Hi, Just joined the forum as we have just started breeding our budgies in our new outdoor aviary (built by ourselves!).

 

We have had some eggs already hatch from 1 pair, however one of our hens is still sitting on her eggs (6 eggs were laid 18th-28th March). Should some not have hatched yet? We are unsure whether to start removing them?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated from you experienced breeders!

Edited April 17, 200619 yr by spud

Hi, Just joined the forum as we have just started breeding our budgies in our new outdoor aviary (built by ourselves!).

 

We have had some eggs already hatch from 1 pair, however one of our hens is still sitting on her eggs (6 eggs were laid 18th-28th March). Should some not have hatched yet? We are unsure whether to start removing them?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated from you experienced breeders!

An egg should hatch 18 days after it is layed, and the next will hatch 2 days later, and so on. Don't remove any egg till you are sure it was laid at least 19 days ago.

Hi, Just joined the forum as we have just started breeding our budgies in our new outdoor aviary (built by ourselves!).

 

We have had some eggs already hatch from 1 pair, however one of our hens is still sitting on her eggs (6 eggs were laid 18th-28th March). Should some not have hatched yet? We are unsure whether to start removing them?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated from you experienced breeders!

An egg should hatch 18 days after it is layed, and the next will hatch 2 days later, and so on. Don't remove any egg till you are sure it was laid at least 19 days ago.

 

 

Hi, Just joined the forum as we have just started breeding our budgies in our new outdoor aviary (built by ourselves!).

 

We have had some eggs already hatch from 1 pair, however one of our hens is still sitting on her eggs (6 eggs were laid 18th-28th March). Should some not have hatched yet? We are unsure whether to start removing them?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated from you experienced breeders!

An egg should hatch 18 days after it is layed, and the next will hatch 2 days later, and so on. Don't remove any egg till you are sure it was laid at least 19 days ago.

If the eggs havent hatched by now they are most likely empty. I had a pair produce 5 eggs, 1 hatched but died and the other 4 were emptyShe had been sitting on them for about 26 days so I got them out and found they were all empty. But she laid again and is sitting on another 5 eggs so hopefully they are fertile. If she laid the last egg on the 28th March it should have hatched on the 15th April. I would give them a few more days and then discard them, hopefully she will lay again. If it happens again there is obviously something wrong with her or the cock bird.

The due date for the last one was the 15th, BUT eggs can hatch one day 29, 20 21 and sometime 22nd day after being laid. That depends on how fast and well the mother bird started to brood. SInce today is the 21st day for the last egg I would wait a few more days. If you have numbered the eggs you could remove the first ones.

 

Youc an also candle the eggs get a strong torch (flashlight) and shine the light through it, If it's clear and you can see yolk it means nothing will hatch and you can remove them all to either start the hens cycle again or give them a break.

 

It is also up to what you think is right, if you want to wait a few more days to check this last egg (remember the others are too overdue to hatch now) that fine. The hen might give up in the next day or so herself and throw them all out. If you think nothing is going to happen remove them now.

Thanks for the comments. We have left the eggs a few more days and the mum actually started destroying 1 or 2 of them herself. We removed the others once this started happening and they were all empty...

 

Will the mum start looking to bred again straight away now?

 

This is the first time we have started breeding and currently have 7 babies hatched (3 weeks or younger) from other pairs in our aviary!

She should start laying straight away again, check her behaviour, if she is still going in the nest then it's highly likely.

 

Just wondering why none were fertile. What are the ages of the parents? I gather this is their first time, which could very much be the reason, but just checking they are not too old or too young

Thats like my guys...

 

They now have their 2nd clutch of 5 infertile eggs, but i know why. The male whos 4 now, doesnt have the best balance. I have seen him mount, but none were fertile. Maybe that is the case with yours... My hen is 2, so shes not old, neither is the cock. Im going to take the eggs out, let them rest for a month, then reintroduce the nest box..then hoopefully the male will successfully mount here this time!

 

So in all, i think that is what is hapnneing to your guys aswell! Unless shes over the age of 5, and hes over tha age of 7-8....then its becuase of old age...and you should stop trying to breed them..

 

Kirby

Thanks for the comments, i don't think they are that old and they did breed okay as a pair together with the person whom i got them from. She has started going back into the nest again so i'm hoping that there will be some new eggs soon.....

Could I ask then, if you got this pair from a breeder who had bred them before, how many clutches in succession has this pair laid ? Do you know if the hen has rested between clutches. Could it be she has laid clutch after clutch with no rest perhaps ? Do you know her history apart from just that they have bred before? Is it possible she needs a rest period before continuing to breed with her ?

Check with the person you got them off, quite often what they sell as a 'guaranteed breeder' is one that is too old to breed, or is a poor mother. It's a shame, but a lot of breeders do that kind of thing