I have a pair of parakeets, Loui is about 4 or 5 Lizzie about 3 or 4.

They have been mating for a while, since about Lizzie was about 2 1/2, once in a while they lay eggs, the first three times (about a month or two apart) Lizzie would lay on the eggs for a few weeks, very attentive. But no babies catched.She lays about 5 eggs each time.

She lays the eggs at the bottom of the cage, the last few times she lays them, she doesn't tend to the eggs so much as before (I guess because they didn't hatch). I have a nest box for them, only one times she used it, took care of the eggs for a few weeks, still no babies.

I have the nest box back in their cage now, and Lizzie looks like she is building a nest under it.

I'd like to know if there is anything I can do to help her have at least one clutch of babies, all that work she has for nothing.

I thought maybe Loui couldn't mate correctly because of his broken wing, but I read they can only use one wing for that, and the other one is normal.

So do you have any suggestions of what could cause the eggs not to hatch, or is is simply that maybe one of them is unfertile?

Thanks!

Here they are.

 

PS: I've actually seen them mate only once, but I see all the behaviors leading to it, and my family has seen them on several occations.

Edited March 15, 200619 yr by love4keets

are there a lot of fluff feathers around both of their vetn area? they can mate mating unsuccessful somtime. The wing might be a problem a bit still. Umm SHe might be sitting on the long enough, remember they are laided every two days and the last eggs might not have gotten the full time brooding to hatch before she left them.

 

I would suggest you candle the eggs this time to give you a better idea. You do this when the egg is 5 days old (if not marked you would have to check all of them each time) and look for fine red lines by shinning a light through them. There is a pinned topic that has links to some website to show you.

 

I'm not sure what you could do about her quitting.

Is it possible they are both female? My mom had a pair of ?? (I don't remember what they were - it was years ago) and they were always laying eggs. It was funny because they were both female!

 

Julie

Im pretty sure Loui is a male, his cere is very blue.

I did check the eggs the first few times she started laying them, I checked them by week 1 1/2 or 2. and there was nothing in them. She layed on them for about a month. Prob. about 1 or 2 more weeks after the last egg was due to hatch (this was the first I would say 3 or 4 times, now she doesn't tend to them as she did before, she is starting to make a nest again, we'll see how she is this time.

The Blue bird is a Cock (male) bird and they Green Normal is a Hen (Female) I would probably say the one of them might be infertile, if you have another male try mating her with that male and see what happens if she layes eggs and they hatch you that the first Male bird is either infertile or not doing his job.

Thanks guys! I wouldn't want to separate them and give Lizzie away from Loui, he's so in love with her, I just feel bad because they never had any babies, but I guess that's okay they can live with it I supposed, they are two spoiled babies for sure!!

They are both very pretty birds! If I were to guess, I would say its Loui thats having the problem. If I were you, I would remove the nest box and try to discourage Lizzie from laying. She is working very hard laying the eggs for nothing, and it takes a lot out of her. If she still keeps laying, make sure you give her egg shells etc. to supliment her.

Poor girl all that work for naught!

If she makes a nest under the nest box move it & her into the box, that may encourage her to use the box.

she is to old to breed now in my opinion so would be better just to leave them

Oh Hath I didn't notice the age. After 3 years you havea higher rate of egg binding and other problems with hens and eggs. If you really want to try keep this in mind and only let her have one ound if nothing happens this time don't try again.

Thanks guys. She lays eggs anyway, even if I don't put the nest box (actually this is only the second time I put the nest box in ther, she doesn't seem interested, after a few weeks she will break the eggs and I think she might eat a little bit of the shell. She has cuttle bone in her cage for calcium. I will give her some egg aswell. Thanks for the advice

Hens usually eat the eggs after the chick is hatched. It gives them back some calcium. I always let my hens have them.

Oh Hath I didn't notice the age. After 3 years you havea higher rate of egg binding and other problems with hens and eggs. If you really want to try keep this in mind and only let her have one ound if nothing happens this time don't try again.

 

 

 

tut tut, neither did i! (Laughing out loud)