Dec 18, 2020 10:30:30 GMT
lewis
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 10
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Post by lewis on Dec 18, 2020 10:34:24 GMT
Hi guys.
So I have a bonded pair, both around 1.5 years old and the first time breeding.
I found one egg out of the nest box cracked on the bottom of the cage, so it looks as tho the hen has thrown it out. A day later she laid another in the nest box and within the hour it was all cracked in the cage. I’m wondering why she is doing this? Could it be inexperience? or could she just not be maternal? She has a nest box with a concave on and nesting material. She has cuttlebone and vitamin blocks and all she needs. She’s due to lay another egg today, and I’m scared she’ll do the same Any advice or knowledge would be much appreciated! Thanks
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Nov 16, 2020 8:47:48 GMT
wocal
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 51
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Post by wocal on Dec 18, 2020 17:34:32 GMT
I'm very sorry this is happening I know this is very stressful. I have had the same done to me. In my experience she will not do it to all the eggs, but the eggs she does have she may not sit on the whole time. From what I understand it is from inexperience. It may be she just comes from a line that her parents were bad parents too now Idk if agree with that, but it could be a possibility from what other said on here when we spoke about a similar topic. The thing is though this may be the hen just learning how to be a mom and making mistakes on the way if you breed this pair again next time they may be great at it if you give them a year and let them try again, but if they do it again then you know it has something to do with that hen. Idk if other people have suggestions, but I will give you my suggestions from my own breeding experience. I will say to save the clutch though it will be a lot of potential work and cost money. maybe 75 US dollars if you go the most inexpensive. So, I am assuming you don't have an incubator or any other intervention type breeding stuff which is why I gave you the estimate. Now the problem you see is her cracking her eggs. If I were you would get like an ice trey, some larger pill box, or anything really to hold the eggs she is laying without them rolling around. Rip some cotton balls up and make like a bed in the container so when she has the eggs you can put the eggs on top. Next I would buy dummy eggs from amazon (I'll leave a link to all the stuff I suggest at the bottom). The reason you need dummy eggs is because if you take eggs from a hen she will try to lay more which depletes her calcium and protein levels and if she has to many she could put her life at risk. So since this is the third egg being laid you should have enough time to get the dummy eggs for a switch. You take out the egg as soon as she lays it and switch for the dummy egg. Then you place her egg in the cotton ball container and don't let it get below 60 and no higher the 79 degrees Fahrenheit, so that the eggs stay viable without starting to get incubated or chilled. if you keep it at that temp they can stay viable for 2 weeks. and just do this for every time she has an egg. The next step would be to buy an incubator since I am assuming you don't have a another brooding hen to put the eggs under. set the incubator at 37.5 celcius 99.5f and fill the water to the level the instructions say. rotate the eggs a few times a day and you rotate them just by spinning them in place. do this for a few days and then candle them which is just putting a light under an egg to see if the egg is developing if not than it is infertile and you can remove it from the incubator. Now if you have eggs that are developing after you have put them in the incubator you keep rotating them until it is the 18th day( you can spend more on a self rotating incubator and you don't do anything other than taking the rotating trey out on the 18th day). then stop rotating it and the chick will hatch anywhere from the 21st to the 23rd day. when they start pipping or when they hatch depending on when you catch/how well she incubating the eggs. pay attention to see if she is in the box on the eggs. if she didn't give up on the clutch then it switch them back for the dummy eggs and see after about 10 hours she will start to feed them (this is because birds are born with like a small food say they absorb into their body so they don't require food or water in that time). then if she feeds them you are all good. If she gave up on the eggs or she attacks them then you have to hand feed them. If you get to this point make another post and I can help you with that. The clutch is savable if you act fast and put in the work it's just up to you how badly you wanna save this specific clutch. This is also not just my way of doing it I stole this from breeders in books and online. I put the stuff you need below. The expensive incubator is not a necessity it just makes the whole things hands off. should be like 65 and that's with tax included to get the stuff with the cheaper incubator. Any other questions let me know. because this matter is time sensitive I will be checking here every couple of hours to see if you have questions. Good luck Lewis and take care. www.amazon.com/FOIBURELY-Hatching-Parrotlet%EF%BC%8CBudgie-Parakeet%EF%BC%8CDiamond-Eggs%EF%BC%8819mm16mm%EF%BC%89/dp/B08NJT45YX/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2KP7Q8YC1JH27&dchild=1&keywords=parakeet+dummy+eggs&qid=1608310256&sprefix=parakeet+dummy+%2Caps%2C219&sr=8-2www.amazon.com/Incubator-Manually-Temperature-Incubators-Hatching/dp/B086HQRJ19/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=incubator&qid=1608312250&sr=8-6www.amazon.com/Magicfly-Digital-Automatic-Incubator-Chickens/dp/B00KD75VHW/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-drs1_0?cv_ct_cx=incubator&dchild=1&keywords=incubator&pd_rd_i=B00KD75VHW&pd_rd_r=f039dfe0-13b4-4b2d-a936-21508b7fdfa6&pd_rd_w=v5DyF&pd_rd_wg=w3COm&pf_rd_p=c33e4373-edb9-47f9-a7e6-5d3d6a7a4ad0&pf_rd_r=EMQ2KD02J6GSSPKB58XH&psc=1&qid=1608312284&sr=1-1-5e875a02-02b1-4426-9916-8a5c26cd5a14
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Post by yellowfacedviolet on Dec 18, 2020 17:38:08 GMT
Sorry to say this is more often than not a chronic problem that renders the hen useless as a breeder, but there *are* things you can try that sometimes break the habitual behavior. Especially if it's based on calcium deficiency.
