Hi Everyone,

We have had a couple of clutches eith different hens, but none are hatching. Our yellowfaced pair had 7 eggs and none hatched so I took them out and she's now had another 7, these have another week to go, so we will see how things go there.

Another pair, Aust pied cock and sky blue hen, she's got 9 eggs and these aren't hatching. I was thinking of leaving them in the box to see if any do hatch, but I thought that I would ask all of you guys first. It's fairly cool of a night here atm( we live 30 mins west of Caboolture Qld), but not freezing and the hens do not come out of the boxes.

What do you all think?

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

 

there could be many reasons for this and I'm sure that breeders more experienced than myself will give you some answers. I had a similar problem earlier this year due to the humidity in my breeding room being too low. To rectify this I put a bucket of water in the room.

 

 

Feathers

Hi Sandy,

 

Could you give us some more information ?

Breeding setup...cages or colony ?

Perches ?

Ages of birds ?

etc.....

I wouldn't think the temp would be an issue Sandy. All the other breeders that I know around here are in full swing of breeding.

 

Also are the hens maiden? or even the males? (as in first time)

Hi Sandy,

 

Could you give us some more information ?

Breeding setup...cages or colony ?

Perches ?

Ages of birds ?

etc..... :bluebudgie:

 

 

Hi Kaz,

All of the birds are together in a large avairy. The perches are all natural, gum tree branches etc. The yellow face pair, this is the cock birds first time breeding but I'm unsure of the hen. While she isn't old, she wasn't a baby when we got her either, I'm guessing she could be up to about 2 yrs old maybe..?? I also don't know if she's had chicks before we got her either.

With the other pair, this will be the hens first time breeding but not sure of the cock bird, I don't think he's all that young, maybe a couple of years old, but that's a guess too.

I checked on the yellowfaced pairs eggs this afternoon and put the on a torch... she was sitting on 9 eggs! There were 4 that had visible veins inside, some were all clear, no visible yolk or veins and others where the insides were all at the bottom of the egg and dark. I only took out the ones that were clear until I talked to you guys...

With the other pair, I'll check the eggs tomorrow as I ran out of time this arvo....

Is there anywhere that I can look (on the net) that will show me the different stages of what goes on inside a fertile egg?

Thanks

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

 

Could you give us some more information ?

Breeding setup...cages or colony ?

Perches ?

Ages of birds ?

etc..... :bluebudgie:

 

 

Hi Kaz,

All of the birds are together in a large avairy. The perches are all natural, gum tree branches etc. The yellow face pair, this is the cock birds first time breeding but I'm unsure of the hen. While she isn't old, she wasn't a baby when we got her either, I'm guessing she could be up to about 2 yrs old maybe..?? I also don't know if she's had chicks before we got her either.

With the other pair, this will be the hens first time breeding but not sure of the cock bird, I don't think he's all that young, maybe a couple of years old, but that's a guess too.

I checked on the yellowfaced pairs eggs this afternoon and put the on a torch... she was sitting on 9 eggs! There were 4 that had visible veins inside, some were all clear, no visible yolk or veins and others where the insides were all at the bottom of the egg and dark. I only took out the ones that were clear until I talked to you guys...

With the other pair, I'll check the eggs tomorrow as I ran out of time this arvo....

Is there anywhere that I can look (on the net) that will show me the different stages of what goes on inside a fertile egg?

Thanks

Sandy

I cannot think of anything at the moment that shows egg development stages Josh.

Maybe this ? http://www.geocities.com/thoronton/eggs.html

The dark ones could mean fertile egg further along in development than the ones with veins. Since you are unsure I would leave them until after the due dates.

 

Colony breeding is hard with all the in house fighting that can happen, it could have been the first lot of egg where laid because the hen was ready but had not bonded fully with her partner yet.

If there is 7 eggs in the nest & depends on the sort of nest,you are useing.

