2Nd Set Of Breeding In 2 Months

[Laila 0]

My female budgie, Laila, laid her first ever egg on 25 May and went on to lay 7 eggs. Two of them were infertile and 5 hatched. The last of the 5 came out of the nest box abour 4 days ago and so we took off the nest box. Today Laila laid an egg in the cage. We attached the nest box back and placed the egg in there, which Laila burried in the wood shavings. We placed it on top again and she burried it again. Is it normal for a budgie to lay eggs so soon? I really do not want to have any more budgies in my house (already there are 7 now), but I could give them away if they do hatch.

 

Laila is a small bird and doesn't fly much - she can only fly downwards, but not upwards. She is a very active budgie and keeps herself occupied with the toys, but I am worried what impact it would have on her health to be having more babies within such a short time. Would she go on repeating this egg laying process all the time? How can this be stopped? Is it okay if we don't attach the nest box, in which case I guess she won't incubate the eggs and they won't hatch?

 

Thanks for your suggestions and advice.

[Bird Junky 0]

Hello, it's normal for a hen to start a new family as soon as the first is out of the box. If you don't

want any more babies remove the box & any more eggs you find as she lays them. she will

soon get over her broody period & stop laying. Boxes encourage hens to lay, it's a natural

part of the life cycle......B.J.

[A'SHAAR 0]

Hi Laila

 

Yes it is normal for the hen to start to lay again just after the last chick has left the nest.

If you don't want her to lay again I would remove the nest box and the egg she has just laid.

She still may lay a egg or two on the cage floor but once you remove them she should stop.

Hope this is of some help for you.

[Laila 0]

Thanks for responding, which was quite helpful. If I do let the eggs be incubated and hatch this time (so I can give the birds to freinds), would she repeat the same process a third time again? Would she go on doing it until we take out the nest box and throw out the eggs? I somehow don't have the heart to do this, I would prefer she stops it herself. I have heard some hens die after laying eggs or after babies are hatched. While Laila is in perfect health and very active, I am worried if I would loose her if laying eggs so often would deteriorate her health. I don't want to lose her, so if there is no option other than throwing out the eggs, then I would do it with a heavy heart, just to save Laila. But would one more clutch of eggs be healthwise okay for her?

[A'SHAAR 0]

Yes she will start it all over again.

I let my hens go for 2-3 rounds then I give then time off.

At the end of the day it's up to you.

If it was me I would take the box away now if you really don't want her to have more chicks.

Edited July 26, 2012 by A'SHAAR

[Laila 0]

Thanks for responding A'Shaar. I would try to do that - with a heavy heart - take out the nest box and throw out the eggs

[A'SHAAR 0]

Laila if you would like her to have this round then do it I say!!!

This is only her second round isn't it?

If so and if she is healthy then she should be fine.

[Finnie 0]

Laila if you would like her to have this round then do it I say!!!

This is only her second round isn't it?

If so and if she is healthy then she should be fine.

 

I agree with the others, but keep in mind, that after the second round, you will have to face the heavy heart then. Sooner or later, you're going to have to throw away eggs.

 

You might be able to avoid throwing away eggs, at least ones that you believe to be fertile, viable eggs, if you take the hen away from the chicks when they get to be around three weeks old. Then you would leave the father to raise them. And if the hen lays any new eggs off the perch in her new, solo home, you can console yourself with the thought that she probably hadn't been mating with the cock during that period, and the eggs are no good anyway.

 

But this idea is causes unnecessary meddling with the breeding pair, and I wouldn't really recommend it to a novice. (And once you get past the novice stage, you probably would have no qualms about throwing eggs away. ) Alas, breeding budgies is not for the faint of heart!