Hi. I have a small aviary with two budgies one male and one female, they have been together for three years now. They have always had a breeding box in their cage and always gone in and out of it.

 

I have seen them mating last season and this season and they have never had eggs up till now. I checked yesterday afternoon and she has laid one egg its in the box. In the dip there is also some of her feathers under it, only small ones, and about three to four i think. She hasn't sat on it only next to it she gets feed by him and comes out of the cage for a while then goes back in. I tried to put a small torch up to it but she just got funny and started chirping really loud as to say get away so i just left her, as this is the first egg and i don't want to risk anything.

 

So i guess I'm just asking when will she lay on it?

 

I also bought some vitamins to go in her water any information will be helpful and grateful.

Edited October 9, 200816 yr by maesie

they don't always sit on the first egg straight away... she might wait for the other one to come in first... its all normal, good luck with it and keep us posted

Lily your best bet would be to have a good read of the FAQs section as this has everythng you need to know. But to answer your basic questions. She may not sit on it unitl she has layed a few more, they are viable for up to about a week before she needs to sit on them so don't worry. As far as candling(the torch) there is no point yet as you be able to see anything for about 4-5 days after she starts sitting, then you should start to see little red veins initially.

they don't always sit on the first egg straight away... she might wait for the other one to come in first... its all normal, good luck with it and keep us posted

thankyou and i will

Lily your best bet would be to have a good read of the FAQs section as this has everythng you need to know. But to answer your basic questions. She may not sit on it unitl she has layed a few more, they are viable for up to about a week before she needs to sit on them so don't worry. As far as candling(the torch) there is no point yet as you be able to see anything for about 4-5 days after she starts sitting, then you should start to see little red veins initially.

thankyou i doing that now

Do know once they start they may start another clutch right after these babies are raised so be aware that leaving a nesting box in there all the time is not a good idea because once they start they will breed themselves to death so budgies do need a rest and the box will need to be removed.

Did you get them as babies???

Yes, I got them as babies off a breeder. He gave me four but one got attacked by the others all the time and i was going to buy a small cage and put him by himself, but i didn't get in time. The other one died last year in a really bad storm.

 

I didn't know you couldn't leave the breeding cage in there so i will take it out after she has finished her eggs

 

 

That was my other question. I forgot to ask, my budgies are outside I am just a bit worried that she wont be able to keep the eggs warm enough

 

thankyou everyone for your help

Edited October 9, 200816 yr by maesie

Any hen who sits well can keep eggs warm, even through the dead of winter :rip:

 

Try to leave her alone as much as possible and give her her space as a first time mum

 

You say they were all babies when you got them? Do any look like one another, because to come from a breeder at the same time could mean they're actually related e.g. brother & sister, which could definatly lead to future disasters for these chicks.

Edited October 6, 200816 yr by *libby*

Any hen who sits well can keep eggs warm, even through the dead of winter

 

Try to leave her alone as much as possible and give her her space as a first time mum

 

You say they were all babies when you got them? Do any look like one another, because to come from a breeder at the same time could mean they're actually related e.g. brother & sister, which could definitely lead to future disasters for these chicks.

 

 

Hi, the guy that sold them to me said they weren't brother and sisters, but they do look alike. Both yellow but the male has got white through him so a bit different. What happens if they are, should i not let them breed just in case?

 

thankyou

Edited October 9, 200816 yr by maesie

My budgie still only has the one egg but is now sitting on it. Does this mean she wont lay anymore now? thankyou

Edited October 9, 200816 yr by maesie

my budgie still only has the one egg but is now sitting on it does this mean she wont lay anymore now thankyou

 

 

they usually lay every other day but not always... give it time and just keep checking a couple times a day. You never know you may wake up in the morning and there will be a second egg. there's no real "rule" on how many eggs a hen will lay. she could have one she could have 10... never know. even if she's nesting on just one... it just means she has more time and energy to care for it when it hatches :fly: keep us updated

Well, I have another egg and she is doing everything. I have read she should do turning her eggs and laying on them. I checked her this morning and there was still only one, so she laid it today sometime. When do you start counting down the days for hatching- from the day she starts laying on them- is that right? If so she started the other day laying on the one egg

Edited October 9, 200816 yr by maesie

well i have another egg and she is doing everything i have read she should do turnning her eggs and laying on them i checked her this morning and there was still only one so she layed it today sometime so when do you start counting done the days for hatching from the day she starts laying on them is that right if so she started the other day laying on the one egg

Congratulations. You usually start counting from when the Hen starts to sit, but that's not a hard and fast rule. Make sure you feed her lots of hard boiled eggs-shell and all, mixed in with fresh veggies. Good luck and keep us updated.

thankyou i will do that

thankyou i will do that

 

No worries, good luck and I hope you get a few more eggs

Sounds like things are really moving along there. Must be getting excited. Hope all goes well for you and your birds Like maesie said make sure you feed her the right foods and you should have very healthy babies...

