SunCheek Conure has laid 8 eggs thus far and is this clutch

[Frida3]

Hello my Frida my SunCheek Conure has laid 8 eggs thus far in this clutch. I have been studying the matter at hand and the say 3-5 is normal for first clutch. Also the incubation/ gestation period seems to have a plethora of opinions in different books and sites. I was wondering is there anyone who would mind sharing their experiences in this field. She has yet another egg. She is healthy eating extra food , I’m letting her sleep for two extra hours . In conclusion those are the two questions I have, how many eggs are truly normally in your experience in a clutch for Conures? Additionally, in your experience how long did the incubation / gestation period last for you? Thank for your time and communication.
Cheers

 

[FiatLux]

@April Im tagging the forum member that I think will know who to ask in this forum (because she is always kind and helpful).

 

[Frida3]

Thank you!

 

[Shezbug]

You may find some of the info you are looking for here... Nesting behavior in a conure | World Parrot Trust.

 

[April]

@April Im tagging the forum member that I think will know who to ask in this forum (because she is always kind and helpful).

Aw that's so very sweet of you to say
Let me tag @Mockinbirdiva she used to breed Conures,And I believe that @Matto currently breeds Conures so hopefully they can stop by.

 

[Frida3]

You may find some of the info you are looking for here... Nesting behavior in a conure | World Parrot Trust.

Frida and I thank you!

 

[Frida3]

You may find some of the info you are looking for here... Nesting behavior in a conure | World Parrot Trust.

 

[Frida3]

Thank you for the helping hand , I appreciate it!

 

[Matto]

Anywhere from 3-6 eggs is normal. Normal gestation is 21-25 days, usually about 24.

 

[WillowQ]

Frida, I think your bird might be confused because you’re removing the eggs for incubation. They expect a certain number of eggs in the nest and will lay extra eggs to fill the nest. So, she’s trying to get to about 4 eggs and they’re disappearing!

Can you give her some fake eggs to sit on so she will stop laying more eggs? 8 eggs is a lot of eggs to have come out if her tiny body and bones. I think I’d leave any more eggs in the nest box and maybe top off the clutch to four with dummy eggs so she gets the message to stop.

Info: this is how humans get hens to lay an egg a day or every other day. Hens have a determinate clutch size so their body wants to have several eggs in the nest. If you take an egg away, the hen will lay another to replace it. But this wears out hens and similarly, is exhausting for female parrots.

 

[WillowQ]

Generally, psittacine hens lay eggs at 24 hour intervals until their clutch is complete. Conures lay between 2 -- 5 eggs per clutch, sometimes more. Incubation begins when the last egg is laid and for conures occurs over 21-23 days. (Clinical Avian Medicine and Surgery, Harrison and Harrison, Appendix 5 by K. Flammer, pg 663)

Ok. Harrison and Harrison say conure incubation starts with the last egg laid. She would not have started sitting on her eggs until number 4 or so. The eggs sit at room temperature and don’t develop until the last egg is laid so all nestlings are the same size. Otherwise the earlier eggs would have big older chicks getting all the food and later eggs would have younger small chicks being neglected.

Maybe you took the eggs away too quickly? No harm done, just feed mom very well. You will be busy.

 

[Frida3]

Anywhere from 3-6 eggs is normal. Normal gestation is 21-25 days, usually about 24.

Thank you !

 

[Frida3]

Generally, psittacine hens lay eggs at 24 hour intervals until their clutch is complete. Conures lay between 2 -- 5 eggs per clutch, sometimes more. Incubation begins when the last egg is laid and for conures occurs over 21-23 days. (Clinical Avian Medicine and Surgery, Harrison and Harrison, Appendix 5 by K. Flammer, pg 663)

Ok. Harrison and Harrison say conure incubation starts with the last egg laid. She would not have started sitting on her eggs until number 4 or so. The eggs sit at room temperature and don’t develop until the last egg is laid so all nestlings are the same size. Otherwise the earlier eggs would have big older chicks getting all the food and later eggs would have younger small chicks being neglected.

