PARAKEET RANDOMLY LAID AN EGG (on bottom of cage), please help!!!

[Jagwar8]

Hello all,
So I was playing with my budgie when I noticed AN EGG on the bottom of his/her cage!! I don't know whether it is fertile or not. However, I do have 2 budgies. The cere on the budgie that laid the egg is plain white but the cere on my other bird is brown. I need to know a few things: First, is the egg fertile. Second, how do I move it without breaking the egg since I don't think it is wise AT ALL to leave it there on the bottom of the cage. Lastly, is there anything I need to do to help my bird? I had absolutely no idea this was happening at all until a few days ago when I noticed my egg-laying bird's rear had swollen and until today when I saw the egg. Please help!

 

[clark_conure]

The old school thought I was taught was to just remove it when they aren't looking. Or the mother would fixate on it, but then again the cockatiel I had when I was um....in my preteens, I forget exactly, didn't have a mate so we new it wasn't fertile.

If it could be fertile I really don't know.....

 

[LordTriggs]

don't remove it as that can make her lay more. If you suspect it may be fertile, wait until they are out of sight and quickly shake the egg then put it back. Let her nest it if she wants until she is bored, then you can remove it.

Make sure you give a bit extra calcium in her diet at the moment in case she decides to lay more, you don't want her egg bound

 

[itzjbean]

I'd remove it if she isn't paying attention to it. Also remove any possible nesting materials from the cage, and installing a mirror may help and fun toys to play with and keep them entertained. My male cockatiel sings to himself in the mirror and forgets all about his mate and she'll stop laying eggs. Offer a cuttlebone to increase calcium, and if they don't eat it, scrape some into their food dish.

 

[LordTriggs]

I'd remove it if she isn't paying attention to it. Also remove any possible nesting materials from the cage, and installing a mirror may help and fun toys to play with and keep them entertained. My male cockatiel sings to himself in the mirror and forgets all about his mate and she'll stop laying eggs. Offer a cuttlebone to increase calcium, and if they don't eat it, scrape some into their food dish.

got to be the first time I've seen of a mirror improving things haha!

 

[plumsmum2005]

Vanity rules! LOL

 

[RavensGryf]

Mirrors are generally not recommended with budgies, as it can stimulate them into being hormonal (when you are trying to do the opposite).

Increase dark hours (move to a room with dark shade or cover the cage 12 hours if possible. More hours of darkness can take them out of breeding or laying mode.

Rearrange the cage. It will throw them off if they see the environment has changed (in their mind not ideal for raising young).

 

[Jagwar8]

Alright, thanks for the help! I did the candling test with a flashlight and it doesn't seem to be fertile although I will need to wait and see.

 

[carolflan]

Why not let her raise it if its fertile? Why shake and destroy the life inside if there is one ?

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[carolflan]

don't remove it as that can make her lay more. If you suspect it may be fertile, wait until they are out of sight and quickly shake the egg then put it back. Let her nest it if she wants until she is bored, then you can remove it.

Make sure you give a bit extra calcium in her diet at the moment in case she decides to lay more, you don't want her egg bound

Shake her egg!? That's telling someone to kill this little chick if there is one?

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[LordTriggs]

Why not let her raise it if its fertile? Why shake and destroy the life inside if there is one ?

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because breeding a bird is not something done lightly. There's a multitude of things that can go wrong resulting in trauma and upset for everyone involved. The mother could reject the baby forcing you to have to hand-feed it which unless you know what to do is the most dangerous thing going, the mother could actively kill the baby, the baby could just die on its own. Even then if you do raise them to fledge you then have to either keep them and split your attention between them, though it's not great as when a baby is old enough they leave the parents, or you have to find a home for them which depending on where you're from may involve having to get licensing and what-not. Then if you do keep the baby, and you do raise them, do keep them, they could in a couple years decide either mom or dad may be a good bird to have more babies with, cause fights amongst all of them involved.

Also do not forget about the thousands of birds in rescues that need help. It's more important to help them than to add another bird to the world.

I think aborting a bird is far better than letting it suffer

 

[carolflan]

Why not let her raise it if its fertile? Why shake and destroy the life inside if there is one ?

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because breeding a bird is not something done lightly. There's a multitude of things that can go wrong resulting in trauma and upset for everyone involved. The mother could reject the baby forcing you to have to hand-feed it which unless you know what to do is the most dangerous thing going, the mother could actively kill the baby, the baby could just die on its own. Even then if you do raise them to fledge you then have to either keep them and split your attention between them, though it's not great as when a baby is old enough they leave the parents, or you have to find a home for them which depending on where you're from may involve having to get licensing and what-not. Then if you do keep the baby, and you do raise them, do keep them, they could in a couple years decide either mom or dad may be a good bird to have more babies with, cause fights amongst all of them involved.

Also do not forget about the thousands of birds in rescues that need help. It's more important to help them than to add another bird to the world.

I think aborting a bird is far better than letting it suffer

That is ALOT OF WHAT IFS LOL

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[LordTriggs]

Why not let her raise it if its fertile? Why shake and destroy the life inside if there is one ?

Sent from my SM-T560 using Tapatalk

because breeding a bird is not something done lightly. There's a multitude of things that can go wrong resulting in trauma and upset for everyone involved. The mother could reject the baby forcing you to have to hand-feed it which unless you know what to do is the most dangerous thing going, the mother could actively kill the baby, the baby could just die on its own. Even then if you do raise them to fledge you then have to either keep them and split your attention between them, though it's not great as when a baby is old enough they leave the parents, or you have to find a home for them which depending on where you're from may involve having to get licensing and what-not. Then if you do keep the baby, and you do raise them, do keep them, they could in a couple years decide either mom or dad may be a good bird to have more babies with, cause fights amongst all of them involved.

Also do not forget about the thousands of birds in rescues that need help. It's more important to help them than to add another bird to the world.

I think aborting a bird is far better than letting it suffer

That is ALOT OF WHAT IFS LOL

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a lot that happens constantly. A person should not breed birds as a hobby. It's something that takes great care and knowledge to do.

Also, if everyone were to just allow their birds to breed and produce children what happens then? You get generations of inbreeding and countless more birds with no home to go to. Like I said rescues are filled to burst as it is and just cannot take any more into their care, what do you do when you have all these other birds breeding with owners who can't care for them? You can't release them, that's a whole lot worse than aborting IMO

As much as birds are incredible at this point in time with birds kept in a domestic setting there needs to be a significant birth rate drop to assure birds hat are kept are healthy, happy and well cared for instead of sat in a too small cage in a corner never interacted with

 

[carolflan]

I'm sure he could find a home for one chick if it came to it .. can't help but tjink y'all over reactin

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