# Expecting two clutches



## Fran.bath89 (Jun 12, 2016)

We have two clutches of eggs now roughly 2 weeks apart. Pearl and big boy laid first and have 5 fertile eggs. My other pair (still nameless) have at least two eggs but I can't seem to get mum to leave the nest box! She was sitting in it for days before even laying any eggs! I've not been able to add any nest material... there is a small amount of hay in there that the javas sparrows kindly placed inside lol so I will have to try and convince her to leave! I also have two males going into this nest box so my hen is either having an affair or this other male just really wants to help out lol he definitely wants to mate as I see him trying to woo his wife all the time but she ignores his advances. I'm going to hand raise pearl and big boys chicks this year from around 2/3 weeks old and allow the first time parents to raise their clutch to weaning to ensure they know what they are doing. I've already got my closed rings ready and waiting along with all the hand rearing equipment. I have only hand reared wild birds and crows before but I did that without any losses so fingers crossed this goes just as well. I will post some pictures when there is hatching and maybe some YouTube links too! Anyway here's a picture of the nameless hen with her eggs and a picture of her parents.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Congratulations! You can always drop a handful of bedding material in nameless's nest every time you look inside, and hope that she doesn't toss it right back out again. Do it as calmly and unobtrusively as possible of course.


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## ninfatiel (Jul 22, 2016)

Its advisable to get your hen be comfortable with you supervising the nest box. I do train mine from day one-before there any eggs.I would tap on the box and then open the lid. If parents wont leave at this point-I would push them out with paper towel roll (or rolled up magazine may work too) The reason I am doing this is that sometimes there are DIS eggs that needs to be removed,some chicks do need assist hatching,some parents may not properly take care of chicks,, so for my part- I believe at frequent checks on the box. Your hen is beautiful, I have one just like her and I named her Flor (flower in Spanish-after one of my good friends). Another thing- the clutch that you are going to leave with parents-you may handfeed them just once a day in the morning (thats what I do with mine) and they will be tame youngsters then


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## Fran.bath89 (Jun 12, 2016)

Yea I've been opening the nest box every time so she knows I'm not there to harm her or her eggs and I used to hold her when she was a baby but I think it's just first time mum nervousness. Thank you she is a beauty isn't she! I will definitely attempt a feed once a day as this will probably help mummy and daddy a lot too. Tielfan I like your idea on adding a little bedding often that could work well thanks! I had an egg start pipping in pearl and big boys clutch Sunday so all 5 should be hatched by the end of the week! I'm so excited!!!! I will take a peek in there tomorrow to make sure all is going well and to plan. And I'm going to keep a close eye on the 5th chick this time as last time there was 5 eggs the 5th chick got pushed out by the larger siblings and died. Hope your all having a good breeding season so far.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

The chick that you lost might not have been pushed out. Even tiny babies back up to the edge of the nest to poop, and sometimes they get lost or stuck on the way back to the middle.


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## Fran.bath89 (Jun 12, 2016)

Yea that could have happened I felt so bad for the little guy but fingers crossed no losses this year! I've just looked in pearl and big boys box.... 2 fluffy yellow chicks and I could see a pip mark on another egg too! Nameless pair let their eggs go cold on Sunday when the hen laid her 4th eggs but they are now sitting right again and there is no sign of veins in the eggs yet. Could it be they hadn't started developing yet? Or do you think they could be infertile? I have no idea how old her husband is previous owners didn't know either. I will candle the eggs towards the end of the week to make sure and then leave with her if they are not fertile so she can at least feel like a mummy lol. I managed to top up the bedding today I gave a little tap on the box waited then opened the side and she looked out at me then climbed out nicely so she's feeling cooperative today


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

When there are tiny hatchlings in the nest, I try to keep an eye on the shavings to make sure that the surface is fairly smooth with no pits that could trap a baby, and it slopes toward the center. This helps make sure that the little ones will make it back to where they belong. 

You'll just have to wait and see with the eggs that aren't showing veins yet. They could be infertile, or they got too cold and died, or maybe the parents just haven't been sitting tight enough for them to start developing. It's common for parents to not start incubating seriously until several eggs have been laid.


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## Fran.bath89 (Jun 12, 2016)

Yea I'm not too bothered if they are not successful with this clutch as it is their first so they are in training lol they looked like great eggs tho, perfectly shaped no spots or lumps very uniform so I'm happy to see she didn't have any problems with them. The nest seems to have a lively shape this time last time when the chick died she had nested in a tunnel on the floor so the nest didn't stay very bowl shaped so that's probably why it couldn't get back in last time.


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