Mating and fertility of eggs.

[tariq]

Hi,


Is it necessery for budgies to mate many times to get fertilized eggs in the clutch or only one mating is enough? I am doing colony breeding due to lack of space and other males always disturb the mating, so many of the matings are unsuccessful.

I can put the question in this way too.

Mating once will fertelize one egg or the whole eggs that will be laid later on.



Thanks,

[BudgiesBuddy]

No tariq it is not necessary, as it can take only one mating to fertilize a clutch of eggs. Because the sperms can live in a hen for weeks, even from multiple cocks.

That's why sometimes there are some surprises in colony breeding.

[barrieshutt]

And in other cases BB one mating may only fill one egg , many of my breeding pairs have a clutch that include a number of infertile eggs

[BudgiesBuddy]

What I said is theoretically possible.

But you are right Barrie, I have a pair which has their 7th egg fertile and previous 6 infertile.

I wonder what if they got their act right before final laying. Maybe the mating or sperm transfer was not right before.

[tariq]

Thanks Barrie and BB.
So it depends on chances.

[barrieshutt]

Oct 13, 2011 6:47:04 GMT BudgiesBuddy said:

What I said is theoretically possible.

But you are right Barrie, I have a pair which has their 7th egg fertile and previous 6 infertile.

I wonder what if they got their act right before final laying. Maybe the mating or sperm transfer was not right before.

I understand what you said BB but todays budgies don't know how theoretically works ;D

Young birds must be expected to be a bit hapazard with their correct mating techniqes, couple that with the thick down on todays birds , its makes you wonder how they do manage to breed

[BudgiesBuddy]

Yes this makes a lot of sense Barrie.

But trying to know that if a cock and hen mate properly and the sperms get transferred properly, whether or not the hen would be able to keep the sperms for a few days or weeks.