Double D
94 posts
Dec 28, 2005
6:36 PM
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Guys, I'm new to rollers and I had something happen today that is prompting a number of questions that I'm hoping you can answer. All of my birds are supposed to be about 5 to 6 months old. When I went out to my loft today, I had 3 different cages with a single egg laid in each of them. In two cages, the two birds in each cage were supposed to have been hens. In the third cage, I'm quite certain that one of the birds is a cock as he shows himself quite well even at his current age. The other bird in that cage was a question mark but is now obviously a hen. So, here are a couple of questions. Thanks in advance for your responses.
#1. Is it possible for a hen to lay eggs without mating to a cock? In other words, if I had two hens in a breeding cage and they had been going through the motions of mating, is it possible that an egg might be laid.
#2. If a hen lays an egg, is that a SURE sign that she is physically mature enough to breed and successfully have young? I'm not asking whether or not she's mature enough to RAISE young, only if she's physically mature enough to lay eggs.
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ROLLERMAN
11 posts
Dec 28, 2005
7:36 PM
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5 to 6 months is plenty old enought to lay a good egg and raise young. and yes it is possible for two hen to mate and lay eggs. you should see 4 eggs in the nest in a few more days. in most cases they will both lay two eggs. of course they will not hatch, it is even possible for to cock to mate.
al
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Norm_Knox
31 posts
Dec 28, 2005
8:02 PM
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Yes what Al said.Later
Norm
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J_Star
160 posts
Dec 29, 2005
12:17 PM
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I was told it is best to let the birds breed when they are a yearlings. That is what I usually do but I don't know of the validity to this and maybe some of those expert breeders will elaborate further. Thanks.
Jay
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Shaun
233 posts
Dec 29, 2005
12:34 PM
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Darin, my Masons are now all between 6 and 8 months old. So far I've had but one youngster from them. Meanwhile, older birds from a different line have kicked out plenty during the same period.
I've had the young birds lay eggs, then sit on them for over 3 weeks before I discarded them. I've also had pairs doing all the lovey-dovey stuff, but with no eggs as a result. It hasn't helped that we're now into winter with the dark and cold, but from my brief experience, it seems that whilst physically they might be capable of bearing offspring, they just seem to need more time to mature.
Right now, I have two pairs, 7 months old, sitting eggs which are due to hatch - but, they're now overdue. I checked the eggs were developing, but maybe they've gone off. Have you done that candling thing, yet? I'd read about it and I should have tested eggs much sooner from earlier layings; it would have saved me waiting for 3 weeks for eggs which were never going to hatch. In my first attempts at 'candling' I did as I read and held the eggs up to the light. I couldn't see much at all, so gave up. However, I've since learned - and used to good effect - a small torch. You hold the egg in front of your face, then shine the torch through it, pointing from the back, ie towards your face. If the egg is developing alright, you'll see the fibrous strands growing, like tiny veins. If the egg isn't developing, you can swish the yolk around. If all's well, you should be able to see something quite soon - I found after a week I could see the 'veins'. Mind you, this is on the two pairs which are now due, so it's fingers crossed that they do hatch, as other things can go wrong with development midway through the incubation period.
Shaun
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ROLLERMAN
12 posts
Dec 29, 2005
12:42 PM
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you dont have to wait till your birds are a year old. 6 or 7 months old are old enought to pair off. how ever i like to put an older cock with a young hen. and old hen on young cock. but if you have two birds that you think should be paired up do so. most of the time it will work out with no trouble.
al
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Velo99
187 posts
Dec 29, 2005
4:44 PM
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Last season I paired three pairs that were 8-9 months. Breeding ability is like rolling,either they do or they don`t. I really feel that if one has the kitbirds on hand they should wait til they have gone the second season to find the adult roll of the bird before breeding. In my case time was short as the number of birds.
Shaun, I hold them up to the sun. I also can feel of the eggs. If it feels like it has a bird in it.... The egg will take on a darker tint if it is fertile. If it over due it is probably toast.
YITS
V99
Last Edited by Velo99 on Dec 29, 2005 4:47 PM
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Shaun
234 posts
Dec 30, 2005
2:40 PM
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Yeah, it doesn't seem very scientific, does it - they either do or they don't. Still, this morning, I saw my very first little Mason just hatched. Naturally, it's the coldest day of the year and the parents decided to avoid the nestboxes and lay eggs on the floor, right next to the loft door.
I hope my 2006 rings arrive shortly, otherwise these babes will be rung as 2005s and will soon be classed as yearlings!
See you all next year.
Shaun
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Double D
96 posts
Dec 30, 2005
11:10 PM
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Will birds begin to sit on the eggs immediately? The reason that I ask, and I realize I didn't have nest bowls in the cages, was that the eggs were cold and the birds had not been sitting on them at all. Of the four hens that have laid, I haven't found one of them close to sitting on the eggs. Thanks!
Darin
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Bluesman
Pigeon Fancier
614 posts
Dec 31, 2005
3:31 AM
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Darin.When a hen lays her first egg you will notice her hovering over the egg.She looks like she is sitting the egg but is just protecting it.She will not go down(start the incubation) on them untill after laying her second egg.Most mature hens anyway.A younger hen may start right away and then you wind up with the young a couple days apart.You didn't say if your cages had wire floors.It would be very hard for them to sit the eggs on just the wire.They roll them around and tuck them a lot more than we think.Get some nest bowls in with them and lay the eggs in the bowls and they should start the incubation.If they do check them in 4 or 5 days to see if you see any blood veins starting.Be very carful handling the eggs after they start incubation as you can damage the embyro and cause it to abort.David
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