HH just started sitting her clutch.

[bigbulls 26]

We put the two HH's away on the 23rd of february with a couple of minor changes to the flight incase they fancied paring up. She laid her first egg on 17th of this month and laid the third egg last night. Assuming all goes well and we end up with a chick or two, at what age do you put the closed ring on the youngsters and do you get them through IBR.

[kevo_1 0]

ye get your rings from ibr put the rings on about 8 to 10 days old

[jasper65 6]

We put the two HH's away on the 23rd of february with a couple of minor changes to the flight incase they fancied paring up. She laid her first egg on 17th of this month and laid the third egg last night. Assuming all goes well and we end up with a chick or two, at what age do you put the closed ring on the youngsters and do you get them through IBR.

 

nice one mate for being succesful with the Harris's .

 

Kevo is bang on 8 - 10 days but to be Honest I like to get them back with their parents by 5 - 6 days so I stick the rings on them useing Micropour < the stuff for bandages>, just roll it round the ring making a tighter funnel at the ankle....

 

If you are going to leave them with the parents full term then ignore this abd go for the 8 - 10 days!! I always go for double clutches or triple to safe guard any losses due to perhaps infertility in previouse clutches...

 

this is one of the suppliers I still use which is a bit cheaper than the rest plus you can bang your Initials on the rings too....

 

Jasper A C Hughes

[bigbulls 26]

We put the two HH's away on the 23rd of february with a couple of minor changes to the flight incase they fancied paring up. She laid her first egg on 17th of this month and laid the third egg last night. Assuming all goes well and we end up with a chick or two, at what age do you put the closed ring on the youngsters and do you get them through IBR.

 

nice one mate for being succesful with the Harris's .

 

Kevo is bang on 8 - 10 days but to be Honest I like to get them back with their parents by 5 - 6 days so I stick the rings on them useing Micropour < the stuff for bandages>, just roll it round the ring making a tighter funnel at the ankle....

 

If you are going to leave them with the parents full term then ignore this abd go for the 8 - 10 days!! but I'm greedy and always go for double clutches or triple ...

 

this is one of the suppliers I still use which is a bit cheaper than the rest plus you can bang your Initials on the rings too....

 

Jasper A C Hughes

 

Thanks, much appreciated.

Could you explain what you mean about " getting them back with their parents by 5-6 days" please Jasper, lost me a bit there, not dificult mind you.

[jasper65 6]

Thanks, much appreciated.

Could you explain what you mean about " getting them back with their parents by 5-6 days" please Jasper, lost me a bit there, not dificult mind you.

 

Yep sorry mate. I pull the first entire clutch of eggs off the birds either fresh or after she has given them some natural Incubation for 8 - 10 days, the eggs are then finished off in the Incubator. Harris eggs normally Pip at 32 days and hatch a couple of days later if everything has gone to plan, they'll then be reared to the age of maximum 6 days either in a brooder or under a heat lamp...

 

By this time the female should have recycled her entire clutch again, Normally around 18 - 21 days after the first clutch was removed! if they go earlier or later no problem, its then a case of placing the chicks back with the parents and removing the second clutch for incubation. some pairs will recycle naturaly after rearing youngsters full term, some even lay when the first clutch is still branching around in the aviary, personaly I like to get the Harris's double clutched and over with earlier than waiting for them to recycle naturaly which would sometimes make the second clutch late birds.......

 

I'm crap and typeing this sort of stuff but I hope its some help

 

Jasper

[bigbulls 26]

Thanks Jasper. Iv taken a fair understanding from your reply so it was typed more than well enough for me !!

Much appreciated.

[bigbulls 26]

The eggs were past hatching time by six days so i took them out of the nest today. All three eggs were duds,

Male to young at four years ?? perhaps just not doing his job ??

I saw him nest building etc but never saw him tread the female, thats not to say he didnt but i dont have the cctv recording so its only monitered whilst im sat watching.

Oppinions welcome.

[jasper65 6]

was they 100% clear BB? If they was Rank then normaly it means they was fertile! clear eggs won't start beaking down as quick as fertile eggs that have stopped......

 

The male is a good age mate and more than man enough to get the job done! did you split the feed pattern up through the day to keep the courtship active? some bond naturaly quick but some will need encouragement.

 

Upping the diet on the pair prior to breeding will also help to bring them into condition, disturbance and nest ledges are another to take into account! I have seen a few aviaries in the past and it been obviouse why the pairs never succesfully bred, I still use a motorcycle tyre on both ledges half filled with purified course wood shavings and Leylandi sprigs placed in the cup, I also push some extra leylandi and small birch twigs through the food shoot for them to build.

 

I'm not saying this will cure things mate as some bonded pairs will breeding in a chicken shed! but sometimes you have to make things more apealing to the more difficult birds before they finaly settle down and breed.....

 

atb

 

Jasper

[bigbulls 26]

was they 100% clear BB? If they was Rank then normaly it means they was fertile! clear eggs won't start beaking down as quick as fertile eggs that have stopped......

 

The male is a good age mate and more than man enough to get the job done! did you split the feed pattern up through the day to keep the courtship active? some bond naturaly quick but some will need encouragement.

 

Upping the diet on the pair prior to breeding will also help to bring them into condition, disturbance and nest ledges are another to take into account! I have seen a few aviaries in the past and it been obviouse why the pairs never succesfully bred, I still use a motorcycle tyre on both ledges half filled with purified course wood shavings and Leylandi sprigs placed in the cup, I also push some extra leylandi and small birch twigs through the food shoot for them to build.

 

I'm not saying this will cure things mate as some bonded pairs will breeding in a chicken shed! but sometimes you have to make things more apealing to the more difficult birds before they finaly settle down and breed.....

 

atb

 

Jasper

Yes the eggs were 100% clear. I pretty much did a carbon coppy of what you have described above with regards to feeding patterns and nest matterial. Im going to give the flight a clean out and rake over so will take a pic of the set up for you to look at and see what you think of it.