This pair is alone in the cage, yes?
First, does she have any other calcium source in her diet other than the cuttlebone? The calcium carbonate in cuttlebone is not easily absorbed and will not necessarily remedy a calcium deficiency. Many of us use it more as a chew toy. Does she get calcium-rich vegetables, hard-boiled egg (with crushed shell), pellets, etc? If not, add some of those ASAP.
Alternatively, you could rest her for a cycle or two and try again down the road. But if you improve her diet and she still does it, she will likely always do it.
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Post by Hezz on Dec 19, 2020 0:16:57 GMT
I agree with YFV's advice. Most breeders will not use a hen who has proven to be an egg- or chick- eater/killer. Is it a big deal for you to have a clutch by this pair? I'm assuming this is your only pair?
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Dec 18, 2020 10:30:30 GMT
lewis
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 10
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Post by lewis on Dec 19, 2020 9:37:09 GMT
Thanks for all your advice! It’s much appreciated!
I give them egg food about 3 days a week! She did lay another egg yesterday and it’s still intact today! So I’ve got my fingers crossed that it was just inexperience. She’s not yet incubating it, but I’ve heard that they don’t always incubate until maybe the second or third egg.
I’ve got everything crossed that the first too was just a blip!
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Dec 18, 2020 10:30:30 GMT
lewis
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 10
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Post by lewis on Dec 19, 2020 16:58:49 GMT
sadly the third egg was at the bottom of the cage late this morning, I’ve been told by a budgie breeder that as she is a new hen to breeding the first batch are always very weak egg shells and it could be potentially where they are so soft she’s breaking them accidently, he’s advices I get fake eggs to stop her laying anymore and try her again in the spring
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Post by Hezz on Dec 19, 2020 23:37:04 GMT
I've not heard that about first timers eggs being weak-shelled. If anything I would have thought it would be the opposite.
Good luck. I hope you are able to stop her from laying for the time being.
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Nov 16, 2020 8:47:48 GMT
wocal
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 51
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Post by wocal on Dec 20, 2020 5:20:49 GMT
Sorry to hear about the eggs. thanks for the update and happy holidays
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Post by yellowfacedviolet on Dec 20, 2020 7:00:16 GMT
I’ve been told by a budgie breeder that as she is a new hen to breeding the first batch are always very weak egg shells and it could be potentially where they are so soft she’s breaking them accidently, Heavens, no. I agree with Hezz--the opposite would be more plausible.
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Dec 18, 2020 10:30:30 GMT
lewis
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 10
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Post by lewis on Dec 30, 2020 10:23:46 GMT
Just an update for you guys. Hen was still cracking every egg she laid, so I purchased fake eggs and put 6 in the nesting box. She immediately starting to sit on them and hasn’t left the box since apart from a dash to go toilet and back in. She’s laid another egg of her own and has been sat on that for 2 days now along with the 6 fake eggs. So it’s the longest she’s gone without destroying it. Here’s hoping! Fingers crossed 🤞
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Nov 16, 2020 8:47:48 GMT
wocal
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 51
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Post by wocal on Dec 30, 2020 18:39:25 GMT
Glad the fake eggs are working for you. Good luck with everything and thanks for keeping us updated.
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Dec 18, 2020 10:30:30 GMT
lewis
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 10
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Post by lewis on Jan 13, 2021 6:51:43 GMT
just another update, hen is still sitting on both her eggs, one egg has been incubated for 18 days but no movement yet. Hoping it will hatch soon! The second is due on Friday
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