Broody Ringneck Hen Questions

[deathchaser]

Hey guys, I have a pair of ringnecks in a pen built off the ground that is 4 feet wide, 15 feet long and about 4 feet high. I have kept these in this pen for almost a year and a half now and have had no problems whatsoever. I also have a small 6 foot square dog box type structure built of one side of the pen that they can go into during bad weather, or if they just get stressed and need a time out :lol:  I built the roof of that box as a hinged lid so that I can add straw and such inside the box, and the hen has been going inside there and has been laying for about 3 weeks now. Each day, I would go out and remove the eggs as she seemed to be laying them all over the box rather than in any one spot. In fact she had even been laying them out on the floor wire a few times which we gather up before they could get rolled around and broken. I have 10 of them in an incubator currently and had been gathering them for a few more days, when one day I noticed she was in the box at the time I would usually take the egg. She started getting a little unpredictable as to when she would lay each day, so I wasnt surpised. Well anyway, that was about a week ago, and each time we would go out to get the egg, she would get kinda tiffed after we removed it. Now she hasnt been out of the box for almost 5 days and she is sitting in one corner of the box constantly. Therefore, I have made the assumption that she is sitting on these eggs. Even the cock bird is baffled, he kinda walks over to the little opening into the box and looks in as if to say "When the hell are you gonna come outta there?" SOOOOO, my question is if she does manage to hatch any of these eggs, which I am not exactly counting on, should I take these chicks out once they are dry and put them in a brooder? I am afraid with that size pen and being little birds that the male might peck them pretty bad and kill them. Is my train of thought on the right track here or not? I have not yet had any experience hatching ringnecks, only quail, but even at that I have never had on go broody like this so I am putting this out to the qualified masses for feedback. Any advise anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

deathchaser,

That is exactally what she is doing. She will challenge you each and every time you approach the nest. I have the same thing with 3 hens sitting on eggs.

My incubator is filled to the max and the eggs that she is sitting on, I put an X on top with a Sharpie. I will let her sit on the eggs for 21 days and then move them to the hatcher. There are two other hens that share the same nest. I remove all other eggs with in that nest.

If the hen does hatch them out, more then likely they will die. So I suggest removing them on the 21th day and put them in a hatcher and up the humidity to 85-90% and see what happens within the next 4-7 days.

After the removal, place more eggs that you have collected and mark them again with a sharpie and let her incubate. Just keep doing it as long as she will sit on the eggs. This way you can increase your hatch rate while your incubator is full.


Good luck.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[Reeves]

When ever I want to hatch some Reeves I just move the male & the other hen as well (I have a trio) and let her hatch & care for them. Never lost a one. They are great moms as well ! Just have to make sure the wire you have is small enough. Pheasant chicks will walk through 1 inch wire !

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Reeves,

Thats great if you have the room to shift birds around. I just took a clutch of eggs out from under the hen on Saturday, and placed them in the hatcher. I also put another 16 eggs under her.

This morning they started to hatch out. I have a second hen that sits on the eggs as well. I removed her eggs today and did the same thing by replacing them with 16 eggs. They should start hatching out in the next couple of days.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[Reeves]

16 sounds like too many. I only let my Reeves sit on 8-9, so they get proper coverage on them. Let us know how many hatch ! Sometimes if too many are under the hen , the eggs "take turns" out of the proper heat & all can end up dead.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Reeves,

The reason for 16 eggs, I have two RN hens that share the same nest. This has been going on now for 2 years. Sometimes there will be three that are sitting on the eggs.

Last year, when I had the three in the same nest, I had over 50 eggs total. I decided to let them hatch out on their own. Big mistake. The chicks never made it. I found them under the rest of the eggs, the three hens were sitting on.

So now I leave 16. I mark them and check 3X a day. Any eggs without the mark gets put on the side.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[birdguychris]

If you have a place to put the rooster, let her hatch and raise the chicks. I have had hens hatch as low as 8 eggs, and as hight as 15 on their own. They do a great job of raising the chicks, and best of all, I didn't have to pay for any electricity to brood them! Just watch that rooster, sometimes he will help raise the chicks, but sometimes he will kill them!