4 questions

[LoveThemBirds]

I have (altogether in our coop),are 18 birds (as In chickens,no ducks).We have 6 nesting boxes,and several roosting spots.Usaully if a birds sleeping in them,you'll know,but Banshee unfourtently likes to "Trick" you.She is laying in a card board box (A "Nesting" spot),and she is "Covering" herself up in hay,like this morning.Naturally birds do this when laying,but,she already layed and egg.Is it possible for chickens to lay a "Second" egg?Any suggestions?


2 Question.
This is dumb but,will birds occasionaly just,sneeze?If so,why?I am confused because,you'd think if a hens sick with a cold,or the flu,they wouldn't lay an egg,any guesses?

Question 3.
I have six ducks,and 18 chickens.They live together,but always part up.I mentioned I had six nesting boxes,but my ducsk will try laying with hens.Is this them bonding,or is just,natural?


Question 4.
How do you know if your roosters are Fertilizing your eggs?

 

[Twistedfeather]

1- Yes some chickens can lay second eggs in a day. The record is 7. It's also possible that she is also broody.
2- Yes I've heard birds sneeze, it could be caused by an array of things but we sneeze right? It could be from dust outside. Normally there are other symptoms that tell you that your bird is ill.
3- Your ducks might just be refusing to go to another box. Some birds pick a box and stay to it even going in there when another chicken is in there, it's funny when seven chickens try to lay in the same box at the same time. Ducks and chickens can get along but I'd imagine the ducks would have to be a part of the chickens pecking order
4- Unless you can catch him in the action you normally test a few eggs by breaking them open and looking for the blastodisc/blastoderm. An egg is fertile if there is a blastoderm which are concentric rings where the germinal discs were.

 

[LoveThemBirds]

Broody?


Is it possible for a production red to even "Think" about brooding?As most breeds are selective for that,but.i'm not sure if she even was a comericial bird,or even if she is really PR anymore........

 

[Twistedfeather]

They can breed birds to not have a big desire to go broody and some or most individuals won't, but broodiness has always been in a chickens genetics and rarely you see birds that rarely go broody go broody. Broodiness is inherited from the sire from his mother.