Hi Can Anyone help, we have 2 pair of budgies, one pair set up in one cage laid an egg yesterday. This is the first time that they have laid an egg. However I dont think they kow what to do with it - they keep moving the egg around in the nesting box. This happens especially when the male and female go out to eat! My wife and I tried to push the egg (which doesnt appear infertile), back towards them, but the two of them keep pushing it round the nesting box! Is this natural behaviour for a pair breeding the first time. Thanks Parth & Sara

The hen doesn't usually incubate the eggs much until the second egg is laid. The second egg will probably come tomorrow for you! And more every 2 days. I'm pretty sure what's happening is normal.

The hen doesn't usually incubate the eggs much until the second egg is laid. The second egg will probably come tomorrow for you! And more every 2 days. I'm pretty sure what's happening is normal.

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Hi Bea

 

Thanks heaps ! We will stop pushing the egg around to them ! let nature take its course. Parth & Sara

When i started breeding i was always pushing the eggs into the groove. I don't bother now. It doesn't worry the hen or affect the chicks wherever the eggs are so why should it matter.

its normal behaviour. the first egg normally isnt fertile,but that is not always the case. how many eggs do you have now ? mistymoo

Hi Can Anyone help, we have 2 pair of budgies, one pair set up in one cage laid an egg yesterday. This is the first time that they have laid an egg. However I dont think they kow what to do with it - they keep moving the egg around in the nesting box. This happens especially when the male and female go out to eat! My wife and I tried to push the egg (which doesnt appear infertile), back towards them, but the two of them keep pushing it round the nesting box! Is this natural behaviour for a pair breeding the first time. Thanks Parth & Sara

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Hi Parth & Sara,

 

We have been breeding Budgies, 'Tiels, Canaries, and Finches for 6 years. Our Budgies lay 1 egg every other day. The first egg that is laid is turned approximately once every 30 minutes "by the Budgie Mommy" .

 

Your Budgies are doing the normal Budgie Parent things. They will rotate the eggs (which appears to be "pushing" to you). Budgie Parents are very sensitive Birds. They have a "brood patch" on their bellies which sense when an egg needs turning. As the clutch is nearly complete (from 3 to 6 eggs approximately), then, they will push the first laid egg (s) towards the outside of a circle of eggs. This is because the outside eggs will hatch first.

 

There is no need to assist Budgie Parents. They are born with an innate "parenting" instinct. They will do much better if they are left alone to lay and incubate their eggs "naturally".

 

Relax. This is "your" first time, however, all Budgies know how to lay their eggs and what to do. Just provide them with an appropriate Nest Box (no need for nesting materials because the Hen will remove these), nutritious foods, fresh water, room to exercise, and LOVE ... they will be fine.

 

Then, after the babies have their pin-feathers, you can remove them quickly to scrape out the Birdie Poop and place some un-scented pine shavings inside so that the Budgies have something "firm" to learn to stand in and so they don't get "splayed-leg". okay?

 

God Bless you and your Budgies

 

From

Your Budgie Friend

Karen

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Hi Karen

Thanks heaps for your guidance and help. Our budgie has now laid a second egg. What worries us is not the fact that they push the eggs, but that occasionally, they sit in one corner of the nesting box and the eggs are near the entrance hole of the nesting box - as in egg and parents are miles apart! Is this normal behaviour for budgies? Also the male and female are mostly both inside the box. The male called Bluey seems to move about too much in the box. We are not sure whether his movement causes the eggs to move!

Thanks Heaps

Parth & Sara

its normal behaviour. the first egg normally isnt fertile,but that is not always the case. how many eggs do you have now ? mistymoo

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Hi Mistymoo

 

Thanks. Bluey and Motu ( thats their names ) have laid the second egg yesterday. They are still pushng the eggs, this morning we found both the eggs near the entrance hole of the nesting box. Is this normal behavior for budgies? What worries us is the fact that parents and eggs are miles apart! Thats why we pushed the eggs towards them. But now we have given up, becuase if they keep doing it there is not much point for us to keep pushing it back!

Thanks heaps for your help.

Parth & Sara

You shouldn't worry. The hen will start incubating the eggs when the time is right. If you keep on pushing the eggs around she might abandon them because your interfering.

