Hey all i'm hoping somnebody is able to give me some answers.

 

I have had my budgie lay two lots of eggs now and both times i have found the eggs outside the breeding box on the floor of the aviary right when they are nearly ready to hatch.

 

The first lot that my budgie laid there were about 4 eggs, however she was never really sitting on them only occasionally. I did keep checking on them and the day that the first one would have hatched i found all the eggs on the floor of the aviary smashed, and some had been smashed inside the breeding box. They were all yellow yolk thought so obviously had not formed.

 

Now this second lot of eggs there were only 3 eggs. She had been sitting on them constantly barely leaving the breeding box. I have been checking that they are there still everyday in case it happened again and they were soon due to hnacth and i go to check on them this morning and had a feeling something bad had happened. first i notioce that she isnt in her box and then i can see shell on the floor. i go into the aviary and check and no eggs in the box at all. they were on the floor and in the broken eggs were formed budgies, unfortunately dead, curled up in the egg shell.

 

Has this happened to anybody else? Its so upsetting!!

 

I Have 5 budgies in my aviary my main girl who has had the eggs and another 2 girls and 2 boys.

Is it possible the other male has killed these eggs?? i dont no how they could have pushed them up and out of the box.

 

should i seperate the birds next time my female lays eggs??

 

Why would they wait until they were ready to hatch before doing this??

 

sorry if this doesn't make any sense!

It is more likely that another hen has chucked them out. How many nest boxes are in the aviary and how old are your hens? If you have three hens in there you need to have atleast six nest boxes.

It is more likely that another hen has chucked them out. How many nest boxes are in the aviary and how old are your hens? If you have three hens in there you need to have atleast six nest boxes.

 

 

Only have one box in there. Not sure how old the hens are would be a few years at the very minimum as i purchased them off an older lady. The main female who has laid the eggs is about 3 years old i think.

Then it is most likely another hen wanting to use the box. You need atleast 5 more boxes in there all at the same level and facing different directions in order to reduce the chance of fighting. Most people here will tell you that this is precisely the reason they no longer aviary breed as breeding in single cages reduces the chances of problems like this. Also bear in mind that it isn't a good idea to breed a hen after about age 3-4 so she really is getting to the end of when you should be encouraging her to breed

Then it is most likely another hen wanting to use the box. You need atleast 5 more boxes in there all at the same level and facing different directions in order to reduce the chance of fighting. Most people here will tell you that this is precisely the reason they no longer aviary breed as breeding in single cages reduces the chances of problems like this. Also bear in mind that it isn't a good idea to breed a hen after about age 3-4 so she really is getting to the end of when you should be encouraging her to breed

 

Thanks for your help!

I have put the breeding box in a single cage and will put the two in there by thierself in a couple of days.

She has a dark green band around her leg? Does this indicate the year she was born? Anybody know what year this represents

I can't remember what year green is but if you have a look there will be two numbers(or a symbol then a number) which are sideways on the band something like 04 or ^4. This is the year she was born

MB is correct. Another hen would have done this. Its typical behanviour of mixed birds in an aviary and typical of a hen claiming the box as her own. You are lucky it was only eggs and not chicks...as they will kill chicks already in a nestbox they want to take over

 

Green ring is last years 2007

Edited October 27, 200816 yr by KAZ

If this hen has laid twice already (in a row) I would not be putting them in a breeding cage to breed again. You'd be best to give them a rest in the aviary (removing the nest box) and then try them in a cabinet next year. Two clutches in a row is enough as more can be bad for their health. Good luck with them and I hope you have success in the future.

If this hen has laid twice already (in a row) I would not be putting them in a breeding cage to breed again. You'd be best to give them a rest in the aviary (removing the nest box) and then try them in a cabinet next year. Two clutches in a row is enough as more can be bad for their health. Good luck with them and I hope you have success in the future.

Maesie is correct

hey Bes, I have to agree with the others on this. As for the leg ring, they have a 7 year cycle, Green is '07 but if you have had her longer than that then she would be an '01 bird so is definatly to old to breed, check the ring and see what it says it should have a couple of letters then a symbol and a number and right angles then a 3 or 4 number code on it, the letters a usually the state, then the symbol and the number are the year it was rung, then the code is for that perticular bird.

Either way her age possibly explains part of the issue. If she is 07 and didn't hatch until late last year then she was probably very young when you first bred her(very stressful on a young hen), if she is an 01 bird then she is way too old to be breeding.

Either way her age possibly explains part of the issue. If she is 07 and didn't hatch until late last year then she was probably very young when you first bred her(very stressful on a young hen), if she is an 01 bird then she is way too old to be breeding.

 

Thanks for all the info guys! really handy stuff. i will definately rest her and i think she may be a 2001 then as i only got her at the start of this year from a pet shop (sorry... dont no if that is frowned upon on here) and she was much larger than my boy who i bought as a baby in the middle of last year and i asked what they thought her age would be and they said maybe 3 years old. so i will check her when i get home tomorrow.

If you could post a photo of them both, we'll be able to tell you if the hen is 7 or 1 year old.

Size doesn't mean all that much as most growth is finished by the time they are a few months old, she is probably a show type and your other one is probably a pet type

Size doesn't mean all that much as most growth is finished by the time they are a few months old, she is probably a show type and your other one is probably a pet type

I agree with MB here. Size means nothing in regard to age. You need to read off the legring.....AND you should never breed with a bird UNLESS you are sure of its age.....and sure its breeding age which is not judged by colour of cere.

If you could post a photo of them both, we'll be able to tell you if the hen is 7 or 1 year old.

 

 

http://i33.tinypic.com/2e4c1tu.jpg

 

http://i37.tinypic.com/sxf75v.jpg

 

Her leg ring has a triangle and then a 7, so this makes her a 2007 bird?

Edited October 28, 200816 yr by KAZ
please edit photos to forum size requirements before posting so we dont have to turn them into links

Yep that's an 07 ring, I would say she is an early 07 bird though looking at her so probably nearly two years old.