Budgie Egg Laying Concern!

[jihann]

Hey guys, I have two budgies in my breeding cage, one male and one female of course, ive seen them mating, doing all those hormonal things they do in breeding condition and everything seems to be okay. Today, I looked in the box and seen two eggs. In ONE day. I first thought maybe one was a day earlier than the other but my brother pointed out that it was empty in the morning so that left me wondering. The budgie started incubating for a while and now I noticed that when I looked inside, there was only one left. I searched for the other and couldnt find it but finally seen it on the cage floor. What does this mean? Two eggs at once, probably meant one was infertile and the other that is still in the box might have been fertile im guessing. She continues to incubate on this remaining egg. Will she throw this one out? Why was the other thrown out? Could I do anything to prevent this?...not looking in box etc...? Help me out please this is my first time breeding.

[skysmum]

Hens can throw eggs out for several reasons, usually there is something wrong with the egg. Other reasons can be that she is too young or not ready yet, if she keeps doing it that could be the reason.

Obviously you have to check her and the situation in the box daily but keep this to a very quick check and leave her alone for the most part. As soon as you place a nest box in you should tap the door gently and open it every day that way when she is sitting she will be used to this and know that you are going to open the box.

Good luck

[jihann]

Thanks so much Skysmum, That's what I've been thinking so I figured it will be okay since there is still one egg left in there. I should be expecting another one tomorrow am I right? She is incubating on that egg she layed yesterday. One question, will she be mating even after the first egg? I've seen them mating today....

[skysmum]

Yes an egg is laid every other day until she is done with her clutch and mating continues right the way through sometimes several times a day

[Budgies Retreat]

2 eggs in a day isn't unheard of, and although the usual is an egg every 2 days, this also isn't a written rule, so don't be alarmed to finding one laid the very next day after or having 2 days in between a lay. I'm not really sure she would know if it was infertile or not, as I have several hens that have laid up to 6 clear eggs and they have sat on those all the time.
I have other hens that have thrown the occasional egg out now and then, and they have turned out to be fertile, so I'm not sure that'll be the answer.
Make sure you number your eggs with a water based pen, or a pencil (but pencil can rub off) and keep a record of when they were laid.
As already said, tap on the box door before you open it, and even prior to that say something upon your approach so they hear you before the tap happens. Some hens will happily leave the nest box, others may not, and may bite you, depends really on how tame they were before egg laying, but again even tame birds can suddenly become very protective of eggs. The more you do it, the more they'll come to realise that you mean no harm and the more accepting they'll be with you.
It may also pay you to rotate the eggs half a turn every time you open the box just in case mum isn't doing it. If she had done it prior to you doing it, she will be able to feel where the warm spot is and will rotate it back to how she had it, but if she hasn't then you are possibly saving the eggs. I always do it and none of mine have been harmed.

Yes they will continue breeding during laying. 6-7 eggs is a typical clutch, but this may be less it may be more. After 10 days of the egg being laid, you can shine a small torch through the egg, and you should be able to see red veins and a more solid mass inside, that is a good egg. If it is clear, that being a clear liquid that has bubbles in it (you'll see the bubbles) and a yellow orange yolk then it'll be infertile, and you can through that one away. That's why you number them, so that you know when to expect to see a fertile egg and when it's due to hatch.

I would strongly suggest that you now start to read all about breeding budgies and there is a good beginners breeding thread on here from Barrie Shutt. It's in this budgie breeding forum as a sticky. Read it, and keep reading it. I learnt a lot from the thread. Also get together the equipment needed to hand feed your chicks NOW, so that you have it available BEFORE they hatch. Having a hungry chick that has been abandoned when your pet shop is closed for the weekend is not where you want to be. Get the formula and the essentials like syringes and/or bent spoon, thermometer etc in readiness, and you'll be covered for all eventualities.

Make sure you start feeding good fresh food, and not only just seed for you breeding pair. Fresh veg and egg food is a must. Clean water, cuttle bone and iodine blocks are essential for healthy breeding and chicks. You can buy supplements like Calcivet to put in the water, to ensure good egg shell and to stop the hen having a calcium deficit due to her calcium supply in her body going all to the making of the shell. You can get other vitamin and mineral supplements but the choice is yours. The cuttle bone and iodine block is the least mineral supply you should have.

Remember this, you only get out of an egg what you put in it. Enjoy the experience, but more importantly READ and WATCH everything you can about how to successfully raise chicks now.

Good luck, and happy breeding.

[jihann]

Thanks for the information! Instead of marking the ggs, after 10 days or after her clutch is finished, or near to hatching, I could just hover a flashlight over them and pick out the infertile ones , is that going to be okay? I will also go to my pet shop to get the baby formula incase baby chicks crops arent full and will get more calcium supplied to the parents while they are laying.