Agree with everything Karen says EXCEPT:

 

something "firm" to learn to stand in and so they don't get "splayed-leg".

Splay leg (I've done a LOT of research on this having had to deal with it) is caused by a calcium deficiency in the bird that gets it. It happens when the bird grows faster than its ability to absorb calcium or when there is a deficiency of calcium in the regurgitated food from the parents. Either way - the leg bones are soft - like rickets in a human and so acquire a bend outwards. If caught early they can be bent back by hobbling for a few days.

 

It has nothing to do with how well the bird can grip the floor of the nest (or they potentially would ALL get it)

 

I've found that parent budgies get intensely annoyed if you add shavings or whatever to the nest and waste a lot of their time clearing them out. As they are working at maximum lifestyle/energy at that point to feed the chicks - it seems cruel to give them other needless tasks to do.

 

If you want to test that hypothesis - provide bedding beside the nest box and see how much gets taken IN to the nest. I venture you will find - none.

 

The mother is pretty good at cleaning the nest out after three weeks or so and if you wanted to be helpful simply emptying out the poop would be a useful time saver for her - but wait till she is spending more time out the nest - don't do it while she is in there full time covering the chicks - at about 3-4 weeks.

 

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Moving eggs - agree with Bea - leave them alone. The eggs will end up all over the place - but once the hen decides to cover them you will find she moves them all the time. This is called a "rotation" and she does it to share the warmth and to roll the eggs over to stimulate growth. There are some interesting studies that show that the rotation is in fact quite orderly with the eggs processing around an outer circle, then they get drawn to the center for a warm period before ending out back on the perimeter of the clutch for a bit. Eggs that are disturbed or knocked off rotation tend to not develop.

 

:sport: Hey moderator - shouldn't this get moved to the breeding forum? - Just a thought.....:sport:

Edited April 19, 200520 yr by graemesmith

i agree that splay legs is due to calcium deficiency but i do put 3 inches od dood shavings in the nest box some hens do empty this out but most dont this tends to keep the eggs warmer if the hen is scared of the nest for some time and also keeps the nest cleaner and dryer

Agree with everything Karen says EXCEPT:

 

something "firm" to learn to stand in and so they don't get "splayed-leg".

Splay leg (I've done a LOT of research on this having had to deal with it) is caused by a calcium deficiency in the bird that gets it. It happens when the bird grows faster than its ability to absorb calcium or when there is a deficiency of calcium in the regurgitated food from the parents. Either way - the leg bones are soft - like rickets in a human and so acquire a bend outwards. If caught early they can be bent back by hobbling for a few days.

 

It has nothing to do with how well the bird can grip the floor of the nest (or they potentially would ALL get it)

 

I've found that parent budgies get intensely annoyed if you add shavings or whatever to the nest and waste a lot of their time clearing them out. As they are working at maximum lifestyle/energy at that point to feed the chicks - it seems cruel to give them other needless tasks to do.

 

If you want to test that hypothesis - provide bedding beside the nest box and see how much gets taken IN to the nest. I venture you will find - none.

 

The mother is pretty good at cleaning the nest out after three weeks or so and if you wanted to be helpful simply emptying out the poop would be a useful time saver for her - but wait till she is spending more time out the nest - don't do it while she is in there full time covering the chicks - at about 3-4 weeks.

 

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Moving eggs - agree with Bea - leave them alone. The eggs will end up all over the place - but once the hen decides to cover them you will find she moves them all the time. This is called a "rotation" and she does it to share the warmth and to roll the eggs over to stimulate growth. There are some interesting studies that show that the rotation is in fact quite orderly with the eggs processing around an outer circle, then they get drawn to the center for a warm period before ending out back on the perimeter of the clutch for a bit. Eggs that are disturbed or knocked off rotation tend to not develop.

 

:sport: Hey moderator - shouldn't this get moved to the breeding forum? - Just a thought.....:sport:

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Hi Graeme

Thank you for the help. We have left the birds to themselves and you are absolutely right - the eggs move all the time but there is a pattern to it. Method to madness as some would say! We just hope we end up with some small ones.

Thanks

Parth & Sara

:sport: Hey moderator - shouldn't this get moved to the breeding forum? - Just a thought.....:sport:

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