Friday, March 14, 2014

Failed Nest Inspection - Deep Wide Open Nests

A few Border hens were given nest and mates before I left for the MVC Basketball Tournment in St. Louis.  How disappointed I was when I checked this nest. Actually when I removed the nest the eggs were not even touching as the nest was too wide and deep.

Luckily another older hen had built a nice nest but had laid just one extremely small egg consistent with an egg with no yolk and she cheerfully donated her nest to the other poor builder. Had I been here, she might have built an ok nest if I was giving her more nesting material. What I had left her was soiled on the floor.

I have my doubts about some of her eggs as they look glossy like infertile eggs instead of dull like fertile developing eggs.

Regardless mom is content and sitting tight and enjoying her dish of hulled hemp and if her eggs are infertile she will likely be a foster mom. In that case, I will move extra fertile eggs under her, if her eggs have a good incubation temperature, the 12th night so that they will hatch under her even if they hatch a day early.

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