4 Eggs ......

noticed there are 4 eggs in a nest, birds sitting them as thery should........will the parents be able to feed 4 babbies if they all hatch ...?

cant you switch 2 eggs ,check the others see if any are clear then swap them over ,i would imagine they would feed all 4 but would they be any good and would it ruin that pair for the rest of the breeding season ? i would imagine skinny ybs more than likely jmo though

Yes, most likely they would try to raise four. However I'd do nothing till hatched and watched for a week or more ... maybe another nest could take one or such.
But as they grow, like cuckoo's in a nest, you will see if one or two or more want removing. No need to hurry I feel. Otherwise you will for ever wonder if you removed a better pair lol.

i have a pair that the hen hasnt laid for a couple of years, i reckon shes baron .......maybe put 2 under her ?

David wrote:

i have a pair that the hen hasnt laid for a couple of years, i reckon shes baron .......maybe put 2 under her ?

Far better to do that etc David & take your chances maybe, than expect a couple to rear 4 healthy type youngsters in the one nest from my perspective.

sure have you not got 2 hens paired there david? Check if any eggs are full first, thing is if they are full and you swap them and they were laid a few days apart it's pot luck if you get the correct 2 otherwise they'll hatch at different times and the older one will have a headstart, younger one will fade away.

Try the barren hen with at least one, leave 3 under the others.
Watch out for them chipping, so if the barren hens foster egg starts chipping then look under the 3 eggs pair for first one chipping, give this to the barren hen to make the pair, good chance these 2 under her are same way bred.

Try pot egg under barren hen first see if she takes to it otherwise you're stuck.

yes colin i think the cock is paired to 2 hens .......

is the baron hen paired david

oldstrain wrote:

is the baron hen paired david

yes she is darren, to a good cock as it happens, hes been wasted but ive just left them with each other .......

ah right it may workout then giving them 2 eggs

how do i know which 2 to move, i think all 4 were laid around the same time .......

you could take the chance of taking the 2 smaller eggs especially if theres quite a noticeable size difference or do as colin says