* HELP URGENT* My Father Just Strimmed A Female Chukar Off Her Nest!

[TehLizardKing]

I'll try and make this short;

My dad just came into the house rather distressed, saying something about a partridge. He led me outside, and took me over to the field gate. Under the fence, was a nest of six or seven eggs, reasonably well hidden, and backed on one side by grass, but the other side is almost showing. Apparently the mother flew of probably unharmed, and the male strutted over looking rather 'peed off''.

We tried to briefly hide the nest with grass as best we could, and I just hope she won't attract the attention of Mr Fox tonight. Anyway, it'd help if someone could...well...help I guess.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Tony K T]

Just leave it she should return shortly.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[TehLizardKing]

Ok, so I left the nest for five hours, (until sundown), but the hen failed to appear. Luckily it was warm yesterday and the eggs stayed ok, but the day was wearing thin and we knew something had to be done. On careful inspection the nest contained fourteen eggs. We removed eight and held them in the incubator overnight, and in case the hen came back, we left six.

This morning the news was not so good. The hen had abandoned the nest and she and her mate were sat looking rather forlorn on top of the stables. The six eggs were gone, probably wolfed down by my magpie, Wilbur, who I had locked up last night, but he managed to undo the latch on the aviary, causing a rather large stir this morning when I had to search the garden for fourteen quail, a pair of pheasants, and a parakeet. The only bird that had stayed loyal was my woodpigeon.

Sorry, went a bit off track there, but what should I do with the eggs? at the moment they are in the inky, 'cooking' away, while I try and find someone with a broody to spare.

The temp is 99 Degrees F

The humidity is around 58%

Does that sound ok?

anyway, thanks. I just wish my dad had listed to me when I told him to wait for a while before strimming the field

 

[De Wet]

well it is a opurtunity to start with a new addicted hobby by keeping pheasants and partridges

 

[TehLizardKing]

yeah.... unfortunately I have a pretty rubbish inky, its a covatutto 12. If they hatch though, I'm sure I have room for 8 more birds somewhere...

 

[mohawkbrian]

A pet magpie ?

 

[TehLizardKing]

yup. Found him on the forest floor last year, with no nest to be found, so I fostered him. I didn't realise corvids were so intelligent ... but he has worked out how to open the fridge, smash a beer bottle (and get drunk), tease the hell out of all other animals, and can say my and his names!

 

[mohawkbrian]

thats awesome. Where does he live nd can you pick him up and stuff. Post some pics of him please

 

[TehLizardKing]

So this is Wilbur, next to his inside cage that he lives in through winter :



As you can see, he loves shiny things, and the camera lens is sparkly enough to attract attention

This is him last year, out on the lawn, enjoying the very rare sunshine :



This is where he and my other birds live, but they were in carry cages while I cleaned it when this pic was taken, so it looks pretty devoid of life :



Also, yes he can be picked up. He loves riding on my head or shoulders, or on the back of my emu.

 

[mohawkbrian]

I need to see more pics. This is fantastic