HELP!!! egg eating?!?!?!?!

[ButtonquailGirl14]

huh. i am also having vanishing egg problems.congrats me, there's a rat in the quail coop.

Ugg!

 

[RosieR]

I would try supplemental calcium/protein/vitamins and the marble trick.
If she’s been fairly constantly broody and laying she’s probably not been looking after herself as best she should.
Maybe hard boiled egg and crushed egg shell will help?
I hope you can get that poor girl to hatch a clutch of eggs. Sounds like she’s dying to be a momma!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I would try supplemental calcium/protein/vitamins and the marble trick.
If she’s been fairly constantly broody and laying she’s probably not been looking after herself as best she should.
Maybe hard boiled egg and crushed egg shell will help?
I hope you can get that poor girl to hatch a clutch of eggs. Sounds like she’s dying to be a momma!

I know! I am so hoping it will all work out for her! it really makes me sad... the best Mom with a lethal gene... even my male wants babies! he sits on the eggs for her when she needs to eat or drink and with her when she doesn't... unless he is fiercely trying to scare me away with his silly anatics!

 

[wildone]

that's... sounds adorable.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

that's... sounds adorable.

it is!

 

[Jus1]

How adorable are your babies!!!!

 

[wildone]

that is SO cute!

 

[DK newbie]

I know! I am so hoping it will all work out for her! it really makes me sad... the best Mom with a lethal gene... even my male wants babies! he sits on the eggs for her when she needs to eat or drink and with her when she doesn't... unless he is fiercely trying to scare me away with his silly anatics!

The fact that your hen is alive, means whatever lethal gene she might have, she only has one copy of it and it is only lethal if you have two copies. That means if the lethal gene is to have any impact on egg fertility, the male must also have this gene, because the chicks will only die if they have 2 copies of the gene (proven by the parents being alive). And because of the way genes work, only 25% of the chicks will have two copies of this gene. Therefore, a lethal gene can only be used to explain why 25% of the eggs don't hatch - if your theory that she has a lethal gene is correct, you should still get 75% of the expected hatch rate. As you get no chicks at all, a lethal gene - whereas there might be one - is not the full explanation.
You could test the lethal gene theory by pairing both her and the male with unrelated partners - if they both suddenly start to produce fertile eggs when they are with another partner, lethal genes might be part of the explanation. My guess is one or both will prove to simply have bad fertility, even with another partner = lethal genes are not the cause.
It might still be genetic though, but then it'll simply be bad sperm production or something like that.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

The fact that your hen is alive, means whatever lethal gene she might have, she only has one copy of it and it is only lethal if you have two copies. That means if the lethal gene is to have any impact on egg fertility, the male must also have this gene, because the chicks will only die if they have 2 copies of the gene (proven by the parents being alive). And because of the way genes work, only 25% of the chicks will have two copies of this gene. Therefore, a lethal gene can only be used to explain why 25% of the eggs don't hatch - if your theory that she has a lethal gene is correct, you should still get 75% of the expected hatch rate. As you get no chicks at all, a lethal gene - whereas there might be one - is not the full explanation.
You could test the lethal gene theory by pairing both her and the male with unrelated partners - if they both suddenly start to produce fertile eggs when they are with another partner, lethal genes might be part of the explanation. My guess is one or both will prove to simply have bad fertility, even with another partner = lethal genes are not the cause.
It might still be genetic though, but then it'll simply be bad sperm production or something like that.

that you so much. all her chick usally make it to the last stage and then they die, it is so sad.