Food in Nestbox

[jihann]

Hey, I judt need quick answers to this one... I've got seed food in my budgies nest box and the female one layed her eggs on the food on the concave. Im afraid to touch the eggs and remove the food cause I heard leaving food there is bad? Or should I just leave the food alone and let the eggs stay there. Can I move them while there are eggs?

[Budgies Retreat]

Why have you got seed in the concave? Yes you can handle the eggs, but ensure that your hands are clean, and if you have two or more sets of breeding pairs then you need to wash your hands in between each lot of eggs so not to transfer germs.
While there is only eggs in there, do not put seed in. This ensures that the hen will come out to feed and have an essential stretch of wings etc. Ensure that you have a low wattage night light so she can find her way back if she comes out in the night, otherwise you may end up with dead eggs.
Once the eggs hatch then you can put a finger drawer of soft food in there, but this has to be removed after several hours eaten or not.

My set up:
Large tray of seed left down in the breeding cage all the time.
1 finger drawer of soft food held in the cage bars next to a perch twice a day.
1 finger drawer of soaked seed held in the cage bars next to the other perch twice a day.
Once the chicks have hatched I put another finger drawer of soft food in the nest box twice a day (for the hen to eat and regurgitate).
2-3" piece of millet for the hen in the nest box couple of times a week.

[jihann]

Alright I guess I'll attempt to remove the seeds. Should I just move the seeds or actually take them out? By the way, I'm afraid to handle the eggs because the hen may reject the eggs. Can I just leave the seeds in the concave?

[Budgies Retreat]

Ensure you wash your hands before touching the eggs and you'll be ok. I handle mine every day.
You should only have some wood shavings (saw dust) in the concave. Seed could cause a high point and when the hen sits on the eggs, the high point could crack the shell. May not happen, but I wouldn't chance it.
Get a small container and place some kitchen paper towel inside. Take the eggs out and place onto the paper towel. Now remove the seeds, replace with saw dust/shavings and replace the eggs. As long as the eggs aren't out for like 20 minutes+ you'll be ok.
The eggs should be sat on saw dust/shavings, but some hens kick it all out anyway. If your saw dust comes inside a plastic bag, take a couple of handfuls and spread it out in order to acclimatise to the surroundings before putting in the nest box. You need it to be at the same humidity otherwise it could dry out the shells. It'll be ok after 30 minutes.
So, buy your saw dust, spread it out in the same room where you have your birds, leave for 30 minutes, then get your container with paper towel inside, remove the eggs to the container, remove the seed, place the saw dust inside the nest box, followed by the eggs, job done!

[jihann]

I washed my hands and went to check in my nestbox as soon as the hen came out. There wasn't too much seeds so a few simple air blows took the seeds away and replaced them with a few shavings. I guess there wasn't anything to hard to handle with. Everything is normal and she's back to incubating ( thank god) I thought she would have rejected them for a second there. Lol.

[Budgies Retreat]

You're worrying too much. Yes some hens can reject their eggs, but so long as you have clean hands and do not keep the eggs out too long so they get cold you should be fine. Did you handle them? It's a confidence thing really. The more you're hands on with them the more confident you'll be, and more likely to succeed in your breeding and bird husbandry.
If you're afraid to handle eggs and chicks then you might struggle especially with checking the chicks beak and feet when they're in the nest box. Have you candled the eggs yet to see if there is anything inside?