Whos Egg is it?

[jbcanne]

I have a Hen Helmet and a Hen Roller. The Helmet has been sitting on a egg I found today on and off. The the roller will come in and sit. As the Helmets return they will chase her off. This is the attitudes of the Helmets I have. The roller will stand at the entrance of the the coop watching for a chance to run in and sit. Is it possible a hen could be jealous of another hens eggs? I now just looked and neither are on the egg. The egg was layed in a area no pigeons sit or nest.

[spirit wings]

yes the roller has a drive to sit the egg, give them dummy eggs if they are in a bad spot, when and if the second is layed. where is the roller's mate? he should be driving her to a nest of their own, if she is a single hen she may cause trouble.

[jbcanne]

The Male Roller has just been perched and sleeping. This is him. No cares. I just wanted to know if the roller has a push to sit on any eggs. Was thinking of splitting the Helmets and Roller pair up. With the egg staying with the Roller Hen. She has been with the egg 70% of the time since the find of the egg this morning. The Helmets are greedy with the coop in the daylight hours. So not sure if they want the egg or just pushing others out. If I split, I will see where the second egg appears. Does this ok to do?

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by jbcanne

The Male Roller has just been perched and sleeping. This is him. No cares. I just wanted to know if the roller has a push to sit on any eggs. Was thinking of splitting the Helmets and Roller pair up. With the egg staying with the Roller Hen. She has been with the egg 70% of the time since the find of the egg this morning. The Helmets are greedy with the coop in the daylight hours. So not sure if they want the egg or just pushing others out. If I split, I will see where the second egg appears. Does this ok to do?

oh Lordy Im confused...now are you saying you have a helmet pair and a roller pair and the roller hen is takeing over the helmet pair's nest when they are out? splitting both pairs up? not sure what you mean or do you have a pair that is a roller and and helmet together? the egg/s if you want them to hatch will need both parent birds to feed it. if the rollers are causing trouble with your helments and you want babies then yes take the rollers out, but it sounds like the eggs are coming from the roller as she is the one sitting for the most time, so yes if you take the helmet out I guess you would know if the roller is laying as there should be another egg in a day or so....oh boy I think I just confused myself!.....lol..

[jbcanne]

LOL......... Sorry. I split them up. Yes there is a Roller pair and a Helmet pair. After the split the Roller male came off his perch and sat on the egg. So I guess it is theirs. I was not sure because of the placing of the egg. It was not in a place where either pairs sleep. The Helmets are very aggressive in the coop area in the daylight hours. (Not letting anyone in) But after the split I see the Roller pair now working together sitting on the egg and moving hay around. Should I keep the split between both Rollers and Helmets to after the the bird is born? I would think after the bird is born the Rollers would be alittle more protective of its born and not run out of the coop. I hope I made sense here. Thanks!

[dovelove<3]

from what i can understand. there are two pairs
one of the hens laid an egg in a spot that was not a normal nesting spot.
both hens are trying to sit on the egg thus making it confusing to know which hen laid the egg.
jbcanne is asking if another hen will try to sit on another hens egg.
and if he should split up the two pairs. which will tell whose egg is whose.

IMO you should split them up BEFORE the second egg is laid. or you may never know who the real parents are.

[dovelove<3]

of course they explained right as i was trying too. XD

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by jbcanne

LOL......... Sorry. I split them up. Yes there is a Roller pair and a Helmet pair. After the split the Roller male came off his perch and sat on the egg. So I guess it is theirs. I was not sure because of the placing of the egg. It was not in a place where either pairs sleep. The Helmets are very aggressive in the coop area in the daylight hours. (Not letting anyone in) But after the split I see the Roller pair now working together sitting on the egg and moving hay around. Should I keep the split between both Rollers and Helmets to after the the bird is born? I would think after the bird is born the Rollers would be alittle more protective of its born and not run out of the coop. I hope I made sense here. Thanks!

If they helments are aggresive, and you want the rollers to hatch the eggs, then yes, common sense tells me to keep them out, any pair on eggs that you are allowing them to try to hatch should not be let out of the loft as something could happen to one or both of the parent birds, they need both parents to feed and raise the babies. they are not born as they are not mammals they are hatched from an egg. the helmets will not be allowed to be in there for the whole time, incubation then hatching then feeding the babies and then weaning the babies ,esp at that time, young birds can get hurt, so they need a safe place to do all this and it will take a few months or more. you do have dummy eggs right? if not it is a must, as you will not want babies all the time and the hen needs to sit on something for a break from laying. hope it all works out, glad you have another spot for those trouble maker helments...lol

[jbcanne]

The split is done and the Rollers are both sharing the nesting area. Thanks for the help. I might just leave the Helmets out for a 2-3 week period. Allowing them to calm down and allow the Rollers to nest there egg. I just don't want the Helmets to run the Rollers out of there nest leaving the young behind. I would think they might be more protective once there young are born. Little background... the Helmets are tough and push the Rollers and the Pair of Fantails out of the coop during daylight hours. At night the Helmets and Fantails sleep in the coop as the Rollers sleep in a perch just outside the coop doorway area. The egg was in nthe coop on the wire floor in a area no bird sleeps or stands in. Odd place. Oh well. The split is done and I am now waiting on a second egg. The male Roller as of now is carring in new hay to the hen Roller making a bigger nest. The Helmets look mad. Lost there mansion home for a few weeks.

[jbcanne]

Mystery solved!! The second egg just showed up with the Rollers. Now waiting for the youngs. Thank you.

[spirit wings]

well you can always try it in a few weeks, but. it just might make it worse, the helmets will want the space, but the helmet hen will probably find a new spot though, in that time and not bother the roller pair again I would think. the problem with breeding young in an open situation is many, the best way to do the breeding is have all pairs and each let them get settled in a box, the males will pick and fight over the "best" spots, when that is all done the breeding loft settles down and the pairs are just thinking about their little piece of realestate and hatching young and every one knows their place, in an unsettled loft with singles or bullies can cause death to the young or broken eggs, so, you should get things in order there and settled before letting any little wee ones come as they can get killed or hurt and then you will have to hand raise them if hurt, which is a very hard thing to do. so you may want to give those rollers dummy eggs, get just pairs in there and let them get settled BEFORE you let any young hatch. JMO

[jbcanne]

Thank you.. Probally building another bedding area on the opposite side for the Helmets or Rollers. I will let them choose. The one side now has 6 lofts and a upper wide perch area. The two fantails have there area, the helmets sit on top and there are 4 open perches but the helmets do not allow the other birds in during the daylight hours. There are more than enough rooms for each bird. Like I said, might have to build a small area on the opposite side of the coop to give these birds space. Since the split. The Rollers have been on the eggs.