The eggs may be rolling around & getting cold,odd number of birds,not enough

nests.Do I need to go on.Ig you want to breed budgies.Make up a breeding pen &

nest box & put the pair you want to breed in that pen. :bluebudgie:

The dark ones could mean fertile egg further along in development than the ones with veins. Since you are unsure I would leave them until after the due dates.

 

Colony breeding is hard with all the in house fighting that can happen, it could have been the first lot of egg where laid because the hen was ready but had not bonded fully with her partner yet.

 

 

Hi Nerwen,

With the dark eggs, all the insides were down in the bottom half of the egg and not fluidy... (if you know what I mean). With the 2 pairs that have eggs, they are super bonded, the hens try to eat any other male that comes near them...

I do have other smaller avairies that I could put the pairs into so that they can be by themselves...

At the moment, the avairies I've got are 6ft high x 5ft square, there are 3 in a row, one by itself and 2 joined together to make one larger avairy. I have 2 smaller cages that are in our pergola as well. I've been using these cages as quarantine cages when we get new birds, but we have no plans for more birds just yet so that won't be a problem.

Thanks everyone for your help,

Sandy

Hi Everyone,

Just a little update for you all. I went into the yellowfaced pairs breeding box this afternoon and took out the eggs to candle them to see if I could see anything. While in my dark wardrobe... hehehe... I was going through the eggs.... I was onto the third egg and all of a sudden it started to chirp!!! Little squeeky chirps were coming from the egg!!! It was soooo cute!! :(Laughing out loud): :(Laughing out loud): :(Laughing out loud):

I'm thinking that this is rather close to hatching!!! hehehe I could only hear this from one of the eggs, so we shall see what becomes of the others.

Sandy

By The Way, I put all the eggs back as I didn't want to throw away the wrong eggs!!!

Hi Everyone,

Just a little update for you all. I went into the yellowfaced pairs breeding box this afternoon and took out the eggs to candle them to see if I could see anything. While in my dark wardrobe... hehehe... I was going through the eggs.... I was onto the third egg and all of a sudden it started to chirp!!! Little squeeky chirps were coming from the egg!!! It was soooo cute!!

I'm thinking that this is rather close to hatching!!! hehehe I could only hear this from one of the eggs, so we shall see what becomes of the others.

Sandy

By The Way, I put all the eggs back as I didn't want to throw away the wrong eggs!!!

 

Sandy, try NOT to fully remove the eggs from the nest and to your wardrobe for candling. This can be done IN THE NEST with the appropriate flexible candling torch. The least you handle the eggs the better. Also removing all the eggs and leaving the nest empty would stress the breeding pair more than necessary. The peeping you hear usually means a hatching is due possibly the next day.

Sandy, try NOT to fully remove the eggs from the nest and to your wardrobe for candling. This can be done IN THE NEST with the appropriate flexible candling torch. The least you handle the eggs the better. Also removing all the eggs and leaving the nest empty would stress the breeding pair more than necessary. The peeping you hear usually means a hatching is due possibly the next day.

 

Hi Kaz,

I did try to do it in the avairy but it was too bright and couldn't see anything. Josh stayed in the avairy so that she wouldn't go in to find an empty box and once I heard the chirping I put them straight back, so they were out of the nest for about 3 minutes at the most.

She's a good mum, she never comes out. I can even take eggs out from under her and she won't move...

Hopefully I will hear some chirping from the nest box tomorrow. I won't go near the boxes for at least 5-6 days, I don't want them to stress out and hurt any chicks they may have.

Thanks for your advice

Sandy

When chick arrive Sandy you MUST check them daily. Chicks can go unfed, or dead chicks in anest can contaminate. So please check daily once chicks arrive. I check twice a day to prevent any problems.

Read this article. It may help

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...in%20the%20nest

When chick arrive Sandy you MUST check them daily. Chicks can go unfed, or dead chicks in anest can contaminate. So please check daily once chicks arrive. I check twice a day to prevent any problems.

Read this article. It may help

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...in%20the%20nest

 

Will do Kaz,

I just didn't want to disturb them too much. Should I check to see if this chick has hatched in the morning or wait till the afternoon?

