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Do lovebirds turn their eggs?

msal

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Hello everyone!
I have a pair of lovebirds who laid 4 eggs 2 weeks ago, I noticed that eggs are exactly on the same place all the time, I was under the impression that birds have to turn eggs in order for the embryo to survive. Any idea if this is correct for Lovebirds?
 

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Zara

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I was under the impression that birds have to turn eggs in order for the embryo to survive. Any idea if this is correct for Lovebirds?
Yes they turn the eggs. Our eggs always seem to be in a different position when I check on them (real or plastic).
They have it built in to them. It´s quite fascinating the whole incubation process.

So either your birds are moving the eggs and you are not noticing, or they have not been turning eggs and so, will not be successful in their incubation....
You will find out in one week.

Have you marked your eggs?
 

msal

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@Zara I haven't marked them, no. I consider checking the eggs with a flashlight but I don't wanna disturb them.
 

Zara

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I consider checking the eggs with a flashlight but I don't wanna disturb them.
The best time to do that (candling) is at around 7-9 days. At 2 weeks, your eggs will be darker as they have a chick now developing inside, and if you´re not an experienced breeder you will struggle to decypher what is going on in there.
Best to just wait.
Definitely have all your supplies on hand though.
I recommend a small pack of formula, even though you have 4 eggs, just in case they don´t hatch, the formula will likely expire before your next potential clutch. And if they hatch, you can buy more that date, ready for when you will need it.
Brooder, bedding, syringes or spoon, thermometres, heat pad etc are a must.
 

msal

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Yep I guess waiting is the best option right now, I got the formula and the other stuff, hoping to use them in a week :fingerscrossed:
 

Zara

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hoping to use them in a week
Hopefully you won´t. If your chicks hatch, hopefully the parents will do a good job caring for them for 3-3.5 weeks, and you won´t need to step in. It is better for you, the parents and the chicks :)

A tip for next time is to mark your eggs, use a sharpie and gently dab them with dots. First laid gets 1 dot, second laid gets 2, and so on. You can take a photo each time you check the nest and you will see the eggs have moved. It can also be helpful to know which egg is which.
Screenshot_20200629_011008.jpg
 

msal

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@Zara thanks for the info! 48 hours ago 2 eggs hatched and babies look healthy so far. The other 2 eggs haven't hatched yet, do you think this is normal or we can assume they're infertile?
 

Zara

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Lovebirds usually lay a couple of eggs and then start brooding. The result of this is the first few chicks (the eggs laid before the brooding starts) hatching in quick succession, and the eggs that were laid after the brooding started hatch afterwards... sometimes up to a week later depending on date laid, date brooding started, number of eggs etc. The downfall to this is the chicks that hatch last will be much smaller than the elder chicks and will need to be monitored closely to see they are being fed properly and are not getting piled on top of by the others. This is why some breeders will switch the eggs for dummys, and when the hen starts to brood, switch them all back - this means the chicks will hatch very close together and will be a very similar size as each other as they grow.
I would be expecting them to hatch. If you mark the eggs, you would know if these were the first or last eggs laid, and it would give you a better indication of whether they will or won´t hatch... for eg if the first egg laid is one of those two unhatched eggs, then I doubt it would hatch, however if the first two hatched are the first two laid, then all is looking positive for the other two eggs.

I hope I explained that well.

Another thing, eggs in the nest are good. So leave them at least a week, you can leave them for two weeks (from now) if they don´t hatch. They help support the chicks and stop the parents brooding too tightly.
 

msal

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thank you for spending time writing this detailed thoughtful answer! I really appreciate it!
 
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Zara

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You are welcome :)

Here are some links with info and tips you may need, worth having a read and you can always come back here to reference if you need to.

(I would advise not to band the birds though, unless your state requires it by law. Also I recommend leaving the chicks in the nest until 3.5 weeks if you can)


 
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