This is probably a really dumb question.But,here goes.My hen hatched a clutch mid november.I caged the male at that time because he killed one of the chicks.So,the female hasn't been with him since then.Well,she now has another 8 egg clutch.I am wondering if these could possibly be fertile.No,a star did not appear in the east!(Laughing out loud)!However,I read that while budgies will continue to mate while the clutch is being laid,that one mating is sufficient to fertilize the entire clutch of eggs.So,this seems to suggest to me that the female can store viable sperm for at least a short period of time.Any way,the poor little dear is sitting tight to these and she was such a great mom to her first brood.Raising them by herself after the male turned killer.I just feel so sorry for her.Is there any hope?What should I do?My husband suggested taking the eggs and releasing the male bird.But,that little cad has taken up with one of my other females.So.I don't think that would work.I have a pair of masked lovebirds who are currently sitting on a clutch and I gave thought to swiping one of the eggs and giving it to her.At least she would have one little baby for her efforts.But,does anyone know if a budgie would beable to raise a different species chick?Sorry,I've gone on much too long.But,I am hopelessly muddled as to what to do.Please advise! :angel1:

I don't think they would be fertile, by the sounds of things it means she is alone and a cage and box? I doubt the sperm would last through the four or so weeks of raising chicks and then the week or so it take to lay another 8 eggs. It would be more than likely they are clear. Much healthier for her to be removed from the box and allowed to rest from raising chick on her own. Re stock her vitamins and calcium levels in her own little body.

I agree with Nerwen, she's done her duty......let her rest With a large clutch previously and having to raise them on her own it would have been very trying for her she will have used everything she had and now will need to replenish what her own body has lost

I don't think they would be fertile, by the sounds of things it means she is alone and a cage and box? I doubt the sperm would last through the four or so weeks of raising chicks and then the week or so it take to lay another 8 eggs. It would be more than likely they are clear. Much healthier for her to be removed from the box and allowed to rest from raising chick on her own. Re stock her vitamins and calcium levels in her own little body.

She doesn't have a cage or a box.She lives free in my home.I had no intention of letting her raise another brood.She laid her eggs in the ballon topper part of my curtains.So,should I take the eggs or just let her sit until she gives up on them?If I take the eggs will she just lay more and further deplete her calcium reserves?The rest of my birds live in a large indoor avairy.She escaped from this prior to her first brood.We returned her multiple times.But,she seemed determinded to be out.So,we let her have her freedom.When we found her first egg(belonging to the first clutch),we released her mate so he could help her.We recaged him when he killed one of the chicks.Since then her and her chicks have been given run of the house.(They tend to stick with the other birds for the most part).My intention was to leave her free in order to let her get over raising her brood.That way she has a food supply that is just hers and nobody bothering her.Now I'm wondering if I should return her to the avairy.Maybe she won't lay any more eggs in there.But then she would be with the male birds again.I could cage her by herself.But the reason I got the indoor avairy was so they could have a better quality of life.You know live as a flock,lots of room to fly about,when they are caged.I would hate to put her back in a cage.Thank you for the advice,any further thoughts would be most welcome.

this might be a little late but there has been an article in budgerigar world this month where a cock bird died when the chicks were young so the breeder left the chicks with the hen to raise which she did but laid again when the chicks were ready to leave so he left the eggs for a while before removing but checked them before he did clutch of 4 eggs 1 fertle time since she was with the cock bird 6 weeks

OH very interesting Hath. Well I would still stand with my first comment of not letting her bother with this cutch if any are fertile it would be even a bigger wear on her body raising a second lot alone. You might have to leave her in the cage for a while so she does go back to her "nest" site to start again.

I agree Nerwen, raising a clutch alone, especially right from the beginning like that, is a big ask on her little body. After raising a clutch already, I think it is too much for her.

Greeny is having problems starting her 2nd clutch as the chicks keepcoming and going from the nest. Even though the cock help raise them I am stillgiving her a rest. But to raise a clutch by her self and start a second clutch is a big ask. I would really think about fostering or incubating the eggs to give her a rest.

Well I would still stand with my first comment of not letting her bother with this cutch if any are fertile it would be even a bigger wear on her body raising a second lot alone. You might have to leave her in the cage for a while so she does go back to her "nest" site to start again.

totally agree i just put up the info as a reference as she asked the question could they be and everybody said no which i agreed with as i never heard of it before then this appeared

Yeah I would love to read it, what was the book again..budgerigar world got it I know the could store it for a while but never expected for that long.