Sandy

When chick arrive Sandy you MUST check them daily. Chicks can go unfed, or dead chicks in anest can contaminate. So please check daily once chicks arrive. I check twice a day to prevent any problems.

Read this article. It may help

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...in%20the%20nest

 

Will do Kaz,

I just didn't want to disturb them too much. Should I check to see if this chick has hatched in the morning or wait till the afternoon?

Sandy

Check in the morning. Look for a sign of food in its crop. Dont panic if its a newly hatched and not yet fed. But do check again in the evening to be sure it has been fed. Lightly tap on the box before opening so as not to startle the parents

Hi Sandy,

 

I always check the nests in my breeding room twice a day - morning and afternoon.

 

 

Feathers.

I will check in the morning then I will let you all know how things went. This is all quite exciting.... This will be our first homebred chick! And one of my mares is expecting a foal in 4 weeks too! First foal born in 14 years.... It's been a long break for me, but I used that time to have my own babies...

Thanks everyone,

Sandy

Hi Everyone,

Well I have news... We have our first chick!

Here is a photo I took very quickly I just wanted to get the picture and go! Also I just took an updated photo of dad, he's changed a bit since the moult, and is now his adult color. I've named him Soda, as in lemon & lime soda! That's his color, lemon/lime!

Enjoy the pics,

Sandy

 

Dad

 

 

mum

 

Edited September 17, 200717 yr by josh

Good luck with the baby/babies.. Looks very red..:hoh:

Good luck with the baby/babies.. Looks very red..:hoh:

 

 

I thought so too, but didn't know if that was normal or not! What color should it be and doesn't this look good?

Sandy

Good luck with the baby/babies.. Looks very red..:hoh:

 

 

I thought so too, but didn't know if that was normal or not! What color should it be and doesn't this look good?

Sandy

Don't worry. Your baby looks fine

Yes it doesn't look too red, it might have been just from hatching or even just the flash picking up more red in the skin.

 

Congratulation's again Told you that you would have a bub soon.

Hi Everyone,I just thought that I would send you all an update....Well the first chick to hatch was on Mon the 17th and is just starting to get his pin feathers come through. After resigning myself that no more eggs were going to hatch, yesterday I went to check on the chick and low and behold.... another chick has hatched!!! hehehe 10 days after the first....This morning I went to check on the new addition, to make sure that mum hadn't forgotten him and what should I find.... but another chick!!! heheheSo we now have 3 chicks! I'm attaching a couple of pics for you enjoyment! :bluebudgie: Now for another question.... I have a hen that's layed 5 eggs... but they are small. This is her first clutch and she is about 11 months old going by my records. Do these eggs have a chance to hatch? They aren't clear eggs, they do have a yolk. She's just started to sit on them.ThanksSandy

Oh, By The Way, The coloring that is coming through on the first chick, is this normal for a chick with 2 yellowhead parents??? Or has mummy been flirting without daddy's knowledge??? heheheSandy

Edited September 27, 200717 yr by josh

Oh, By The Way, The coloring that is coming through on the first chick, is this normal for a chick with 2 yellowhead parents??? Or has mummy been flirting without daddy's knowledge??? heheheSandy

The eldest chick only had down right now, no coloured pin feathers. You will have to wait for coloured pin feathers to know what colour the baby is likely to be.

Try and wait till hens are 12 months and past before breeding them. Yours being younger, is a bit risky, and it may well be the reason for the small eggs.

The eldest chick only had down right now, no coloured pin feathers. You will have to wait for coloured pin feathers to know what colour the baby is likely to be.

Try and wait till hens are 12 months and past before breeding them. Yours being younger, is a bit risky, and it may well be the reason for the small eggs.

 

 

Hi Kaz,

Yeah I thought she was a bit young. Should I leave her with the eggs or take her completely out of the avairy? Also, with the younger chicks, will they be okay with having a sibling so much bigger than them, will it take too much feed away from the younger ones?

Sandy