Hello there.

I have a pair of budgies, both are 1 year old and never bred before. I put a breeding box long time ago and since few days the female is inside most of the time. When she left the box I checked it and there is two eggs in there one much bigger then the other. Since she is at it about a week I belive there will be no more eggs. Now I have few qustions:

1. I read that usually they lay 5 eggs or even more. Is it normal for her to lay just two?

2. I never noticed them actually mating though I always saw the male feeding the female and her nudging him to do so. Could it possible that the eggs infertile? Is there a way to know that?

 

Thanks!

Females can lay a range of small clutches to extremely large clutches, one of my females only lays 3 eggs in her clutch. They could of mated at any point, if you want to check I believe at around 5 days you hold the egg up and hold a light towards the egg, you should see some veins around the embryo. The more experienced will correct me if I am wrong.

It should be around 18 days from when egg is laid to hatching. After 5 days or so WITHOUT handling egg, (you could addle eggs) get a small torch and shine light from back or side of egg if it's fertile you can see a pinky look with tiny veins starting to appear. Fertile eggs will appear a solid white while infertile eggs stay a clear pinky look.

If she has 2 eggs she may lay more as they lay every 2 days, if your not sure when she laid 1st egg I'd check after a couple more days.

Hi Don't want to appear a know all but have a couple of corrections....

The act of using a torch is called CANDLING, & the correct way to

do it is. Hold the egg between forefinger & thumb & shine a small

torch up through the egg....B.J.

sorry Bird Junky but you do not HAVE to hold the egg to see the viens,

Robyn is correct that you can use a very small torch in the box to see if they are fertile or not.

 

Yes you can hold the eggs as well (i have done this in the past) but be careful not to shake them around too much as you will addle them causing the developing chick to die.

 

You should now check the box daily (twice is good but once is okay) not only to watch for more eggs but to check on he mother as they sometimes don't like to come out of the box. Be sure to tap on it gently to warn her that you are there and open the lid slowly. I also talk to them and after a while just me talking is enough for the hen to jump out of the box.