Breaking a yearling hen.

[Diamond Dave]

Whats the best way please?
Friend of mine gave me a good ylg hen when.he packed up. Said to try to break her.
I've never done this before so looking for some help pls.
My friend said try it when she is on babies, so I have waited and she is now sitting 3 day old squabs.
But when and how do I do it?
Desperate not to lose her as I would lose the babies as well.
I have a sputnik trap and have taken her out, shown her round the garden and put her thro the sputnik 4 times .
Do I let her out on her own, or with other birds?
Do I let her come out when she is ready of her own accord or do I carry her out ?
Do I take her off the nest and carry her out or when the cock is sitting.?
Do I do it in morning or last thing at night.?
Etc etc.
Any tried and tested techniques would be appreciated.

[king]

Whats the best way please?
Friend of mine gave me a good ylg hen when.he packed up. Said to try to break her.
I've never done this before so looking for some help pls.
My friend said try it when she is on babies, so I have waited and she is now sitting 3 day old squabs.
But when and how do I do it?
Desperate not to lose her as I would lose the babies as well.
I have a sputnik trap and have taken her out, shown her round the garden and put her thro the sputnik 4 times .
Do I let her out on her own, or with other birds?
Do I let her come out when she is ready of her own accord or do I carry her out ?
Do I take her off the nest and carry her out or when the cock is sitting.?
Do I do it in morning or last thing at night.?
Etc etc.
Any tried and tested techniques would be appreciated.

Does he still have her old loft up? If so just let her out with your other birds. In my 50+ years with birds, I've broke many birds, I never had to collect a bird from it's old location more than twice. The more intelligent the bird, the easier it is to break them. There's no techniques Dave, I once broke a old hen that had raced to FOUR different locations, she was 2nd from 500 miles for the owner before me. And I settled 7 ybs mid racing in just 4 days when a guy packed up.
If her old loft is not still up. Wait till the young are old enough and then let her out sitting.

[Buster121]

Agree with King on this

[Diamond Dave]

Cheers King. I believe her old loft is still up but is owned by someone else now and I dont have any contacts. It's also over 200 miles away.
Would that make any difference? If she does fly back to her old loft, I dont think I would get her back. But she does appear to be an intelligent bird.

[king]

Cheers King. I believe her old loft is still up but is owned by someone else now and I dont have any contacts. It's also over 200 miles away.
Would that make any difference? If she does fly back to her old loft, I dont think I would get her back. But she does appear to be an intelligent bird.

Has the hen had access to an aviary or sputnik? I bought a ex racer from a fancier some 200 miles away. She was never let out, and I never tried to break her, but loaned her to a club mate. The hen escaped and still returned to me! having only ever seen the outside of my loft from a sputnik.

[Diamond Dave]

Thanks King and Murray it seems it might be easier than I thought, but I will heed your advice and leave her for another week or so.
In the meantime when she is not sitting, I will put her in a basket in the garden.

[Diamond Dave]

Ah, ok Murray, thanks for that. Does the weather have any significance when I do let her out?

[king]

Ah, ok Murray, thanks for that. Does the weather have any significance when I do let her out?

Any decent day will do, so long as it's not raining or windy.

[Diamond Dave]

Thanx King.

[Diamond Dave]

Cheers Neil. She flew 430 miles as a young bird so I would love to hang on to her and put her in my race team but equally would like to keep the babies.
I don't wanna pre-empt the outcome, but my next question would be if I do hang on to her - how long should I leave her before putting her in a race basket?