"Unusual Breeding Experience"

[bissobudgie7]

Here's a brief explanation of what I'm currently dealing with. . .Anyone's input would be greatly appreciated.. . .

I'm currently breeding two of my budgies. . . One of them laid 4 eggs, the first one being laid on 4/27 with each subsequent egg being laid every other day, thereafter. Based on my studies, I count 18 days from the time each egg was laid, as in this case. However, incubation "may" last up to even 19 days. Be that as it may, I counted the first egg being due to hatch on 5/15.

Well, it didn't hatch. Neither did the second one, when it was "scheduled to," nor the third. What is strange is, that I saw the cock ("Paulie") and the hen ("Trixie"), on several occasions, copulate, and so there's no doubt in my mind that the eggs are fertilized.

This past Saturday, however, having recorded as the 4th egg scheduled to hatch, an egg finally hatched!! At this point, however, I'm not really sure which egg hatched--the 1st, or the 4th, etc. And just last night (5/22), another egg hatched late in the evening, and so this particular breeding experience has me quite puzzled. :aiwebs_01 This is my 2nd year breeding budgies, and so, obviously, I don't have much experience, but this is my first time seeing this, sort of, "weird" situation with the eggs hatching.

Does anyone have any insight, comments as to "why" this happened the way it did, whether based on your experience, or something you read in a book, etc? I would really appreciate your thoughts. :icon_smil

[Crebain]

Sorry, your thread-title sure caught my attention, but I don't know...

[ICON:redfaced]

[Monica]

Well, from the sounds of it, you have your incubation period wrong. Incubation (sitting tightly on the eggs keeping them warm) is a minimum of 18 days (max, usually 2 weeks after incubation began), and eggs can last up to 24 days without being incubated (sat on). The only way an egg will hatch is if the mother has been sitting on the egg constantly until it hatchs (and if its fertile). So from the sounds of it, she didn't start incubating the eggs until she had 3-4 of them, and didn't sit tight on them all the time so therefore, a delayed hatching. Temperature and humidity can also effect how soon or late the eggs may hatch.

[Dayna]

I have a pair of cockatiels that does not start incubation till after the 6th and final egg is laid. This pair always lays 6 eggs and always waits until after the last one is laid to start sitting "tight" on them. So I imagine that your pair did not start sitting after laying the first egg. Just starting sitting some time after that.

[Monica]

Most parrot pairs usually like to have their chicks born within 5 days of eachother so that they will all be around similar sizes (though its easy to tell the difference between a day old chick and a newly hatched chick because they grow so FAST!).

It's like chickens, they will lay a whole clutch of eggs, and usually start to incubate the eggs after they have laid all their eggs. That way, most of the chicks may hatch within hours of eachother, and may hatch within a 3 days time (though I can't say how accurate this information may be, just some info that I have heard/read some about).

[bissobudgie7]

I appreciate your input. I never thought about what you mentioned. I am aware of the temp & humidty factors but never stopped to think about the incubation period having to be so precise. Now when I first starting breeding my first budgie last Spring, everything happened exactly the wat it was explained in the books I had read--the eggs were all laid every-other-day, the first one hatching on the 18th day, and each one, thereafter, hatched every other day. I'll sure wait patiently for those other two eggs to hatch. I'm hoping that they do!

[bissobudgie7]

Monica & Dayna:

You know, Trixie had a 3rd egg hatch during the early morning hours, last evening! Again, I'm really puzzled at the time these eggs are hatching. I understand what had stated previously, that eggs will not hatch until "the mother has been sitting on the egg constantly" for a period of about 18 days.

However, what exactly do you mean by "constantly"? because there have been several times when she has come out of her box are various moments--not for very long--but she has come out, therefore, breaking that "constant" period. Any thoughts?

[The Outlaw]

Jeff:

I'm gonna offer my best guestimate on that. I would imagine that they can "feel" when the eggs are the right temperature and if they are too warm, I assume they simply take a stroll, eat a bite and stretch their wings.

THE OUTLAW

[Monica]

It is one possible explanation. I think the keyword is 'about', as it USUALLY takes 18 days for the eggs to hatch after incubation has begun, however, eggs have been known to hatch a week late, though I have never heard of one hatching early. You could say its similar to humans carrying a child. They say that gestmation is 9 months, however some have had early births (most likely wouldn't occur in birds) and others may cary the unborn babe for nearly 10 months.

Constantly meaning from the time that she first laid the eggs till the time that the eggs hatched, not including when she may have come out of the nestbox to go to the bathroom, stretch a bit, and maybe eat for a short time (usually not longer than 30 mins though hens can come out of the nestbox for over a couple hours and the eggs are usually fine).

Usually, after a hen lays an clutch and the eggs begin to hatch, the first egg is usually 22 or so days old, with the second being two days younger, third being 4 days younger, etc. That is, if the hen lays every other day, and not every 2-4 days.