Hi:

 

I have a 5 year old cock and a 1+ yr hen. One egg was laid on Monday, another on Tuesday, and the third today. There is no nest. They are at the bottom of a large cage. The hen has been turning them. they are situated in an office with a closed door, consistent temperature and privacy. I have read several articles here on breeding at this stage. I'd like to keep the eggs if they turn out to be fertile: yes, I am prepared to hand feed and vet. I'm 41 years old and have had 4 budgies - never more than 2 at a time. I am willing to keep these two. How can I best prepare for the hatching, given the info I've provided. They are on a fortified seed diet. Thanks in advance.

I would at this stage remove the eggs and keep them in a safe place. Then add a nestbox. Encourage the female to lay her next egg in the nestbox by making all other places in the cage including cage floor not a good place to lay eggs or raise babies......

 

Once she has laid the next egg in the nestbox, add the other eggs.

Hi Kaz:

 

Many thanks. I will follow this advice.

Good luck. Will be a safer place for chicks if she has a nestbox

Thanks: think I'll get out my tools this weekend

Good luck

I'm the one who had 3 eggs at the bottom of the cage. Stage 2: So I got a nesting box and put it in the cage, along with some shavings for nesting material. I had to carefully spoon lift one egg out of the way to make room for the box, which is black and scary looking I think, but I couldn't find any others in town. That was yesterday morning. I was careful to leave them alone, but I peeked through the closed door (I could see through the glass) several times and the hen seems to have abandoned the eggs, whereas before she was trying to sit on them but they were rolling all over. I can see that she hasn't turned the eggs since the nestbox was inserted yesterday morning or sat on them. Because they are in exactly the same spot as before. Does this mean it's over? Is there anything else I can do?

There is nothing you can really do. When eggs are moved, the hen can sometimes abandon them.

 

I know it seems unfair and harsh, but you did the right thing.

 

Do not abandon hope yet, see where she lays the next one.

Thanks, Dave

 

I will watch for more eggs. Are there always more than 3?

I would at this stage remove the eggs and keep them in a safe place. Then add a nestbox. Encourage the female to lay her next egg in the nestbox by making all other places in the cage including cage floor not a good place to lay eggs or raise babies......

 

Once she has laid the next egg in the nestbox, add the other eggs.

Did you follow this advice exactly as I said it ?

 

and why did you put the nestbox INSIDE the cage ? They are best fitted externally with entry from within.

Hi Kaz:

 

No, I hadn't, obviously. Nesting box now securely rigged outside cage, with access from within. Eggs stored in a safe place, ready to add to nest within nesting box if she lays again. Is it for certain she will lay another egg? Or do hens vary in the number of eggs they lay?

Kazoo, I had the nest box inside the cage ... the cage is large like yours so I had the room, and the nest box hanging hole was at the back wall of the box, so even if I cut the bars the box would have been fully inside the cage, if you follow me.

I re-arranged the perches so that the box sat on top of a lower perch. It was secured with the hanging hole, plus you can't see clearly in the picture but I also wrapped wire around the bottom of the box and secured it tightly on either side, to the bars. After hatching, I would unhook the wire at the top hole, and slip the lower wire down, for everyday cleanout and checking. After the chicks started to poke their noses out, I moved the box to the cage bottom and had the little ladder go from the lower perch to the cage bottom, next to the box perch.

Mine is a one-time pet situation though, not a breeder... your requirements may be different?

Hi Kaz:

 

No, I hadn't, obviously. Nesting box now securely rigged outside cage, with access from within. Eggs stored in a safe place, ready to add to nest within nesting box if she lays again. Is it for certain she will lay another egg? Or do hens vary in the number of eggs they lay?

 

They do vary....but givent two days she will lay again and hopefully in the new nestbox. If you see she has eggbutt ( swelling under her tail area ) put her in the nestbox as often as you can till she decides its a good place to stop and lay her next egg. Once she has start adding the others back in there..its all budgie psychology I'm afraid.

Edited October 5, 200915 yr by KAZ

Thanks Kate and Kaz:

 

Now that the nesting box is up, I think I'll leave it where it is. There is a parallel perch to provide easy access to the hole. But since I used the opening for the cage doors, which are at the front of the cage, I will put something up to block viewing so that this whole wall is private for them. I still have access from two side doors. I've been trying to inspect her vent area for signs of another egg, but I didn't see anything this morning.

