Hello, hello!

 

I have a nice couple of birds. The girl is named Bud, the boy is named Pat. They're really darlings and they're mates.

 

Yesterday Bud has laid an egg. I was expecting that to come! She has her nesting box and everything, she's keeping the little thing warm... But she doesn't take any nesting material! The box is a plastic box so it's a bit slippery. I had tried multiple times in the latest weeks to encourage her to put stuff in there. I tried hay, pine shavings, fluff... She just takes the stuff or throws it out! So I left nesting material close to the nest and some down at the bottom of the cage for her to make the nest herself... But no can do. Now she has an egg in an empty nesting box

 

I'm not sure the egg is fertile yet, it's all fresh and all, but it's possible it won't be fertile since Pat lacks... well... SKILLS. But maybe they succeeded before, I'm not home during the day...

 

What should I do? Should I put nesting material back in the cage? Is she gonna throw it out again? Is it a bad idea to touch the egg? I don't want her to abandon it!

Hi Michelle, welcome to the BBC forum. You will find that a lot of hens will throw out all their nesting materials, all of mine have. That is okay, it isn't really needed until the bubs come along, as the material soaks up their poops and helps to keep the nest box clean. Once she has a couple of babies to keep her busy put the material back in then. Quite often they are so busy feeding their bubs all the time they don't bother getting rid of the material again.

 

 

Feathers.

Hey Michelle

 

I have found in my very limited experience that feathers is exactly right. But make sure you do put some nesting materials back in later because i think the slippery floor could contribute to splay legs in the chicks later on.

 

good luck

Bugin

Like Feathers says Michelle, try some nesting material even now, that she has eggs, mostly once they have started laying eggs, they mostly wont throw it out again, it’s just their way of getting the nest container ready for breeding. When the egg arrives she goes into a different situation. If she still removes it try it again after the first chic hatches, as Feathers says it’s very important then, as if the chics legs slip all the time from under them they can end up with splayed legs & are almost useless unless corrected, early. Budgies will not take any material into the nest themselves like many other birds, as that isn’t their nature. Use coarse sawdust, wood shavings, or I even use coarse river sand.

Thanks guys!

 

Just one thing though, how much material should I put? Should it cover the whole floor or should I put some just in the hole where the egg is?

Feel free to put a nice big handful in. The chicks will be growing and using up more space than just the concave. I use pine shavings.

 

 

Feathers.

Edited May 25, 200718 yr by feathers

I agree with everyone else. I heard it prevents splayed legs.

Lift the egg up and put some nestine material in the box the just put the egg back in. She should be okay with you toching the egg you can even put a date on it if you like. I do!..

This is the material I use..

 

Edited May 26, 200718 yr by Kaz

Gotcha. I have pine shavings at home, so I'll do that when I get home. First I'll bribe her out of the nest, then I'll put pine shaving in!

 

...Hm, won't it scare her though? I know that she always brakes when she sees something that wasn't there. It won't stop her from taking care of the egg I hope.

The hens normally don't worry about it, Just remember to wash your hand before touching the egg, and try not to handle it too often.

 

And welcome to the site :hap:

Well I just put the bedding in... She looks very very confused. She keeps going in and out of the nest as if she's unsure. For now I just put some in the hole so she could get used to it... I'll add it all over when she cools.

Edited May 25, 200718 yr by Michelle

Well I just put the bedding in... She looks very very confused. She keeps going in and out of the nest as if she's unsure. For now I just put some in the hole so she could get used to it... I'll add it all over when she cools.

 

Michelle...If you have a depression in the wood bottom of your box, that holds the eggs together I wouldn't worry so much, that will keep the eggs together & help the legs to not splay, when the chics hatch. That why lots of people put a depression in the bottom of the box, then you don't have to worry, but it might be good to add some shavings, once the chics hatch, a little at a time. She wont be so scared then also, as they become very protective of their young.

Right. Well, I removed most of it. Now she's confused again, ehehe.

 

I heard it's normal they don't stay very long in the nesting box as long as all the eggs aren't laid, is that true?

Right. Well, I removed most of it. Now she's confused again, ehehe.

 

I heard it's normal they don't stay very long in the nesting box as long as all the eggs aren't laid, is that true?

 

Correct Michelle, she will be in and out until she feels its time to start incubating the eggs. Some hens do right from the start and some wait till egg number three or so. :hap:

Well I think she's already incubating it. When I touched it earlier to add some bedding I noticed how warm it was. She still spend long minutes in there.

 

When she'll be feeling it's time to incubate, will she spend her whole time in there?? That's little details I could never find over the net...

Well I think she's already incubating it. When I touched it earlier to add some bedding I noticed how warm it was. She still spend long minutes in there.

 

When she'll be feeling it's time to incubate, will she spend her whole time in there?? That's little details I could never find over the net...

She will take "meal breaks and poop breaks" but will keep temperatures pretty constant on the eggs.