egg laying

[peteandtilly]

i have 3 females that were in a cage together, they got along fine for about the first 2 years, they are sisters, then one started beating up on the other 2, i put her in a cage by herself about a month ago, i just noticed tonight that she laid an egg in the bottom of the cage, she looks like she is about to lay another any time. when a female is by herself should she have a nest box or do you just let her lay them in the bottom of the cage and then remove them in about 25 days????

[longobongo]

Well, now that's she's already started her laying cycle, you could offer her a nest box. I have a consistently hormonal hen, so I don't offer a nest box at all. Mostly because, it doesn't really matter, she views the entire apartment as one big nest. She doesn't lay while perched on a perch, she always lays at the bottom of her cage. If you're worried about eggs breaking and the bacteria associated with that, or if your hen has particularly stressful laying times, I would offer a nest box just to make her more comfortable. Unless you're trying to encourage breeding, however, you should remove the nest box after she's done laying.

[peteandtilly]

thanks for the help, i gave her a nest box, no i am not trying to encourage breeding, her mom and dad are a pair that i cant stop from breeding, i have 15 lovebirds from the one pair i have that breed.:omg: