Budgie breeding/incubation questions......

[melissasparrots]

Egg number two looks great. I don't know budgies well enough to guess days of incubation but it looks good. Egg three worries me a little. Does it have two air cells? One at top and bottom? If so, the outlook might not be very good for that one.

 

[Beanurita]

Egg number two looks great. I don't know budgies well enough to guess days of incubation but it looks good. Egg three worries me a little. Does it have two air cells? One at top and bottom? If so, the outlook might not be very good for that one.

I noticed that as well on egg #3. I'm planning on candling again in a couple of days as I was trying to hurry and I was holding it weird. I'll post that new pics when I get them and that should clear up any questions on egg #3.......at least that's my hope If we only get one baby though, that is fine as well

 

[Beanurita]

@melissasparrots what would you guess on the incubation times for egg #2 &#3? Was I pretty accurate in my guess?

 

[melissasparrots]

@melissasparrots what would you guess on the incubation times for egg #2 &#3? Was I pretty accurate in my guess?

I'm not sure I even want to guess on budgies because I've never bred them and I don't take a very good look at my parrotlet eggs when I candle. For really little eggs, I just flash the light around the nest real quick and if I see anything with a red glow I might pause briefly to look at the air cell and general proportions of the egg without picking it up, then I let the hen back in, and do a little math to figure when they are likely to hatch based on plus or minus a few days when I think they were laid. A few days before they are due, I make sure I have all my hand-feeding stuff and the brooder at least tested out so I know I'm good to go. I'd say they both look to have less than 10 days of incubation which you probably already know. Beyond that I can't really narrow it down. That 3rd one doesn't look very healthy though. Could just be that its younger, but...I guess wait and see is all you can do.

 

[Beanurita]

Thanks @melissasparrots! The link below is what I used to try and guess on the candling which is for budgies specifically. I wondered the same thing about the 3rd egg as well but it was definitely laid 3 days after #2 so I figured I would relook at it in a few days to give it time to grow more and see what it looks like then as it is the youngest egg and not as developed. I know the dates the eggs where hatched as I check both morning and night in order to know that info more correctly. Robyn laid all her eggs after the AM checks but definitely before the PM checks so no night time eggs for her and I have the exact dates they were laid which helps to determine a narrowed down timeframe the babies will be hatching......I will tag you when I candle egg #3 again in a couple of days and see what you think at that point. My son took the pics while I candled them and he said that he actually saw some movement in both #2 & #3.....I would think that is a good sign...? Can you share what hand feeding syringes you used for your p'lets? I need to get some items still just in case my help is needed but I plan on co-parenting if the parents are doing fine on feeding them. Robyn was from a co-parented clutch and see is a real sweetheart. Even now she lets me look in on her without getting mad at me. She usually takes advantage of it in fact by hopping out of the box to get a bite to eat and a stretch before hopping back in when I'm closing the box door. She even hopped on my hand a couple of times but she is use to being handled when she doesn't have her eggs to care for Did you buy a brooder since you breed? I'm looking at making a brooder since this is not a normal thing for us and I just cant justify the money put into a purchased brooder. Any input on anything/everything would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much!

Are Your Eggs Fertile? - Cute Little Birdies Aviary

 

[melissasparrots]

Movement is a good sign. Sometimes when very young you can see a very small pulsing of a beating heart. I use standard silicone O ring syringes. For parrotlets, I like 3 or 5cc with a luer slip tip. I also for very young babies attach a cow teat cannula that look like this https://spiritedrose.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/cannula.jpg
You have to be a little careful with the cannulas because confident babies can try to swallow them or chug so hard they hit the back of the throat. However, for babies that have recently been pulled from the nest and don't know how to eat yet, or when feeding tiny day ones, they are really helpful. Avoid the Monoject syringes. They always breakdown on me after a couple of uses and become a hazard with the sticky plunger.
I did buy a couple of brooders for really young babies. Once they are getting close to full feathered I move them to an aquarium or plastic critter keeper type cage with a heating pad.

 

[Beanurita]

Movement is a good sign. Sometimes when very young you can see a very small pulsing of a beating heart. I use standard silicone O ring syringes. For parrotlets, I like 3 or 5cc with a luer slip tip. I also for very young babies attach a cow teat cannula that look like this https://spiritedrose.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/cannula.jpg
You have to be a little careful with the cannulas because confident babies can try to swallow them or chug so hard they hit the back of the throat. However, for babies that have recently been pulled from the nest and don't know how to eat yet, or when feeding tiny day ones, they are really helpful. Avoid the Monoject syringes. They always breakdown on me after a couple of uses and become a hazard with the sticky plunger.
I did buy a couple of brooders for really young babies. Once they are getting close to full feathered I move them to an aquarium or plastic critter keeper type cage with a heating pad.

Thanks!! I was planning on using a small critter keeper with heating pad so at least I know I'm not way off board here! I'll look up the feeding items you mentioned. I wanna be prepared as much as possible! The smallest birds I has experience in hand feeding are 2wewk old love birds....

