Stumpy on egg #4

[BUUZBEE]

So when I gave in and let her keep her eggs, she laid another 4. Finally by egg #3 she learned from Sylvester to sit on them!

here she is...

http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/BUUZBEE/2006%20eggs/

18 days from the first egg is June 3rd, we'll see what happens, lol

[Amy]

Awww! Cute pics!

[BUUZBEE]

it will be interesting to see if the first 2 eggs will hatch since she took so long to sit on them!

[Amy]

Ooh yes! Keep us updated!

[Theonlyone]

Very lovely pics, like to know how they get on.

[Kelly27]

Great pics, keep us updated!
Kelly
xXx :)

[BUUZBEE]

you bet i will!
she hasnt been on them that much this weekend, but its been HOT!

[Kelly27]

Green has layed about 16 eggs in total, none of them were fertilised though :( . I remember her sitting on them, all puffed up at the bottom of her cage! She looked so cute!
Kelly
xXx :)

[BUUZBEE]

I checked on her last night. all 4 eggs look good, still very white. i have a feeling they are infirtile since there has been no change in color and egg #1 is due to hatch this weekend - early next week.
anyway, i opened the nest box and i have never had a hen get so vocal before. she was yelling at me and backing her bum all the way to the back of the cage ready to attack. it was very funny!

[cherokee]

Will a female lay eggs even if there is no male present or a male to mate with? also, whether they are fertile or not, does she need a nesting box? Also, how can you tell if the egg is fertile or not?

[Budgiekin]

Females can lay eggs without a male or nest box. Often you will notice brooding behaviour (like crawling under the paper at the bottom of the page etc.....) My budgie Skyla has never officially mated with my boy budgies (and she is caged separately) but she has laid a few eggs over the last year or so.

To tell if they are fertile, you can "candle" them. Essentially that means you pick up the egg, take it to a dark room and shine a flashlight through it. If you can see vessels, it is fertile. If the egg is clear, it is infertile.

[BUUZBEE]

*update*
no eggs have hatched yet. i'm not surprised since she didnt sit until the 3rd egg! lol

[cherokee]

Females can lay eggs without a male or nest box. Often you will notice brooding behaviour (like crawling under the paper at the bottom of the page etc.....) My budgie Skyla has never officially mated with my boy budgies (and she is caged separately) but she has laid a few eggs over the last year or so.

To tell if they are fertile, you can "candle" them. Essentially that means you pick up the egg, take it to a dark room and shine a flashlight through it. If you can see vessels, it is fertile. If the egg is clear, it is infertile.

Thanks, that is helpful, but if you handle the eggs, will the hen abandon them? Also, will they breed even if there is no nesting box available to encourage breeding?

[Budgiekin]

Well, handling the eggs won't make the budgie abandon them. Apparently that is a myth in the bird world, so no worries there. Of course, this doesn't mean you would disturb mommy budgie so you could get to the eggs....

As far as breeding without a nest box, it is still possible that your budgies will try to breed, with or without the nest box. Whether the parent budgies feel as secure without a nest box, that is another question, but it won't stop them from wanting to perpetuate their species. :p

[BUUZBEE]

still no activity today. 4 perfect eggs, lol

[cherokee]

Hope they all hatch, good luck and keep us posted

[julie233]

my birds like to play upside down

[BUUZBEE]

ok, update from when i got home!

we have a 6/6/6 baby! pics are blurry, she was getting mad!
http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/BUUZBEE/2006%20eggs/?sc=1&multi=2&addtype=local&media=image