Edited October 9, 200816 yr by maesie
typo

sounds like things are really moving along there. Must be getting excited. Hope all goes well for you and your birds Like maesie said make sure you feed her the right foods and you should have very healthy babies...

 

Yes, I'm getting very excited, but i haven't told my children as yet just in case they don't hatch to save tears, but thankyou and i will do everything all of you have told me to do. Thankyou for all your help its great to be able to talk to all of you and get advice. Thankyou you all again

Edited October 9, 200816 yr by maesie

Congrats on the eggs

 

You have been given great advice from maes

Once a day is enough checking for eggs. When chicks are due and hatching you need to check twice daily. Here is a good topic to help you http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

Once a day is enough checking for eggs. When chicks are due and hatching you need to check twice daily. Here is a good topic to help you http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

that is a great help if the eggs hatch even if they dont its great to have that information thankyou very much

sounds like things are really moving along there. Must be getting excited. Hope all goes well for you and your birds Like maesie said make sure you feed her the right foods and you should have very healthy babies...

 

Yes, I'm getting very excited, but i haven't told my children as yet just in case they don't hatch to save tears, but thankyou and i will do everything all of you have told me to do. Thankyou for all your help its great to be able to talk to all of you and get advice. Thankyou you all again

 

I hear ya about telling the kids. I just had a clutch of 5 and three hatched. Unfortunately, only one chick survived, but I showed my kids all three. My kids are 3 and 4 years old and boy was it hard trying to explain why there was only one now. They just kept asking why did it die and were did it go. So I just told them that Jesus needed a baby bird at his house so he took it to heaven to be with him.... :hap: It's hard when you have kids (young ones) cause you want them to experience the wonders of life but want them far away from the fact of death. Good luck and depending on your kids (you know them best) you might want to wait a bit even after they hatch just in case if you lose one or something.

Edited October 9, 200816 yr by chrissy0705

sounds like things are really moving along there. Must be getting excited. Hope all goes well for you and your birds Like maesie said make sure you feed her the right foods and you should have very healthy babies...

 

Yes, I'm getting very excited, but i haven't told my children as yet just in case they don't hatch to save tears, but thankyou and i will do everything all of you have told me to do. Thankyou for all your help its great to be able to talk to all of you and get advice. Thankyou you all again

 

I hear ya about telling the kids. I just had a clutch of 5 and three hatched. Unfortunately, only one chick survived, but I showed my kids all three. My kids are 3 and 4 years old and boy was it hard trying to explain why there was only one now. They just kept asking why did it die and were did it go. So I just told them that Jesus needed a baby bird at his house so he took it to heaven to be with him.... It's hard when you have kids (young ones) cause you want them to experience the wonders of life but want them far away from the fact of death. Good luck and depending on your kids (you know them best) you might want to wait a bit even after they hatch just in case if you lose one or something.

 

 

yes thats why i dont want to tell my little ones because my little four yr old would be all upset

 

anyway i got upset this morning i went to check my budgies this morning and to uncover them when i did i saw an egg on the ground she must have come out over the night and had it on the perch as it is just under the perch near the food container i really dont think she has thrown any out as she is still sitting and wot get off them this morning for me to check i pick the egg up it was broken and stuck to the newspaper lucky my kids were still in bed

 

is there any reason why this has happen ? and how long can she be of the eggs for when she comes out? thankyou

Budgies sometimes lay off the perch at night if they cant find the nest box in the dark, or if it comes as an accident. I wouldn't worry about it for now.

 

Hens should only be off the eggs for about 20 mins tops (depending on the temperature) once they have started incubating.

Budgies sometimes lay off the perch at night if they cant find the nest box in the dark, or if it comes as an accident. I wouldn't worry about it for now.

 

Hens should only be off the eggs for about 20 mins tops (depending on the temperature) once they have started incubating.

 

 

thanks for that when she comes out which is only know and then its usally on hot days and she is off them about five to ten mins thats it i do think the light might have been turnned off last night by mistake but i think it has before but she wasnt ready to lay another like last night and i was looking forward to the third egg i think my dad turnned it off he babysat last night

Sometimes its just bad timing that when a hen comes out to do a large poop she also loses an egg thats about to be laid...bad timing thats all.

Edited October 11, 200816 yr by KAZ