How long before she lays again?

[angeldc77]

My dad has a blue and grey pair that laid five eggs and hatched four. Those four were pulled for handfeeding five days ago. The hen looks like she is ready to mate again as she is crouching down and putting her rear up in the air. How long does it usually take for her to lay a second clutch of eggs after pulling the first for handfeeding?

[mikeb]

a week or two and sometimes it's next year

[Recio]

Hi;

The shortest period I have ever found is 11 days, usually between 13 and 18 days, or as mikeb says ... next year.

If you take the eggs for fostering it is almost the rule to have a second clutch, sometimes even a third one. If you take the chicks from the nest the probabilities of a second clutch are lower. It will depend on the age of the female, the moment in the breading season (easier if early breders), the avalaibility of calcium, ...

Best regards

Recio

[angeldc77]

Thanks, I will keep you guys updated. I have cleaned out the box and put fresh shavings in there as well. It looks like she is eager to get things happening with the male, so we will keep our fingers crossed. First clutch was two males and two females, and the first two to show color are a blue boy and girl. Maybe the other male and female will be grey and I wil get a perfect split in color and sex.

[Recio]

Hi;

Just an update: my violet hen has layd 6 eggs that I have taken for fostering. I have taken out every egg the same day it was layed. She has begun laying again 10 days after the 6th egg.

This is the first time I notice a so short period. Maybe this is because I have taken every egg and she has not begun sitting on the eggs. Probably the hormonal mechanisms for laying and sitting on the eggs (change in behaviour, heat production, slower bowel transit, ...) are not the same (like we can see in hens and budgies) and it allows a quicker recovering for laying again.

Recio