The Lizard Canary Association

Another article from Paul Dawson :

It is quite easy to take four rounds from one hen and not cause her any problems, this is best undertaken with an hen that you have bred yourself why because you will have given her everything that a hen could possibly need to attain her full potential, haven't you?

When the hen lays her first round take them away and let a trusted hen rear them, this could be almost any variety preferably one of the smaller varieties as these are more likely to rear their own young by themselves.

Take the nestpan away and let the hen do whatever she wants, let her see her mate in the next cage partitioned off by a wire slide. This will bring the hen to her senses so to speak and she will after several days wish to go to nest again, when she is ready the cock can be re-introduced and the process will start quite happily again. This time she must rear or attempt to rear her own chicks to 21 days of age, but before this she will lay again in a new nestpan and want to incubate this clutch of eggs, these are taken away and put under a trusted hen, we have all had at some time an hen that would sit for England and love it. The cock may be removed and the chicks as soon as convenient can be placed in an adjoining cage and allowed to mature in their own time.

A new nestpan can be placed in the cage as and when the hen is ready to start again. The cock can if required be left with the hen for the whole of the incubation period or removed and allowed to mate another hen if so required.

The hen will usually rear all her chicks given the chance and come to no harm, this method if used correctly can help to improve your stud of birds. If the best bird's in your stud are all hens then this is the best way to achieve more young from the better birds.

A hen will do all this and more, only if she as been carefully prepared she as to have had everything she needed to attain her full potential from the day she was hatched. Without this care you may have had four rounds this year, and need four rounds from her again next year because she produced the best birds that have ever been seen, but if she as been drained by this method and cannot recoup her loses then she may not have one very good round when you are desperate to continue a winning streak.

Hens are so important in a stud, and some people just don't or can't realize how vital they are. Hens and cocks need a wide and varied diet an abundance of various greenfood and as much natural vitamins and minerals as they can consume, from the moment they are conceived they must have all this and more to reach their full potential.

very interesting.........

but is it something that would work.