Gun Dog Forum

Here in eastern ohio we have had some crazy cold snowy weather and I have 2 nests with eggs in them. Is it the female that usually sets during the day or the male?

The cock during the day and the hen from evening till mid-morning.
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Thanks

I actually have two birds sitting. One of them hatched out but the baby didn't make it. Too cold I guess.

it has not been not out of the teens at night and 20's in the day time where I am at for weeks and I had eggs on the floor this week I will wait a while before putting nesting bowls out

I have had 2 clutches this winter so far, though only 1 chick from each has made it. falling out of the nest is the biggest issue. I really should have put the lights on already, lots of steady work to do this spring.

I just looked and I have two that hatched out this week, another pair laying on two eggs, and another set just layed eggs on the bottom... I need training birds so I threw the bottom eggs away. It's been freezing here though 30s at night and 70s during the day. Burrrrrrr lol

The last warm spell about 2 moths ago I had 2 clutches hatch out but only 1 of the 4 made it. So we will have to see. I to will be working on steady and possibly starting a new pup.

i have 6 sitting on eggs right now and 4 hatched.. they seem to be doing fine keeping warm... Im not sure why they started laying so much... I do have have a heat lamp on the water so it doesnt freeze but i use that every year! Hopefully they all make it through this next cold spell. it seems the expierince parents keep the young from freezing, if they die usually i medicate.

smittty wrote:it has not been not out of the teens at night and 20's in the day time where I am at for weeks and I had eggs on the floor this week I will wait a while before putting nesting bowls out

We have had -0 highs and -20s lows it seems like forever but the little naked pigeons survive somehow......................Cj

We have quite a few that we have banded.

It's pretty cool to see, the lengths that the parents will go to keep their chicks warm.

As far as the other egg not hatching out, Sometimes the mom will lay the first egg, and not sit it, and thus, it will freeze. She/the parents will start sitting them once the second egg is laid (usually two days later). So, you can try and pull the egg and put it somewhere it won't freeze, and then replace it back in the nest bowl when the second egg is laid. If you want to go to that trouble..

V-John wrote:We have quite a few that we have banded.

It's pretty cool to see, the lengths that the parents will go to keep their chicks warm.

As far as the other egg not hatching out, Sometimes the mom will lay the first egg, and not sit it, and thus, it will freeze. She/the parents will start sitting them once the second egg is laid (usually two days later). So, you can try and pull the egg and put it somewhere it won't freeze, and then replace it back in the nest bowl when the second egg is laid. If you want to go to that trouble..

In addition sometimes either or both of the first eggs in the spring are not fertile.

Ezzy