african grey sitting on eggs

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african grey sitting on eggs

by sandra
(scotland)

I have two greys and after mating the hen used nesting box for laying and I seen first egg on Sept 14th,she has remained in box only coming out short periods -its now 26th October and I checked box today there are 3 eggs but no chicks-I have read this is longer than normal hatching time-does this mean they are infertile and should I remove them or leave them.Female is still on them-will she abandon them if there is no chance of hatching-will she miss them if removed?

Comments for
african grey sitting on eggs

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Oct 27, 2011

AG sitting on eggs
by: The Avian Vet

I recommend that you first candle them to see if they are fertile. You need a small bright pinpoint light to shine through them and look for blood vessels. If they candle clear, then remove them.

If they are infertile you need to explore why. Infertility can be caused by lots of things. First make sure the other bird is a male. DNA sex if not already. Check the perches to be sure that they are sturdy.

They need to be on a good pellet diet, like Harrison's, to be sure they have complete and balanced nutrition. The two birds need to be compatible. Finally consider veterinary exams and work ups on them both to be sure they are healthy.

Dr B

Oct 27, 2011

african grey sitting on eggs
by: Linda

The eggs hatch starting about 30 days and in the order they were laid. So, these sound infertile. You'll need to take each one out and put a bright light behind each one like a flashlight. If you see anything solid and dark in egg then it is fertile. If you see nothing in there, then eggs are clear or infertile. Take them out, and you will have to take out the nest box if you want to wait on this a while. If you've seen no mating, then it could be birds are too young or they are not well. Being in good breeding condition is a matter of being in optimum health. This is accomplished by feeding a high quality diet of organic pellets found here. Harrisons is the best of the few found here.

Also, all birds have to be examined and tested for various infections or other physical problems before breeding. If you are not feeding the high quality diet or have not had them both examined by an Avian Vet, then you need to start over and do it right. Parents who have any infections will pass them directly onto the babies and the babies don't last long with any kind of infection.

So, if eggs are infertile, remove them, dismantle the nest box and get your birds onto a healthy diet after they've been examined by an Avian Vet. This exam has to be done before any dietary changes because it takes a while to change from seeds to pellets, and this is too stressful for sick birds. Here is a link on how to go about making dietary change, and it takes time, so do not be in a hurry and do not starve your birds while making the change. In other words, there is no hurry here except possibly in your mind. The birds will do what comes naturally once they are fit to breed.

Switching Birds To Pellets article

Linda

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