Yes if you don't shift it around, better chance of mom being convinced this is a good safe place to settle down.

All my Lucy needed was a stationary box, her mate to feed her, and a far corner for her big poopies! lol

Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate you taking the time to respond. If anything exciting happens, I'm sure I'll have more questions to pry you all with...

I hope members will excuse me posting twice in a row. I just had some recent activity to add. Kazoo laid two more eggs the night before last. One got smashed. She laid them at the bottom of the cage again, despite the nice and ready nesting box. I picked up the egg with a spoon and placed it in the nesting box atop shavings. Then I added the other three eggs. She kept bobbing her head back and forth between peering into the nesting box, then looking at me. I said, "yep, those are your eggs. Better get in there," and left. When I peered in through the glass door twenty minutes later, she was in the box, sitting on the eggs! Now I am guessing that those other 3 eggs couldn't survive. In fact, I could see from pics. posted on the site that 2 of them weren't fertile. But there is hope for that egg laid the day before yesterday, isn't there? And what about the third egg that's been in a container for a week?

Hi: I had sought advice a few weeks ago about my hen Kazoo, who was laying eggs at the bottom of her cage. I just had some recent activity to add, with a couple of questions. Kazoo laid two more eggs the night before last. One got smashed. She laid them at the bottom of the cage again, despite the nice and ready nesting box. I picked up the egg with a spoon and placed it in the nesting box atop shavings. Then I added the other three eggs (I know it's been too long for them to be viable, but my goal was to get her in the nesting box for the one viable egg left). After the eggs were inserted, her response was interesting -- She kept bobbing her head back and forth between peering into the nesting box, then looking at me. I said, "yep, those are your eggs. Better get in there," and left. When I peered in through the glass door twenty minutes later, she was in the box, sitting on the eggs! Now I am guessing that those other 3 eggs couldn't survive. In fact, I could see from pics. posted on the site that 2 of them weren't fertile. But there is hope for that egg laid the day before yesterday, isn't there? And what about the third egg that's been in a container for a week?

I merged your new topic back into your original one as its the same topic with updates.

kazoo laid two more eggs the night before last.

she cant have laid two eggs in one night as they lay with two days between each egg.

 

I hope she sits and incubates for you now. As far as whether or not the eggs will be fertile, give it a few days of her sitting and after she has incubated for around 5 days consistently candle the eggs and see what you can see.

I hope she sits and incubates for you now. As far as whether or not the eggs will be fertile, give it a few days of her sitting and after she has incubated for around 5 days consistently candle the eggs and see what you can see.

 

Thanks for the info Kaz. Much appreciated. That would be the 18th from the day she started sitting. I will check then.

Another egg today! Yeah! Kazoo's now sitting on 5 of them...busy girl.

Another egg today! Yeah! Kazoo's now sitting on 5 of them...busy girl.

Very good news :reading:

 

:thumbs_up:

From a bird that was doing it all wrong at the beginning, she seems to have the egg laying and sitting bit going right. Now, if they are fertile, let's see how she and partner go with the raising.

From a bird that was doing it all wrong at the beginning, she seems to have the egg laying and sitting bit going right. Now, if they are fertile, let's see how she and partner go with the raising.

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This is the first egg she's actually laid in the nesting box, so I'm pleased! Is there anything else people think I should be doing besides checking on day 5 for fertility, and marking dates of hatching range for those that are on my calendar? Should I line the box with millet/food, for instance? I'm starting to feel like an anxious mother myself.

Edited October 17, 200915 yr by Kazoo

From a bird that was doing it all wrong at the beginning, she seems to have the egg laying and sitting bit going right. Now, if they are fertile, let's see how she and partner go with the raising.

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This is the first egg she's actually laid in the nesting box, so I'm pleased! Is there anything else people think I should be doing besides checking on day 5 for fertility, and marking dates of hatching range for those that are on my calendar? Should I line the box with millet/food, for instance? I'm starting to feel like an anxious mother myself.

 

if shes sensitive to laying in box

or sitting i would just let her sit

i would not check fertility i would wait for the half way point then see whats going on in that aspect