2 couples are breeding, 1 is neglecting

[ralir344]

Hello, I have 2 couples that are currently breeding. I have given each couple their own cage so they don't get bothered. I will describe both mother hen as violet and yellow.

Violet has tended to her duties in which through a span of almost 2 weeks, she's been in her nest for the most part incubating her eggs (she's got 4). Violet's significant other also assists immensely through food gathering and feeding Violet. There have been no neglect of eggs. To this day, only 3 out ot 4 eggs are fertile.

However, Yellow, has been extremely neglectful of her eggs. She's only come to lay 2 eggs (her first being 4 days ago), and she's practically never in her nest nor is she ever incubating her eggs through her warmth. I see this neglect as a hazard in that, I don't want the eggs to die due to the lack of incubation. The significant other of yellow is also careless in this regard in that, the S/O will never feed Yellow, nor does he care for the eggs whatsoever.

With all this said in mind, should I take the 2 eggs Yellow has laid so far, and put them alongside the clutch of Violet's 4 eggs? Violet and her significant other are much more responsible when it comes to breeding.

[skysmum]

She may not have finished laying her clutch yet, some start sitting with the first egg and others not until the 3rd or 4th. I would wait until the third, they lay every other day, and see what she does then. If she is still not interested then foster them to the other pair.

I would remove the nest box from the disinterested pair as well, they probably aren't ready yet, you run the risk of the hen attacking the baby's if she is not really in proper breeding condition.

[Jane]

Sept 1, 2019 19:13:34 GMT skysmum said:

She may not have finished laying her clutch yet, some start sitting with the first egg and others not until the 3rd or 4th. I would wait until the third, they lay every other day, and see what she does then. If she is still not interested then foster them to the other pair.

I would remove the nest box from the disinterested pair as well, they probably aren't ready yet, you run the risk of the hen attacking the baby's if she is not really in proper breeding condition.

How do you learn all this skysmum? You’re so knowledgable.

[skysmum]

Sept 1, 2019 19:34:36 GMT Jane said:

Sept 1, 2019 19:13:34 GMT skysmum said:

She may not have finished laying her clutch yet, some start sitting with the first egg and others not until the 3rd or 4th. I would wait until the third, they lay every other day, and see what she does then. If she is still not interested then foster them to the other pair.

I would remove the nest box from the disinterested pair as well, they probably aren't ready yet, you run the risk of the hen attacking the baby's if she is not really in proper breeding condition.

How do you learn all this skysmum? You’re so knowledgable.

Been there, done it but read everything i possibly could about it first. And that was before tinternet

[Hezz]

I do agree with skysmum's summation of Yellow and her mate, but some birds are simply made to be parents and others aren't, just like humans. Are they both first-time layers? If possible, without upsetting your Violet hen, if and when you do foster Yellow's eggs, perhaps you could remove the egg of Violet's that is not fertile (if you are completely sure, of course) at the same time, leaving Violet with five eggs to sit on rather than six.