FEATURE


every chance that it is infertile – though remember, some hens do not begin incubating until they have laid two or three eggs. If in doubt, leave making any decision about apparently clear eggs for another couple of days and check again. To some extent, the action taken when a clutch of eggs is found to be infertile is influenced by the state of affairs in other parts of the bird room. If, for instance, a very good pair has ten eggs then half of


these will be placed under the hen that has laid the clear round. If there is no immediate need for fostering, the clear eggs can be removed to encourage the hen to lay again. Fourteen days after the first egg was laid, we feed soft food to the pair concerned, even if an egg has not hatched. From that point, soft food is offered once a day. We feed it fairly dry, just dampened with a little water, and so there is not much risk that it will go sour.


BIRD SCENE 19


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