 

[Beanurita]

Robyn's 1st baby (egg #2) is HERE!!!! It hatched between last night when I put them all to bed and tonight's bed time!! So tiny but yet so "squeaky"!! Mamma let me get a quick pic witch ill post as soon as I can!!

Egg #3 was hatched 3 days after egg #2 so the wait continues.......

 

[Beanurita]

I've been adding pine over the last couple of day but Robyn has still managed to throw most out and push the rest aside!! Hoping now that she has an actually baby that she will be to busy to bother with the pine I continue to add to the box! The babies need the bedding to prevent splayed legs so I just wish Robyn would realize that I'm only trying to help her out here

If you look closely enough you can see that egg #3 next to the baby has half of the shell on it from the hatched baby.....will this make it harder for baby #3 to hatch? Should I remove it or leave it be?

INTRODUCING BABY #1!!! This little pinky was hatched between bedtimes on the 24th and the 25th! But I didn't hear anything when feeding them for breakfast and their afternoon snack so I'm thinking late afternoon/early eve on the 25th is when this one arrived! Looking forward to watching it grow!! Welcome home Baby #1!!!

 

[Beanurita]

@SandraK ^^^^^^

 

[SandraK]

Squeeeeeeeee!

 

[Beanurita]

@melissasparrots posted pic of Baby#1 above! Also had a question in the same post & not sure what to do......got any input? Should I remove it or leave it?? Worried it may make hatching more difficult for Baby #3 to hatch ;(

 

[melissasparrots]

Congrats on the baby. I've never had an egg shell get stuck onto another egg. I'd remove it unless it is stuck on and you can't get it off. It does look like the blunt end of the egg is the free end, so hopefully hatching would be uninhibited anyway. If you can do it carefully without forcing or prying, then remove it. Otherwise, I'd leave it. Many times the mother will take care of problems like that. Have you noticed if the baby has food in its crop yet?

 

[Beanurita]

Congrats on the baby. I've never had an egg shell get stuck onto another egg. I'd remove it unless it is stuck on and you can't get it off. It does look like the blunt end of the egg is the free end, so hopefully hatching would be uninhibited anyway. If you can do it carefully without forcing or prying, then remove it. Otherwise, I'd leave it. Many times the mother will take care of problems like that. Have you noticed if the baby has food in its crop yet?

I was able to easily remove the shell from the other egg with no issues. Thanks!!

Feeding has been a bit of concern for me because the crop has not been completely full. I've spoken to and sent pics of what I've noticed and she has agreed that the crop is not being filled up by Mama. I also noticed that whenever Baby peeps Loshi (Daddy) rushes to the box and climbs in. I have realized that both parents are working on feeding baby. I know that the crop needs to be fuller at this point and don't think the parents are up to the task (maybe because it's their first try at a family and they just don't know what to do really) so at this point I plan on supplementing with hand feedings and letting the parent continue their part. I think things will get really tough once egg #3 hatches as well They are trying but with the current Baby needing more now I just can't imagine them being able to feed 2 ;( Next baby is due on the 28th (egg was laid 3 days apart).

This is earlier today and there is no food in the crop....


Here is the tiniest amount of food in the crop....nothing really worth mentioning


I was trying to get pics when Robyn decided baby needed to eat......I was relieved a bit to see that she is trying


The next 3 are after Robyn and Loshi feed that Baby together.....I tried to get a pic but Loshi took off before I caught him in Daddy mode! Man is this little one wiggly hence the blurry pics!!


These next 2 pics I took about 2hrs ago after both parents feed Baby again......



So what do you think? Am I on the right track so far? Thank you so much for your help so far! I seriously appreciate it so so much!

 

[melissasparrots]

I think the parents are getting it figured out. Sometimes with very young babies, their crop won't seem nearly as pendulous as an older baby's will. It still hasn't stretched yet. As long as he's getting a couple good meals in a day and skin color is good, then I'd let the parents work things out for now. In the next day or so, it should start looking like there is something in it most of the time even if its not completely full. Some species won't feed over night and you'll wake up to empty crops which might take a couple hours to fill up after breakfast. In the last pictures, it looks like the crop is reasonably full for the age of the baby. It could also be that the parents are giving him fluids in some of those meals that don't appear to be anything.

 

[Beanurita]

So I was preparing myself for giving Baby a feeding before bed and this is what I found!!



I think you're right @melissasparrots! Robyn and Loshi are figuring it out!!

 

[Beanurita]

Here are a few more from a moment ago.....Baby is a strong wiggly little one!!



Baby and parents are all tucked in bed for the night!!

 

[iamwhoiam]

Congratulations on Baby #1. Looks like he/she is well nourished. Great that mom & dad are taking care of him.

 

[Beanurita]

Checked on Baby this morning when I uncovered the birds and Baby was already fed and has a full crop! Looks like mom & dad are figuring it all out!

Crossing fingers that Baby #2 joins us soon! Expected hatch day: TOMORROW

 

[melissasparrots]

Yes, crop is looking very full today. He looks like he might be a lutino or some other red or light eyed mutation. I don't know my parakeet mutations very well.