Pairing hens?

[Peckedhen]

I have two spare hens which are living in, what will become, the YB loft. One appears to be driving the other, can they have paired?

Is it possible to put them in the breeding loft, give them a nest box and hope one of the cocks mates with them? Would they be able to defend their box and rear young?

[Wiley]

no cock will mate with them if paired up? But yes they will be able to defend a box and rear young if underlaid eggs!

[Guest]

If you give them a box, they'll lay ... 4 eggs ... in the main these will be infertile but you can use them as foster parents, simply float fertile eggs under them as you would a normal pair.

 

They'll defend their box and although they won't pair up with another cock, they'll flirt and mate with all the other cocks.

[Peckedhen]

although they won't pair up with another cock, they'll flirt and mate with all the other cocks.

:o

 

So, why will their eggs be infertile if they mate with the other cocks? :B :-/

 

 

[Wiley]

i cant say ive ever had a lesibian hen pair with the other cocks sue but bruno may no more then i?But i had a pair of lesbians amongst my team of widowhood cocks the hens took no notice of them

[Guest]

pick the best hen you want young from and put her in a cage then let a cock tred her once each day then when the hens lay four eggs wait to see what two eggs are full and take the other two away and they will rare the young thios way done many a time eveb good for racing hens this way when on small banys

[Peckedhen]

Thanks Ryan. :K)

[Wiley]

pick the best hen you want young from and put her in a cage then let a cock tred her once each day then when the hens lay four eggs wait to see what two eggs are full and take the other two away and they will rare the young thios way done many a time eveb good for racing hens this way when on small banys

 

yes this does work but you will normally struggle to get the hen to tread after the 1st egg is laid had that with my experience.

 

 

[jimmy white]

are you positive their two hens? as hens will mate ok and as bruno says will lay 4 eggs [between them ;D] and will sit and rear , there no possibility of these being fertile if not having been treaded by a cock,, but will bring up two foster babies ,,, but the first question i asked, is that when two hens pair up they dont normally drive the other like the cock does :-/ :-/ ;D  anyway hope things going well :)

[Peckedhen]

WOW!! One of the hens had previously been paired to a cock which I lost last Monday.  It has returned today after EIGHT days out!! It's very weak - feels to weigh nothing but - where has it been? It was only released 6 miles from home and has never gone wrong before!! So, I'll give the cock a few days to recover then reintroduce him to his hen.   :)

 

Thanks everyone for your advice. :K) :K)