# Still breaking own eggs?



## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

Gayser is still breaking Gerty's eggs. I am now starting to think he may be pecking them and then trying to sit on them again and that is how they are getting stuck to his chest.

Gerty has to have a break at some point, so he always gets access to the eggs in the end. I have give her a couple of false ones for now, but she is an older bird and I don't think it is good for her to keep making eggs like this.

Assuming there is no way I can stop Gayser from pecking the eggs open, is there a cheap way I could try to hatch them myself. I could wait until they start to try to get out of the egg then give them back to Gerty, who I'm sure would love to have a new baby to care for?

Thanks,
Brian.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You should be changing them out for fake eggs as soon as she lays them. That way she will get a break by sitting on them for the 18 days or so. If you were to hatch them and give her the babies, he would probably peck them too. Not a good idea.


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## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

I have a white hen who is mating a feral male but is abandoning the eggs within a day or so of laying the second egg. Could I take these eggs and give them to Gerty, or would she have a shock when she gets a white/grey cross?

I just feel sorry for Gerty, Gayser does not seem to be getting any better from his PMV, although he walks about and feeds and builds nests ok. I feel Gerty really enjoyed raising Squeakers young, and I would love for her to manage to hatch another egg. The other problem is, of course, that Geyser may peck those eggs open as well.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

You can switch the eggs with that of the white hen if the lay days are within the span of 2 days, Gerty is not going to get any shock, she will raise the babies as her own  Though if Gayser has difficulty in bringing up the squabs, two hatch lings might become over load for Gerty.

I hope the eggs are hard enough and not exhibiting any signs of calcium deficiency. May be Gayser is having difficulty in incubating and the position in which he is doing it might be putting on too much weight on the eggs.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

what kind of calcium is offered..she may not be eating enough and her eggs break too easy, she should also have plenty of direct sunshine for calcium aborbtion.


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## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

the calcium was the first thing i thought off and oyster shell and patricks grit is down quite a lot. It is definately Gaysers PMV problems. when he incubates the eggs end up all over the place, but i do not think that is what is cracking them, it looks like he picks a hole in the egg and starts eating it?

Thank you,
Brian.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

lack of minerals can get them to eat things they don't normally do.


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