# Indian Fantail feet feather trimming for breeding?



## Line82 (May 22, 2011)

Hello,
I have a pair of Indian Fantails that I'm trying to let breed. I normally raise racing homers but have little expierence in Indian Fantails. I've heard of possibly trimming tail feathers to increase fertility chances. However, I didn't do anything to the birds and I have 2 eggs from them. 
I noticed the birds might be kicking the eggs around their pen. This is the second batch of eggs that they have ever laid together and I am getting concerned. The first time they did this, I thought it could be because of them being an inexpierenced breeding pair. But a second time? The hen has one egg in her nest area and the other is on the other side of the pen. It appears as if she is sitting on just one egg. Then I started wondering.. could their feet feathers be getting in the way of them sucessfully sitting on eggs? I am picturing her knocking the eggs out of her nest accidentally by her feet feathers. Has anyone else had this problem? Have you ever trimmed their feet feathers so they can sit on the nest more comfortably? Thank you for the info.


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## Wodin (Nov 5, 2012)

hi, i've bred westies for a while, they too have feathered feet, some with much longer feathers than the Indian fantails i have also bred! i have never had to trim them and they have been fine. i have however had experiences in the past when all seems well with the eggs, then in the morning, like you say, they are on the opposite side of the loft. usually when this happens its because the eggs had cracked slightly when one parent was sitting on them, and stuck to the underside of their feathers. check the parents to see if you can see any egg yolk/whites around the keel and this should give you a clue as to weather they were broken in the nest or rolled. I can only put my experiences down to thin egg shells, which can be helped by increased grit/calcium supplements, and ensuring the nest materials are the right kind and plentiful i was under the impression sometimes cutting them can cause the feet feathers to become too hard and jagged, poking holes in the eggs- but maybe someone else has had diffident experiences? hope this helps.


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## dingweding (Jun 2, 2012)

I also keep indian fantail, so far I have not notice this problem about feather feet. The only problem is, when they fight, the feather on the feet may end up bleeding.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

they need a large deep nest with good nesting material to keeps the eggs in there..they usually do a good job of of being gentlel in the nest..but the leg muffs can do this on occasion if they are not being careful or if another pigeon is going in their nest box and they are fending him or her off, the eggs can get in trouble. the triming you mentioned for fertility is done at the vent..not the tail.


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