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Post by lisamarie on Jun 10, 2014 1:45:03 GMT
Ange, since you know a lot about breeding 2 questions: 1. During this time do I have to clean her nest box? And change the bedding? If so how do I do that? 2. For the infertile eggs, what do I do with them? At this stage no need to clean out the nest. It shouldn't get very dirty. Once babies are hached is when you will need to clean out the nest. The babies make a lot of mess! Best to leave all eggs in the nest. Even if a few are infertile it will help support the little New hatched babies as they lean on them to keep them selves upright. You can candle the eggs I think between 5-8 days after being laid is best. I number my eggs with a kids felt pen so I know what egg will be first to hatch ect and to help remember what egg if any are infertile. You font need to do this though :-) How do you clean it when the babies are born? Like what is your process? Thank you everyone for joining in the excitement with me! I really hope some are fertile. I'll be semi-heartbroken if they aren't
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Post by luvsanimals2 on Jun 10, 2014 2:05:23 GMT
I believe you clean it once a week, put the babies in a shallow bowl with a heated blanket/towel after you shoo the mother out :)and of course, remove all the poo and bedding and replace the bedding
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Post by lisamarie on Jun 10, 2014 19:44:58 GMT
Egg #2 has arrived today! And I did notice this one feels warm! She must have been sitting on it all day. Unfortunately there's a small crack in egg #1... Should I tape it? I did not notice any warmth on egg #1 when I picked it up on Sunday like I did egg #2 today. Perhaps it is because I read real incubation does not begin until the 2nd or 3rd egg is laid and she definitely has been sitting on #2 all day because I just got home from work and it was warm
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Post by kmic on Jun 10, 2014 20:14:18 GMT
So excited!! Congratz lisa (donno about egg #1 sorry..I'm sure the others will reply..)
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Post by ange on Jun 11, 2014 1:20:12 GMT
I would just leave the first egg in the box. Dont worry about it. If it brakes then take it out. I have had a cracked egg and just left it alon and it hatched into a lovely little baby, healthy as. It will depend on the size of the crack and if it is furtile as to it hatching or not. Good luck!
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Post by lisamarie on Jun 11, 2014 2:43:06 GMT
Thank you Ange for your help and everyone else for being excited to go on this journey with me! Bonnie had been a good mommy so far. She hasn't been out of the nest box for more than a minute or two at her time. I've only seen her out of it a handful of times. Clyde enjoys joining Bonnie in the box on occasion. He usually is "standing guard" on the perch outside the box, if not eating or singing. Every time she exited the box, I opened it and i have noticed she is doing a good job of turning the eggs. I did mark them. I'm using colored pencils. Each date will have a different colored pencil marked on it. And when I see the eggs sometimes I see them color side up, then I'll open it later and see them colored side down This experience so far is amazing to me. I'm still not positive that I think the eggs will be fertile, but I truly hope I have at least one healthy baby. I will candle egg #1 this Friday, egg #2 on Sunday crazy to think I could have 4 eggs by then!
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Post by Pammy on Jun 12, 2014 4:24:09 GMT
Ooooohhhhhh, Lisa!!!! Such a wonderful story to happen into tonight! I'm so happy for you!! Congratulations! We are on this exciting journey with you. Looking forward to lots of updates and pictures. YAY!!!
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Post by lisamarie on Jun 12, 2014 13:56:59 GMT
Some weird news.. There was an egg at the bottom of the cage this morning. I thought she accidentally laid her new egg outside the box. I looked in the box and it was egg #1 (the one that was cracked) that was even more cracked from hitting the bottom of the cage. What does this mean? On the bright side, I saw them mate last night so I am confident at least today's egg will be fertile! I hope..
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Post by ange on Jun 12, 2014 23:44:35 GMT
Some weird news.. There was an egg at the bottom of the cage this morning. I thought she accidentally laid her new egg outside the box. I looked in the box and it was egg #1 (the one that was cracked) that was even more cracked from hitting the bottom of the cage. What does this mean? On the bright side, I saw them mate last night so I am confident at least today's egg will be fertile! I hope.. They will sometimes throw eggs out if they know they are infurtile or no good because of the crack. Just throw the egg away. Your hen is doing her job well
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Post by lisamarie on Jun 13, 2014 2:14:21 GMT
Ange you don't know how much relif that gave me! I'm just going through the irrational thoughts of what if I'm the one that cracked the egg or what if my "smell" on her eggs made her abandon it? When I'm telling my friends about it everyone is telling me "oh you shouldn't touch them" and "she probably smelled you on it and threw it out" etc etc and as annoyed as I am getting I'm trying to explain to everyone that that is not the case. They're all skeptical because I've been marking them with colored pencils and no one understands why I'm doing that. I need to keep my patience! If none are fertile everyone is going to blame me But they are MY pets!
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Post by luvsanimals2 on Jun 13, 2014 3:19:33 GMT
Don't worry, if none are fertile then it's the birds, not you. This is their first time right? lol
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Post by kmic on Jun 13, 2014 4:20:56 GMT
I heard the same things when my other budgies were laying eggs and I didn't touch them until they were out of their box and weren't going back in. However I did have eggs that were thrown out and I also had a newborn dying and found him on the cage floor and I had a mum who murdered her little ones when they started going in and out of the cage. In no inatance did I touch the birds, and all that happened just the same. So no, don't worry, as ange said, it's not coz you've touched them.
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Post by ange on Jun 13, 2014 8:46:07 GMT
Ange you don't know how much relif that gave me! I'm just going through the irrational thoughts of what if I'm the one that cracked the egg or what if my "smell" on her eggs made her abandon it? When I'm telling my friends about it everyone is telling me "oh you shouldn't touch them" and "she probably smelled you on it and threw it out" etc etc and as annoyed as I am getting I'm trying to explain to everyone that that is not the case. They're all skeptical because I've been marking them with colored pencils and no one understands why I'm doing that. I need to keep my patience! If none are fertile everyone is going to blame me But they are MY pets! You are doing an awesome job! Budgies dont mind one bit that we check, handle & touch the eggs & babies at all stages. They are not put off buy our 'SMELL' so dont worry about touching them ect. As for marking the eggs, that wont affect the eggs either. I mark mine with kids felt tips, i have never had a problem. Because its there first time, they could be infurtile, or either cock or hen could be infurtile them selves, they could not be mating correct ect ect lots of reasons why the eggs may end up infurtile. But have faith!
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Post by lisamarie on Jun 14, 2014 21:11:48 GMT
I'm very angry/upset with myself at the moment. I was marking my new egg #3 and like I said using colored pencil and I accidentally like cracked it. Like there's a small hole in it. It was because instead of taking the egg out like I have been doing and marking it I tried to do it from the nest like leaving the egg down and writing on top of the egg as it was sitting in the box. I'm so very upset with myself. I don't want my mom to bug me about it so I am going to buy a fake egg shortly to put in the box so it still looks like there is three. I feel so awful. I'm not using colored pencils anymore. I may not even mark them anymore I'm so upset with myself
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Post by dianapalmer on Jun 14, 2014 22:29:33 GMT
Don't feel awful, Lisa. Life is a learning process and hard as we try, we are not able to be perfect in every way. If you haven't thrown the egg away, leave it in the nest, Maybe it will be okay. It's just amazing that you have the desire to do this and the love of birds. I have read many times that breeding budgies or cockatiels is an emotional roller coaster. Just remember, none of these eggs would even be here if it weren't for you. I do hope things will go more smoothly for you over the coming days. Please keep us informed. We're all cheering for you.
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