked the nest boxes in underneath so they like getting in the dark places lol but im not bothered there happy enough and rear really nice younguns and that keeps me happy . not to keen on 2 bowls in one box as the youngsters seem to move in withthe mother sitting her eggs then the eggs get dirty or some times smashed .

[mcclaff]

Most of my young were reared on the floor this year, (deep litter).  Not a one got pecked and they were all well fed cause when they started moving about the floor all the old bird were lining up to feed anything that made a noise.  They also started eating out of the troughs, drinking and ventureing outside earlier than b4 - just following by example i suppose.  There is definately more to learn on the floor than in a nestbox - i may do it again next year.  There could have been problems though if there had been only one or two squeakers on the floor.

 

Gerry