I didn't think that the budgies would breed this time of year, (Cold here now) but the other day during routine maintenace of the avery, I noticed that my old hen was missing, this led to some consternation and a brief search revealing her in the nesting box with several eggs. surely its too cold for her to incubate them? and even if she did hatch them, wouldn't the cold kill them? (I noticed that the cockatiel has an egg too, and plan to remove it in a day or two, but whilst this egg (which I'm assuming is a cockatiels egg) has no bird watching/incubating it, the budgie hen remains in the box with her eggs, (I don't think that she ever comes out.) the male is feeding her I think, since he goes in and out off the box (she stands up and acts threatening ly if I open the box but doesn't leave it. should I remove the eggs?

I didn't think that the budgies would breed this time of year, (Cold here now) but the other day during routine maintenace of the avery, I noticed that my old hen was missing, this led to some consternation and a brief search revealing her in the nesting box with several eggs. surely its too cold for her to incubate them? and even if she did hatch them, wouldn't the cold kill them? (I noticed that the cockatiel has an egg too, and plan to remove it in a day or two, but whilst this egg (which I'm assuming is a cockatiels egg) has no bird watching/incubating it, the budgie hen remains in the box with her eggs, (I don't think that she ever comes out.) the male is feeding her I think, since he goes in and out off the box (she stands up and acts threatening ly if I open the box but doesn't leave it. should I remove the eggs?

 

 

The question is what part of Australia are you in?

 

If the eggs are fertile you are killing them. If they hatch it would be up to nature to decide. I'd let them stay.

I am in Brisbane and have four pairs set for breeding. I have six chicks in two nest and four just fledging. I am having no problems with them.

Points moot now, one hatched this morning last night. I'll leave them alone, don't suppose I can move the box out of the avery and bring it inside? they are not used to being handled.

Hi Paddles

I have hens sitting at the moment and I live on the NSW/Vic border where we have been having as low as

-4 overnight, I wrap my boxes with old blankets (op shops are great:) ) hoping that it will give just that little more heat in the boxes as I cant bring myself to taking the eggs out But a few weeks ago I did loose 9 baby cockatiels to the cold but you just have to try.

I'm in Echuca, and I'm sure its too cold, but I know what you mean when you just have to hope.

Leave them pretty much allone. Check them after lunch, thats the hotest part of the day. Let nature do the rest. My fingures crossed. :rip:

I have my breeding pairs set up in my garage, where they all have a seperate breeding cage to themselves. It gets pretty cold where I am (-2) and I have 3 newly hatched chicks, so if you are able to remove the nest and parents into a cage of their own where they have some protection from the weather would give you more chance of the eggs hatching.

i personally would leave them alone there breeders over here who breed exhibition birds in the winter who have no heating in there birdrooms and it gets down to -6 or 7

Good mothers will raise good chicks no matter the temperature I think. What did they used to do in the wild ? Most of mine are aviary bred and temps have got very low. You will lose a chick or two but thats down to bad mothers on the whole who wont sit and warm their chicks.

Edited June 27, 200618 yr by Bubbles

Well, a bits happened recently, Hubby decided to finally make a concrete floor for the avery, and did so in a different site from where it stood,then declared that we were moving the avery, I of course jumped up and down and said that we couldn't since I had baby birds in there, he waited until I went out, caught every bird, shoved them in cages, grabbed mum dad , chicks and eggs and transfered them into a breeding cage, just scooped chicks and eggs up and put them in the nesting box attached to the cage, shoved mum in cage with dad, and moved the avery, I got back before he released them all,and so made the decision that it would be better to just leave mum and chicks and dad in the breeding cage rather than returning them to the avery. end product, mum has sinced hatched another of the eggs, chicks going well, dad a bit peeved but doing his part, and hubby got a couple of nast scratches/bites off the cockatiels! :