[skysmum]

Its personal preference with handling and numbering eggs, personally i never handled mine or numbered them, some hens will throw out if they smell your scent on the egg and i was always worried about damaging them. You can just hover a light over them. Always always wash your hands before touching the baby's, as Barrie said, its so easy to pet your dog on the way to see the birds, if they smell that they can kill the chicks.

[jihann]

Alright seems good. By the way, what are the best calcium enriched veges for budgies? I'm also having a hard time to feed them hard boiled eggs as they don't even go near it or inspect it. The eggs are kept seperate from the seeds and water so they can choose which one to eat. I have a cuttlebone in there but I don't see them having it too much. Just once in a while. Do you think I should buy fresh veges or get calcivet for the seeds to supply more calcium? I need answers to these questions please !

[Hezz]

If they won't eat egg have you tried dry commercial eggfood? This can be left in a finger drawer from them to help themselves to, best thing is you don't have to worry about it going off like fresh egg. If you do the same with soluble grit, there they have a double source of calcium. Only supply calcivet a couple of times a week while breeding.

[Budgies Retreat]

Calcivet liquid goes in water, not on seeds. Calcivet powder goes on wet fresh food. It is no good putting Calcivet on seeds as it is the inside of the seed that they eat, not the outside. To be honest it is a bit late with giving Calcivet if she is already laying. If you are going to have a second round of eggs then continue with just one dose a week. If she has cuttle bone then she will already have taken in the extra required calcium and the birds know how much they need and when. The idea behind giving Calcivet in water is that you know for definite that she will need to drink, but not necessarily grind the cuttle. You can give too much calcium and it could be fatal due to liver damage, so what I do is add 7 drips for a 75ml water dispenser or 13 for 150ml dispenser. The following day I remove whatever is left, could be all gone or still 3/4's left, it gets taken away and a new clean dispenser is filled with just water.
I also give a pro-biotic (Bio Plus) once or twice a week in the water separate from the Calcivet, not in the same dispenser, and not on the same day. This is from The BirdCare Co. here www.birdcareco.com/bcc-catalog/united-kingdom/cage-birds/Vitamin-mineral-and-probiotic-supplements
You get Calcivet from them too.
If you can't get Calcivet, spinach is a good source of calcium, but in moderation. My fresh egg food is spinach, rocket leaves and watercress, mixed with fresh hard boiled egg, carrot and red pepper. They get two finger drawers of fresh egg food per cage twice every day. I also soak seed for 12-24 hrs in water that has boiled (and left to cool before adding) but I pour on the water when its probably 50-60 degs c, as it softens the husks quicker. The birds love soaked seed as it's easier for them to shuck, and the chicks find it easier especially when their beaks are still soft. They get 2 drawers of soaked seed every day as well.
Some birds will not eat fresh egg, and likewise some will not eat dried egg which is commercially sold as egg food. It's something you'll have to experiment with, but be advised that it can take more than a week for them to get to like anything other than seed, but you must keep putting it in. You can add a little water to the dried egg food to moisten it, but it has then to be treated as fresh food and removed after a few hours dependant on temperature. I really mash my fresh egg up so it is very fine, and I finely chop my veggies, mainly because the chicks eat it straight from the finger drawers, and it's easier and quicker for the parent birds to digest and regurgitate finer food.
As well as cuttle bone you need an iodine block. Whereabouts are you in the world? Can you get iodine blocks? They are sometimes called mineral blocks, depends where you are.

Don't be afraid to handle the eggs. Clean hands are a must, but do not use fragranced soap, or alcohol rub. I use a non fragranced soap and rinse them well in just running water. Handling the eggs helps your hen get to know you and shows her that you mean no harm. Same when the eggs hatch, regular daily handling of the chicks gets them used to being handled. I've posted a video on here somewhere of one of my chicks and it's mum being handled, they love it.

[jihann]

Will dish washing soap be okay before handling the eggs? And I have to put the eggs back how they were right? What if they are slightly different?

[Budgies Retreat]

The position of the eggs isn't critical as the hen will soon rearrange them how she wants them, so don't worry, I check my eggs every day with a torch, and they never go back how I found them. Just keep them all huddled together.
Dish washing soap is for dishes, and will more than likely not have an anti bacterial agent within, but if that is all you have, then that'll have to do. Just make sure you rinse your hands thoroughly after washing.
Where are you located?

[jihann]

Thanks. Located in Toronto, ON. I do have lots of soap sources but I don't think I've got non-fragranced.

UPDATE: I've got them, I have everything under control now and am not afraid to handle the eggs because I've seen her get protective but go back in to incubate after handling them so she seems fine. Thanks a lot.

[Budgies Retreat]

There you go, well done! I think I've just replied to your other thread about the seed in the nest box, so what I said on that one goes for this one too, don't be afraid to handle them when you need to.
Once the hen realises that you mean no harm, she will be ok with leaving them while you're doing your business, and will return to them once you're done.