# Hen burying eggs



## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I have a hen which is constantly burying her eggs in about half an inch of shavings. She refuses to uncover them when she sits on them either. Most of them are cold but still alive. So far two of the eggs have died. I keep uncovering them hoping that she will warm them up, but she won't have it and covers them back up and sits on the shavings. I'm hesitant to give them to the other two hens, because I don't want her to over tax herself replacing eggs, but will if I have to. Is it common for a hen to cover her eggs up and sit on the shavings instead of the eggs?


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## Dekey (Apr 21, 2011)

I have never heard of this before but I'm that there are plenty of people that can help you out , I'm sorry I couldn't help you but good luck


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OK...my first thought is is this a bonded (picked their mate or very compatiable together) or a bondage (2 unfamiliar birds paired for breeding) pair? The only time I have had this happen is when I paired 2 birds that were not bonded. This is the birds way of doing a birdie abortion. One other though is if something is disturbing the birds, especially during the night (such as mice, etc) a hen will hide the eggs under the shavings, and sit on or near them.

If you have any pairs that have infertile eggs you might want to swap out her good eggs for those. And let her sit the infertile ones till she gives up or you discover what is going on with her.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Birdie abortion? That's sad. I'll move the eggs asap. I'm not sure if the pair were bonded. When I got them, it was just the hen and cock and 4 male offspring. I bought all 6 of them. She has always been the sole brooder. She chases any male she sees off and has been sitting on the nest without help from a male. The pair have raised babies before, and she has plenty of males she can pick from if she didn't want her mate. 

The only thing I can think of by way of disturbance is the dog, but the birds don't seem to mind him all that much. I'll have my son move him to another part of the yard and see if that helps too.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Yes...if she feels threatened or stressed because their is something around where she is nesting a parents will diliberately cause the eggs to go DIS rather than let them hatch, and be disturbed from the nest and have the chicks shill and die.

The same with a not quite bonded pair. They will have birdie sex, and since the consequences are the hen laying she may only half-heartedly incubate as a means of getting out of taking care of them when they hatch.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I went ahead and moved the eggs to the only sitting pair since she has abandoned them and took down that box. I'm going to replace it with a new box in a new position on Saturday. I'm not fond of the design of the box anyway it's too hard for the birds to get in and out of with the ledge instead of perch. 

I'll move the dog somewhere else and see if that helps too, he was there to keep the rabbits away from the aviary. Do you know if the organic pepper, garlic, blood mix animal repellent would harm the birds?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*with a new box in a new position on Saturday*
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She might do best with a box that faces the entry way to the area of the room/flight she is in. This way she can see any perceived danger coming. You might want to drill some 1/4"-1/2" sized holes about 2" above the level of the bedding so that she has some holes to peek out to see what is going on. I had to do that with one hen, and every time she heard me coming I would see an eyeball looking out the hole ...LOL


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

lol that's funny. 

She was facing the door to the aviary. The door is to the side however, so you approach from a different direction than the doorway. I wonder of putting it on the back wall and then drilling the holes would help.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*I wonder of putting it on the back wall and then drilling the holes would help.*
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*Yes...*it sounds like it would be good. She'll feel more secure if she can continually see what is going on around her.


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