I have a friend who's come to steal my internet for a minute, after i told her about this site

 

 

"Hi, I have a cage that is 80long x 55wide x 90high. I have 2 pairs of birds in there, with 2 nest boxes. My father used to breed budgies many years ago and he told me that it was "easy" and he never had any problems, and i guess i thought i would just use his knowledge and it'd be fine. I have read through some of these other posts trying to find out what i want to know. Both my hens sit in their nest boxes most of the day, and their mates seem to feed them(??). The hens do come out at vegie time (they have carrot, brocoli, corn and a chinese vegie, pak choy? i think) and occasionally thru the day. i have noticed one of my hens has laid an egg, i think its only one (the nest boxes are in the cage so it is a little hard to see).

 

my question is, the hens seem to sleep outside? so wouldn't the egg that has been laid get cold? i think she laid it on Monday."

 

 

i have a similar cage to this, but i will ask my questions later, i'd like to think i'm learning a lot from here.

 

Ains

Some hens generally dont start to "sit" on their eggs to incubate them until they have laid around 3 eggs. So don't worry...all is fine. At some point they will see the need to start incubating the eggs. Until an egg is incubated the chick is dormant and development starts at the time of incubation.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/davehansen/egglay.html

 

Hi,

 

I've been asked to come and say thanks, my friend's budgies now have 5 and 3 eggs and are sitting beautifully.

 

The hens only come out a couple of times a day to eat, their partners are also feeding them. So now there is about two and a half weeks til hatching woudl be due? assumming the eggs are fertile. i have tried to see whether they are looking more solid, but its hard when the nestboxes are inside the cage.

 

thanks again, from Mandy, and also from me as the more i can learn the better

 

Ains

I would be counting 18 days from the second or third egg. It's a good guilde. You can of cause candle the eggs to see if they are fertile.

 

You can shine a touch through the egg to see if the chcik has developed inside. If the egg is clear after 7 days it is probibly not fertile. Do this once only and make sure your hands are washed with good quality soap so that you don't infect the egg with bacteria on your fingers. I would leave the egg then for your hen to look after. She will know best.