URGENT!! hen wont sit on eggs

[budgiedan]

hi all pair 2 has 2 eggs at the moment there is another 1 due tomorrow pm but she is spending hardly any time on the eggs, any ideas??

[Bonesy]

The won't incubate sometimes until the 3rd or 4th egg is laid, It's not an urgency.

Slip a warmed marble in next to her current eggs and you might find she sits sooner.

S.

[budgiedan]

oh ok thank you, how do u warm a marble? also i thought she may have been unsure what to do as they are first timers

[Bonesy]

Either in your hand, pocket or in some warm tapwater (mind it's not TOO hot, body temperature is fine so she thinks it's been warmed with the rest of the eggs.

[barrieshutt]

Hens neevr incubate until they have laid their second egg , once this is laid they will settle down and get on with the incubation. Do make sure they are not disturbed.

[budgiedan]

thanks all, she missed a day and laid her 3rd egg today and seems more "interested" in her eggs now, yesterday before the 3rd egg she roosted on a perch at night and was in and out of the box all day but tonight she is in the nest box and havent seen her come out

[Deleted]

Jan 31, 2012 22:10:45 GMT budgiedan said:

thanks all, she missed a day and laid her 3rd egg today and seems more "interested" in her eggs now, yesterday before the 3rd egg she roosted on a perch at night and was in and out of the box all day but tonight she is in the nest box and havent seen her come out

that's great news but she is a first timer so don't expect to much from her .....but some take to it straight away .. ..good luck ... .

[budgiedan]

yeah im not expecting wonders from her first clutch but we will wait and c!! neither the cock or hen is interested in egg food tho which worries me, ive tried it dry, moist, mixed with brocolli and soaked groats but nothing, any ideas?

[Bonesy]

Jan 31, 2012 23:02:00 GMT budgiedan said:

yeah im not expecting wonders from her first clutch but we will wait and c!! neither the cock or hen is interested in egg food tho which worries me, ive tried it dry, moist, mixed with brocolli and soaked groats but nothing, any ideas?

What brand/type have you got Dan?

Mine love CEDE but dislike EMP to the point where they would rather starve than eat it, in any form.

Offer leafy greens instead and plenty of cuttlebone, buy some calcivet off ebay to keep to hand and make sure they have a mineral block/pek to pick at. All these are something I have at all times ready & waiting, especially useful for picky feeders. Greens like spinach and deep green leafy lettuce go down well with breeding birds, easy to shred and feed to the kids once they're old enough to take it. Also means they take greens easier later too.

[Hezz]

I would offer only small amounts of spinach, if any, as spinach binds calcium and makes it less available to the bird's system - the last thing you want for a laying hen.

[barrieshutt]

Feb 1, 2012 1:23:33 GMT Hezz said:

I would offer only small amounts of spinach, if any, as spinach binds calcium and makes it less available to the bird's system - the last thing you want for a laying hen.

i agree Hezz, i don't like feeding greens to chicks in the nest as it can scour them, i do give the hens a small piece of celery every other day , grated carrots mixed in corn and soaked oats daily................once the chicks come out of the nest box they have accesss to a bowl of jap millet which is so soft and easy to crack

[Thomas (Banned)]

Don't worry about the egg food.

Just make sure you have cuttlebone, mineralblock and I'd recommend calcivet. Just add it to their drinking water.

I've tried mine on egg food lots of times and in many different ways, and they'd rather starve than eat it. I've only tried EMP though, may try another brand.

[budgiedan]

some interesting opinions here, ive tried white molen egg food which they showed no interest in so i switched over to EMP ive tried it moist, dry, moist mixed with soaked groats and small pieces of broccolli and still no interest so may start adding calcivet to their drinking water

[sarah*glittergirl2212]

Feb 1, 2012 5:27:59 GMT barrieshutt said:

Feb 1, 2012 1:23:33 GMT Hezz said:

i agree Hezz, i don't like feeding greens to chicks in the nest as it can scour them,

What does that mean Barrie?

[Marianne Marlow]

I wondered too Sarah. Is it meant to say sour?