Hello all, I have a female budgie that has mated and laid about 6-8 eggs. Last time she laid 6 eggs and she didn't turn them because they were DIS, and my thoughts were that she didn't turn them making them suffocate in the egg. Now you might say turn them yourself, well if I did this she then kicks out all the eggs and stops nesting, I am about 95% sure some of the eggs are fertile. I really want these eggs to hatch, as I have been waiting for about 3.5 years for this pair to produce babies. Thanks for any thoughts.

Hi Budgie_Mad. Do you have another pair sitting on eggs that you could move some of the eggs to? That way you may be able to save some. I move eggs when I need to - usually when a hen starts laying her second round but still has some chicks in the nest. My record keeping isn't all that it could be so later on I get a big surprise when I see a chick in a nest and can't work out how the parents produced that colour chick- then I realise, oh yeah, that chick has hatched from the foster egg of another pair.

yeah I do but that means that the other pair would have 13 or 14 eggs. I did consider it, but the chicks are due to start hatching in the next few days if the first couple are fertile. (that's for the egg kicking, not the other pair).

Lol, one of the things we often suggest is to have several pairs breeding at once in order to have fostering options, but yeah, if they all lay huge fertile clutches, there goes that option!

 

I'm wondering how you can pinpoint the problem to the hen not turning the eggs. I mean, there are lots of reasons why chicks could be dead in shell, and there are lots of incubating mistakes hens can make. It would be interesting to know if there are classic symptoms that indicate a lack of turning vs some other problem.

 

In any case, it sounds like this hen may just be a poor breeder, if she hasn't produced in over three years and abandons her nest so easily. Most will go back to their eggs even with daily checks and disturbances. But there could also be genetic problems, meaning eggs could be fertile, but just not viable, thus the dead in shell. Sometimes non-viable eggs don't die until after hatching, too, which means early chick death. (Sorry to point out all the possible bad things that could go wrong. )

 

I know how disappointing it can be to have high hopes for a pair and then never have them realized. It doesn't look like there is much you can do at this point other than to hope that it all just clicks, but maybe she will surprise you!

 

Good luck, let us know what happens.

The reason I believe the chicks didn't get turned, is because someone told me that if they don't get turned the chick got stuck to the egg, and couldn't get out and suffocates, and the last chicks were stuck to the shell. I have checked today by slightly opening the lid and she has 8 eggs, some appear to be the nice white that could mean they are fertile, and 2 are that dull pinkie tinge. I am considering kindling them? any use in trying?

Great news everyone! The first egg has hatched and a new little pinkie has joined the world! She's obviously got that down pat she just has to feed it now.

Great to hear some good news for you budgie mad. I hope the chicks fulfill your expectations : )

I have had chicks before from other pairs, this is just great because we never thought she would produce chicks.

Would love to see pics of the new pinkies.

That's awesome! 11 days now, how is the chick doing? Any siblings?

Oh. Now I've seen your other thread.