some of you will be thinking what's he been doing

[micko and jack]

CHAIRDE  FRIENDS

after reading this some of you will be thinking

what's he been doing this past lot of weeks

I'm thinking about pairing up

(see your thinking we already have chicks

and micks only talking pairing up)

so you are all a bit a head of jack and me

(fantail-men enough said lol)

great I can learn from your mistakes lol

should I

A  put cock in nestbox by himself for a few days and add hen later

    (if so how many days)

B  put both in nestbox at the same time

 

about adding nest bowls

A  in nestbox before birds

B  added after (how many days)

 

I also read about nestbowls being in before birds but upside down  

( remember this could be an important factor in breeding fantails

for the cock to get his tail under the hen )

for hen to get away from the cock

(should be like my house the wife just says no go to sleep sin e (thats it)

now I know people do things differently from others

so please don't just read this and move on

YOU HAVE ALREADY PAIRED UP

so how do you do it

I need to learn

mick and grandson jack aged 2

[andrew gooch]

its all wifes tales put your nest pans in 1 cock 1hen and just let them get on with it,dont count days ass yearling sometimes take a bit longer

[Peckedhen]

OK Mick, you haven't had a reply from the experts so I'll tell you what I do and then, no doubt, they will all slate me if I've got it wrong! ;D

 

Close all the nest boxes up.  Put in a 2 1/2 litre old paint tin in each. Put cocks in then introduce hens one at a time. Watch each pair as you put them together, she should nod her head at him.....if he's a bit aggressive, lift her onto the paint tin if she hasn't already jumped up there. Hold her on it for a minute then gently remove your hand and she should stay on it.  I leave the tims in for a day or two till I'm sure they are well paired.

 

Open one box at a time letting the hen and cock out to eat and drink - do this for two days.

Open two boxes  at a  time one top row one bottom - or one one side one the other so they are well away from each other. Do this till they can find their own boxes easily.  

Over the next few days keep opening more boxes till you can leave them all open and they can all find their box.

Put the nest bowl in.

Wait for the eggs!!

[Guest]

I always have my cocks wintered in the breeding section on their own as by that time they have all sorted their boxes, so no fighting. When I pair up I put selected hen in with cock and leave them shut up with pots for food and water for about a week, and then release a pair at a time for half hour. I do this for 2 days and then let all pairs out together. Never had any problem this way