Between sixteen and twenty-one days after the hatching, the hen will
probably show signs of wanting to go to nest again. Place the second
nest in the opposite corner of the cage, and stuff bits of fresh nesting
material between the cage bars near the new nest. Be sure that enough is
allowed, otherwise she will pull feathers out of the young birds. When
the hen lays her first egg, it should be removed as before, and Round
One repeated. As soon as she takes to her second nest entirely, the
chicks from Round One and the cock should be moved to the other half of
the cage, and separated from the hen by the wire partition.
Although a very vigorous hen and a good feeding cock can hatch three or
four nests in a season, best results are had by not allowing more than
two. If the nesting is finished early in June, the parents and chicks
will be in condition for the moult in late summer. The added strain of
more than two nests will likely make the birds unreliable for breeding
the following season.