I was wondering, is it normal that bud comes out so often out of the nest? Last night she looked quite restless, coming in and out of the nesting box... I poked an egg, it looked still very very warm, so I'm sure it's not harming the eggs. But I wonder, how many times does an hen come out of the box on average? Or more simple, how long does she stay in the box normally?

 

And woot, 5th egg! I wonder if she's gonna stop anytime soon XP

When can I expect her to actually sit the eggs and start the incubation process? Hens will start to sit usually when the 3rd egg is layed. Every hen is different. The hen will continue to come out and mate until she has decided her clutch is the right size for her.

 

How do you know when she is finished laying her clutch.? The egg laying is finished when no more eggs show up with 2 days between each egg.

 

by Kaz from our FAQ sectoin

 

I hope this helps

Well I'm pretty sure she's incubating... Cuz she sits on the eggs all the time when she's in the nest. And it's her 5th egg... So I guess it's about right. Right? X_o

yes she is sitting, but she will continue to go in and out until she is done

Oh. Well, gotcha.

 

(I timed her. She went in at 5:55 and came out at 6:13... She's back in there now. She usually poops, eat, massacre my glasses and jumps back in the nest. Not always in the same order. <.<)

I love the glasses part

She probably comes out to see you

XP Ah, I tell you, she's crazy for my face. I'm sitting on the couch, just minding my own business. Either I'm watching TV, either I'm reading... The cage is right next to the couch. Bud's quiet in her nest, Pat is messing around (or he's in the nest too). Well I happen to turn to look at the birds and the next thing I know I have a blue bird smack in my face gnawing on my glasses and eyebrows. <_<;

 

No warning, nothing. She just rushes out of the nest all ninja like and jumps on my face. If I don't hurry to put her on my finger, she's usually followed by Pat.

 

(EDIT: There seems to be a pattern... She stay about 20-25 minutes in the nest, sometimes a hour, she comes out for 5 minutes or so to eat and attack me and goes back in. XP)

Edited June 1, 200717 yr by Michelle

well she sounds like a character and she loves you and wants you to be somewhat involved

She loves me? Are you sure? I could swear she wants me dead.

 

Aah, well anyway, maybe I'm just being too worried. I'm sure she knows what she's doing far better than me. XD I just hope she won't end up ditching her clutch or anything. I'm not sure we'd be able to save any bird if that happens, unfortunately. No one's home during the day...

I have never bred from tame birds Michelle, so maybe you should wait for advice from others that have, but my suggestion would be that while your birds are breeding they should be confined to their cage. The amount of time a bird comes off her eggs varies from bird to bird, some only come out to poop & are fed by the cock then straight away back on the eggs. Others will feed themselves from the feed dish & stay out longer. I feel that the fact that she has access to get out of her cage & maybe that the cock isn’t in the cage to greet her, could not be good for successful breeding.

*Scratches head* S'what my aunt told me. To lock up the cage and all that. But I have that feeling that Pat would be miserable, and perhaps Bud too. Pat loves to go on the playgym and back to the cage. I put some food there, so he goes eat it and then goes back in the nest to feed Bud. When I come back home, I see Pat jump at the door for me to let him out. They were raised with the cage doors open most of the time, they don't like being locked.

others have let their birds out while breeding. And if you think about it in the wild the male would have to fly a bit aways to get the seeds to feed them all.

 

And the 5 mins or so off sounds normal.

I let my birds out during breeding Michelle. It will all work out just fine. 2 babies hatched, 4 more to go

 

Edited June 2, 200717 yr by **KAZ**

It sounds like you will have a tame clutch and sounds like everything is doing good I hope you good luck on breeding that pair