Maybe you took the eggs away too quickly? No harm done, just feed mom very well. You will be busy.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for researching this for me! She is receiving extra chop (or as Frida calls it in her Conure voice Chop Chop). She is also receiving her regular diet plus extra seeds she loves. Her appetite is unbelievable. I also just ordered a higher caliber of vitamin drops for her water.
Cheers,
Sarah

 

[Frida3]

Generally, psittacine hens lay eggs at 24 hour intervals until their clutch is complete. Conures lay between 2 -- 5 eggs per clutch, sometimes more. Incubation begins when the last egg is laid and for conures occurs over 21-23 days. (Clinical Avian Medicine and Surgery, Harrison and Harrison, Appendix 5 by K. Flammer, pg 663)

Ok. Harrison and Harrison say conure incubation starts with the last egg laid. She would not have started sitting on her eggs until number 4 or so. The eggs sit at room temperature and don’t develop until the last egg is laid so all nestlings are the same size. Otherwise the earlier eggs would have big older chicks getting all the food and later eggs would have younger small chicks being neglected.

Maybe you took the eggs away too quickly? No harm done, just feed mom very well. You will be busy.

Extremely busy with the feedings the first few weeks.

 

[Frida3]

You may find some of the info you are looking for here... Nesting behavior in a conure | World Parrot Trust.

Thank you!

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

Aw that's so very sweet of you to say
Let me tag @Mockinbirdiva she used to breed Conures,And I believe that @Matto currently breeds Conures so hopefully they can stop by.

@BrianB also breeds conures!

 

[BrianB]

The average is 3 - 5, but I have had pairs lay 7 or 8 eggs. The most I've had hatch from a single hen is 7. My pairs will usually start incubation after egg number 2 or 3 is laid and they sit for 20-something days. I say 20 something because once they start laying I only check once every 3 or 4 days until I hear chicks in the nest box. It's usually 22 - 26 days and the chicks hatch a day apart from each other. This gives Mom and Dad a chance to build up to feeding all those hungry mouths instead of having a bunch of them appear all at once. If eggs are removed then the hen will lay more until she decides to stop. It's best to remove broken eggs from the box so they don't rot in there, otherwise, leave them alone. Make sure she's getting plenty of dark green veggies that are rich in calcium. This will help her replenish her own reserves. It takes a lot out of them to lay so many eggs. It helps if you don't let them double clutch either. Once the chicks are done being fed or have been removed from the box, either block it off or remove it so they don't breed again right away.

 

[WillowQ]

@BrianB you say the hen doesn’t start incubation until after egg 2 or 3 is laid. So they’re sitting at room temperature until she starts to incubate. That DOESNT MEAN the eggs have been deserted; it’s normal.

Maybe these eggs weren’t abandoned? That’s hopeful if this pair is bred again.

 

[BrianB]

@BrianB you say the hen doesn’t start incubation until after egg 2 or 3 is laid. So they’re sitting at room temperature until she starts to incubate. That DOESNT MEAN the eggs have been deserted; it’s normal.

Maybe these eggs weren’t abandoned? That’s hopeful if this pair is bred again.

That’s not what I meant. Sorry if it wasn’t clear. Very few parrots start incubation with the first egg being laid. Some don’t start until egg number 2 or 3 have been laid. They will go in the nest and turn them and push them around. That’s totally different from abandoning a clutch.

 

[WillowQ]

That’s not what I meant. Sorry if it wasn’t clear. Very few parrots start incubation with the first egg being laid. Some don’t start until egg number 2 or 3 have been laid. They will go in the nest and turn them and push them around. That’s totally different from abandoning a clutch.

Right. I’m wondering if these eggs were not actually abandoned, just not being sat on. But I don’t know.