# How to stop the hens laying near a show?



## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

I got my first egg today from a hen I was planning on showing in 2 weeks, I've swapped it for a plastic one and gave the fertile egg to another bird to hatch. When I take her to the show she should still be incubating the eggs so what do I do with her? If I take her to the show shes not going to be any good because she'll be pining for her eggs but if I take the eggs from her earlier she will lay again right? The show in 2 weeks it's the last one, I was going to let them raise some chicks after that.

Can anyone help? How do I stop her doing this in the future?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Becca199212 said:


> I got my first egg today from a hen I was planning on showing in 2 weeks, I've swapped it for a plastic one and gave the fertile egg to another bird to hatch. When I take her to the show she should still be incubating the eggs so what do I do with her? If I take her to the show shes not going to be any good because she'll be pining for her eggs but if I take the eggs from her earlier she will lay again right? The show in 2 weeks it's the last one, I was going to let them raise some chicks after that.
> 
> Can anyone help? How do I stop her doing this in the future?


What time is the show? How long will she be gone from her eggs? If you can leave for the show after the cock takes over nest duty she will be fine, as it won't be her "time" to be sitting on the eggs anyway.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Both of them are in it, they will be away 3 nights because the show is on all weekend.
I'd planned on taking both of them to get their vaccines this weekend but I can't do that either


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## lindamass15 (Nov 15, 2007)

Becca199212 said:


> I got my first egg today from a hen I was planning on showing in 2 weeks, I've swapped it for a plastic one and gave the fertile egg to another bird to hatch. When I take her to the show she should still be incubating the eggs so what do I do with her? If I take her to the show shes not going to be any good because she'll be pining for her eggs but if I take the eggs from her earlier she will lay again right? The show in 2 weeks it's the last one, I was going to let them raise some chicks after that.
> 
> Can anyone help? How do I stop her doing this in the future?





So, what is the right way to handle a pigeon. I mean when is it the best time to take the egg and how. Mine would abanded their egg if i even try to reach in for their egg, so there's no chance for me to have it hatch by another pigeon. I once gave one of my pigeon egg to our ringneck to hatch but then i guessed the egg went bad because the parents pushed it out of their nest. but the ringneck didn't cared and incubated it for the full course.

Any advise, on how to get the egg and give it to another bird without them abanding it?

Sorry I'm not trying to take your post just looking for some help.

Thanks,
Linda


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

Hi BECCA, You realy should separate the pair weeks in advance so that you can prevent this from happing,and you also can train the birds for the show. Now moving the eggs you must understand that the pair that is to forster these eggs has been sitting on eggs about the same length of time, there are two reasons for this. One is that if it not timed correctly the foster parents will leave the eggs before they hatch. The other reason is as the eggs reach hatch time the foster parents begin to develope pigeon milk its all timed to when they the forster parents laid their eggs so at best you only have about a 2 day window for swiching the eggs. George


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Thanks George! The pair that are fostering the eggs layed 2 days ago, there is a difference but not too big. I may have to separate them next year, I only have two that I can show and they are housed in the garden shed, if I split it in two they would be alone most of the year. The fantails I swapped them with are always laying eggs but nothing ee comes of them.

When I was cleaning this morning neither was sitting on the egg, once I'd finished, I had breakfast and went back out to see if anyone was and they weren't. I kept checking and the cock sat on it for about 10 minutes in a hour and it pretty much carried on like this the rest of today, the hen wasn't on it when I checked before so I've took the wooden egg out. If she lays another one it will be interesting to see if she sits on that or not.


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