Did you figure out how many eggs were fertile ?

Not for sure- Georgina was going to come over to help with candling, then had to cancel. But from the outside, they all look white and shiny rather than the cream colour. Fingers crossed! Wonder what I can do for room if all 9 hatch.....eek!

 

Do you have other nests with eggs and or chicks that you can foster some to ?

Do you have other nests with eggs and or chicks that you can foster some to ?

Yes I have 4 or 5 others with babies, and several more on eggs, but I really don't want to try fostering. I've tried it with both babies and eggs, and both times it was a disaster. The foster mums ripped the babies to shreds and threw them out, and same with the eggs. No way I'm game to try again .

 

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how many hatch, then hopefully by the time the youngest hatch, the oldest might be enough to take out and handraise if I have to.

Do you have other nests with eggs and or chicks that you can foster some to ?

Yes I have 4 or 5 others with babies, and several more on eggs, but I really don't want to try fostering. I've tried it with both babies and eggs, and both times it was a disaster. The foster mums ripped the babies to shreds and threw them out, and same with the eggs. No way I'm game to try again .

 

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how many hatch, then hopefully by the time the youngest hatch, the oldest might be enough to take out and handraise if I have to.

 

Fostering works if the babies are at the same stage as the others in the nest, and if you pop them in when the Mums are out of the box. Any Mums with eggs due to hatch will accept a newly hatched baby too.

Edited April 14, 200916 yr by KAZ

When I tried it, the babies were the same age. I think maybe she could smell that they weren't hers. Don't budgies have a heightened sense of smell?

When I tried it, the babies were the same age. I think maybe she could smell that they weren't hers. Don't budgies have a heightened sense of smell?

No.....thats an old wives tale about the smell of them.....maybe she was just smarter than the average or could count

Birds have a pretty bad sense of smell in general

That is rather bizarre in today's breeding, however, in the wild budgies are known to have many pairs in the same nest. It may be an old instinct coming through. Perhaps your two sister hens have some recent wild budgie blood in their genetics???

 

I think, provided there is no blood shed and all babies are cared for, then let them do it together.

Perhaps you're right, who knows. I got them from a little old lady who was breeding budgies and needed to find new homes because she couldn't look after them anymore. She molly-coddled the birds and treated them like her own babies. Each had cutesie names, and she spoke to them in baby talk. She even sewed and crocheted little blankets to line every nesting box :hi:.

 

It doesn't surprise me too much that the 2 sister hens were so bonded. Those are the only 2 of this woman's birds that I put in that particular aviary with my own budgies, so I guess they wanted to stick together because they knew eachother.

 

I checked on them this morning, and we have baby number 2 :rofl: . Both are well fed and seem to be developing just fine.

Great news about the 2nd baby :hi:

Baby number 3 has hatched! All 3 are well fed, full crops every time I check on them. They're growing on schedule. All the 6 other eggs appear fertile too .

Congratulations its very exciting isnt it. I've never heard of 2 hens nesting in the same box but if they are happy with it then I say let them go for it. Very nice hens their in the picture.

Edited April 16, 200916 yr by Pearce

Yep they appear very pleased with the arrangement. Weird, but they probably wouldn't have it any other way.

 

I'm still monitoring them and the others in the aviary several times a day. I think the green hen is doing most of the caring for the babies, while Lilac goes out for food and brings it back.

I have a few males that incubate like this with their hens. Just recently when I had to pull a hen out as she was having trouble passing her 5th egg, her cockbird got in the nestbox and incubated the eggs while she was gone for 3 days. Birds like your girls and cocks like mine are the exception to the rule. It is OH SO CUTE though...and sweet as

her cockbird got in the nestbox and incubated the eggs while she was gone for 3 days.

Awww, what a good daddy! That's impressive.

Isn't nature wonderful! Every now and then something different from the norm is presented to us as a treasure. How special are these hens!! Can't wait to see further photos and updates of these girls.

I'll go and take some fresh pictures in the morning .

The 2 bonded hens now have 4 babies in their box!

 

The 2 bonded hens now have 4 babies in their box!

 

Gorgeous.....fat little filled up crops too

Yep, they're doing just fine. The blue hen plays daddy and goes in search of food, while the green hen plays mummy and feeds the babies. They're being well fed and looked after by both mums .

 

Still got no idea who the dad is .

Edited April 19, 200916 yr by Munchie's Mum

does the dad not hang around the nest box and help feed the chicks? Do all the babies belong to one of the hens or both? Was it just one hen who laid all the eggs or did both hens lay eggs and all eggs hatched. so some chicks are from one hen and some are from another.

Its amazing I've never seen it before and I hope they go well for you.

Edited April 19, 200916 yr by Pearce

does the dad not hang around the nest box and help feed the chicks? Do all the babies belong to one of the hens or both? Was it just one hen who laid all the eggs or did both hens lay eggs and all eggs hatched.

Nope, daddy budgie didn't hang around to feed the babies. Well he's in the same aviary, but he's not bonded with either hen, cause I've never seen them together. The two hens play mum and dad. They've got an unusual bond, but whatever arrangement they've got with the babies is working well.

 

I'm pretty sure both hens laid eggs, because none of my others have laid 9 eggs before. 6-7 per clutch seems to be the most I've seen. A couple now have changed colour, so I think they might not be fertile. But I'll leave them in a few more days.

Excellent.

This thread is so fascinating. I wonder if the same male is dad to both clutches? I wonder if you'll be able to take a guess at who the dad(s) was when you see how the chicks feather up.

This thread is so fascinating. I wonder if the same male is dad to both clutches? I wonder if you'll be able to take a guess at who the dad(s) was when you see how the chicks feather up.

I was thinking it was possible they have the same father. There's only one single male in that aviary, his name is Boof.

 

 

There is this bird too, named Olive. I'm unsure of it's sex, but it could possibly be the father. I started another thread asking about it's sex.

 

 

I can't wait til the feathers start growing to see what colour the babies will be .

Hey, any updates on these birds and babies?