# how do you know when a hen is ready to abandon infertile eggs?



## Cake (Feb 2, 2015)

Hi everyone,
I have a solo nesting hen that laid eggs in our closet (I know I shouldn't have let her in there, but she was so persistent finding a nesting spot and I was distracted :frown: ). Anyway, she laid 4 eggs, sat on them about three weeks and then started spending long periods of time with me again (hours away from the nest). However, I was unsure if she had abandoned the eggs because she would periodically return to the nest... also, when I tried leaving her in the cage overnight,*she woke me up at 5 in the morning wanting to get back in the closet. 

So I let her go back, hoping she would abandon them completely within a few days. BUT... she ended up laying another 3 eggs...

So now I'm in the same boat, its been about three weeks now but she is still sitting. My question how do I know when she has abandoned her eggs so I can block off the closet? Also, I was going to take her to the vet to get hormone injections and am also unsure when would be the best time to do it.

Thank you so much for any thoughts...


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## Barbara* (Oct 28, 2016)

Try getting her a nestbox and attach to the side of the cage if there is a secondary door near the top of the cage. Then restrict her too the cage much of the time and she will probably go too the next box to lay. Then if they are not fertile (is there a male?) remove them after a couple weeks. I think I remember that they hatch after 3 too 4 weeks although I could be wrong. I let my females leave the cage to play then take away the eggs. They do not seem to put up much of a fuss thus far. I supply cuddle bone and Zupreem pellets and lettuse and such for them to eat as well.


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## SilverSage (Oct 19, 2014)

When I was a child my cockatiel killed herself through compulsive laying and the toll it took on her body. She was an extreme case, laying well over 60 eggs a year, but because of that I have taken interest in this topic beyond that of just needing to know for the health of my current birds. I wrote the following article on hormone control; injections should be a last resort.

http://www.silversageaviaries.com/handlinghormones/

As for when to close the door, I suggest you move her eggs to her cage for now, and completely block access to the closet. Forever. Have her watch you do it so she understands those are HER eggs. Don't provide a nestbox, that will only encourage her hormones. Instead, give her a bowl or a tissue box in the bottom of her cage; something to keep them off the wire floor, but nothing dark or enclosed. Then let her keep them until she doesn't want them anymore. You will need to keep an extra close eye on her to keep her from finding a new nest, and take additional steps to control her hormones and stop the problem at the source rather than just managing the symptoms.

Best of luck!


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## Cake (Feb 2, 2015)

Thanks very much for the replies. Yes I have been worried about her health. I have tried moving the eggs to a separate area several times over several days but each time she doesn't seem to understand, won't go near the eggs and then tries to go back in the closet. But I will do as you suggest silversage and put a bowl with tissue in the bottom of the cage even if she tries to go back in the closet. Your article is great and I'm going to try as much of the things as possible.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=32330 We also stress hormone control first before hormone injections. You need to make her think it's winter, which is the big idea behind hormone control. I would remove the eggs now and get her started on longer nights to try to nip this in the bud.


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## Dylan&Gracie (Nov 21, 2014)

Hormone control doesn't always work - I have a pair with five chicks now and they don't get any supplemental lighting.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Hormone control doesn't always work - I have a pair with five chicks now and they don't get any supplemental lighting.


It works for MOST birds. For those that it doesn't work for, that's where the extreme cases of needing the lupren (sp?) injection comes in. But before running to get an injection, it never hurts to attempt the hormone control. And it's not about supplemental lighting, it's about taking lighting away for longer periods of time. You aren't supplementing anything so I'm not sure what you mean here?


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## vampiric_conure (Jul 8, 2012)

The others have said a lot about hormone control. As for rejecting infertile eggs - it takes some practice to know the exact time. Usually the parents will shove the egg to one side and play soccer with it. If your hen is laying a lot, she might just be sitting on them and not rejecting them. 

Whatever happens, good luck


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## Dylan&Gracie (Nov 21, 2014)

roxy culver said:


> It works for MOST birds. For those that it doesn't work for, that's where the extreme cases of needing the lupren (sp?) injection comes in. But before running to get an injection, it never hurts to attempt the hormone control. And it's not about supplemental lighting, it's about taking lighting away for longer periods of time. You aren't supplementing anything so I'm not sure what you mean here?


I mean where I live it is winter - it gets dark at 4pm this time of year, and isn't light again until almost seven in the morning... that's fifteen hours a day of darkness in my birdroom and my hen and cock still decided to get it on, lay eggs on a shelf (I put them in a nestbox once she began laying), and raise a family.

My hen isn't a chronic egg layer but day length is apparently not very important to either she or my male's hormones.


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## SilverSage (Oct 19, 2014)

Day length is ONE important factor, but not the ONLY factor.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Day length is ONE important factor, but not the ONLY factor.


Exactly!! That's only the FIRST step. You have to make the environment "unsafe" for breeding. Moving the cage around the room at least once a week, rearranging toys on a weekly basis, reducing the amount of fresh food they get, all these play a role in making the birds think that it's winter and not an acceptable time to breed. It can be dark from 4pm-7am, but if you are leaving the light on in their room later than that, that can affect them too. Total darkness always worked best for me, with shoving a towel under the door so light peeked in there either. 

Three weeks is enough time to get over sitting on eggs. You leave them any longer than that and she's going to lay more. I always removed them around that time. If she really feels the need to sit, you can get her fake eggs and let her have those. I'd put them in a bowl at the bottom of her cage though so that she stays out of the closet.


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