Freezing Eggs

[snowflight1]

So turns out the eggs from my previous post were ringneck pheasant eggs. We separated the pheasants from the chickens, and now the pheasant hen has a little nest with 3 eggs. I know pheasant egg clutches are usually 12 eggs. I am hoping she will sit on them except, they are all freezing and cracking now, so there's no way they will hatch! I live in Alberta and it is supposed to drop below freezing temperature every night for the next 4 nights. Now I was wondering if it is a good idea to take away the eggs in the nest until the freezing nights are over? That way she could lay 12 more eggs that would be more likely to hatch? Although, I don't know if that will encourage the hen to stop laying. I want to do what will encourage her to sit on the eggs, as well as eggs that will be successful. Any suggestions out there on what I should do, would be fantastic.

 

[nchls school]

I'm going to guess that your pheasant will react the same way as my turkeys and chicken-I have also done this with geese and ducks.

When the weather freezes at night I collect eggs and replace each one with a dummy egg; so 1 egg collected and 1 dummy egg to replace it each day in each nest where I'm hoping the hen will go broody. If a hen doesn't lay on a given day no dummy egg is added. When the hen has gone broody and sitting full time I replace the dummies with the real eggs.

I have done this sort of thing for 50 years and it works; I just never tried it with pheasants.

 

[Gotbirdsohyeah]

Yes pull the eggs until warmer weather.A ringneck will lay at least 50 eggs per season if you keep pulling them.They are not good setters or parents if they do hatch.Make sure your pen has absolutely no holes,if the little buggers find a hold they will disappear and probably never be seen again.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[007Sean]

I second what Tony said, and will include if a rooster is present in the same pen as the broody, remove him, he will kill the chicks...if they do hatch.
I have a couple of ring necked hens that will set every year but usually don't stay on the nest till hatch. And if they did set till hatch...they didn't know how to care for them after hatching.

 

[Gotbirdsohyeah]

I second what Tony said, and will include if a rooster is present in the same pen as the broody, remove him, he will kill the chicks...if they do hatch.
I have a couple of ring necked hens that will set every year but usually don't stay on the nest till hatch. And if they did set till hatch...they didn't know how to care for them after hatching.

Hey Sean,I don't see Jones silvers in your collection.Would you like to add them?I have a pr and a trio all siblings.I paid 300.00 for less then year old pr.Ill sell the pr for 200.00 or the trio for 300.00 plus shipping.Shipping is very high.

 

[007Sean]

Hey Sean,I don't see Jones silvers in your collection.Would you like to add them?I have a pr and a trio all siblings.I paid 300.00 for less then year old pr.Ill sell the pr for 200.00 or the trio for 300.00 plus shipping.Shipping is very high.

Thanks for the offer Tony but I don't particular care for Silver pheasants, idk, I've raised them before but they just never had "ahold" of me like other pheasants. I know they are a little rarer in terms of breeders having them, as well as the Berlioz Silvers but I just don't care for them.

 

[007Sean]

Do you still have you're Mikado's?

 

[Gotbirdsohyeah]

Yes still have the mikados.I have the berlioz also,I don't see much difference in the males,but the hens have a peppered chest.Wish I knew how to load pic.The Jones were very fertile their 1 St year,hatched 12 of them.Berlioz didn't pay last year but she's laying this year.I got both breeds from Kevin Hendricks.

 

[snowflight1]

I'm going to guess that your pheasant will react the same way as my turkeys and chicken-I have also done this with geese and ducks.

When the weather freezes at night I collect eggs and replace each one with a dummy egg; so 1 egg collected and 1 dummy egg to replace it each day in each nest where I'm hoping the hen will go broody. If a hen doesn't lay on a given day no dummy egg is added. When the hen has gone broody and sitting full time I replace the dummies with the real eggs.

I have done this sort of thing for 50 years and it works; I just never tried it with pheasants.

This is a great idea!