How many eggs do budgies hatch, how many eggs does the female lay, what does a fertilized egg look like

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Colors and patterns of budgies

We have translated and compiled for you a guide to the colors and patterns of budgerigars

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How many days does incubation take?

Female wavy birds can lay eggs alone, but such eggs do not hatch into chicks. Therefore, if you want to breed, then fertilization is required.
To do this, a pair is carefully selected, and a young female must be chosen for the male, who will not behave aggressively or dominate.

As soon as sympathy appears between two parrots, they will begin to sing, dance and even sleep together. Mating is the culmination of the courtship period. The process is performed for about a week, several times a day. Sometimes fertilization occurs the first time.

The first egg appears approximately 10 days after the birds mate. During this period, the female stops responding to the male, and also tries to spend a lot of time alone, choosing a nest or house for this.

The process of laying eggs is considered exhausting and difficult, so during this period the female behaves tensely and also breathes heavily. It is advisable not to approach the cage at this time so that the bird does not leave the nest. A parrot can lay one egg about once a day. In total, the female lays from 3 to 8 eggs.

If the female has more than 8 eggs, this can lead to difficulties during incubation, since the testicles will not be able to fit under the bird.

The female immediately begins to warm the eggs, a process that takes approximately 22 days to complete. After this, the chicks are born. Hatching time depends on the number of eggs and the age of the parents. The process occurs quickly in summer and in young parrots.

It is also useful to read: Does a budgie need a mate?

Conditions for reproduction

It is advisable for a breeder who decides to breed budgerigars to have several pairs. This will allow, in case of possible problems with the chicks or clutch, to save the offspring and preserve the health of the adults.

Right to breed

Breeding budgerigars at home is not regulated by law; anyone can do it. But to officially register his activities, the breeder must have a license, which is issued by the Society of Bird Lovers. A person needs to confirm that he has knowledge about the breeding and maintenance of budgerigars.

It is the responsibility of veterinarians to check birds for psittacosis. This viral infection can infect not only animals and birds, but also humans. If the test does not reveal this disease, the owner receives official permission for breeding. He is given permanent rings containing information about the breeder, the serial number of his bird, the date and time of registration. During disease outbreaks, this makes it easier to track the location of parrots.

Choosing the right pair

To get healthy offspring, you need to organize the correct selection of a pair of wavy birds. They must be from different parents to prevent the development of genetic diseases in the chicks. How to understand that a male and a female are suitable for each other?

Both parrots should be healthy, active and well-fed. Weak or elderly birds often lay unfertilized eggs. Puberty of females occurs in the second year of life. In males, this period begins a little earlier, from ten months of age. The peak of fertility in wavy birds is observed at the age of 2–4 years. Although parrots breed up to 10 years old.

This is interesting! A budgerigar remains attached to its partner for life. Without mutual sympathy, reproduction does not occur.

Suitable period for breeding

The optimal time for breeding wavy plants at home is the summer months, from June to September. This is the part of the year when parrots get enough sunlight and vitamins. In other periods, they may be weakened due to a deficiency of substances necessary for the body. And this can affect the health of the offspring.

If breeding of parrots is planned for the winter or spring months, the birds must be provided with enhanced nutrition with fresh herbs. At least 14 hours of daylight are required; illumination with a special lamp is allowed. The air temperature must be at least 23 degrees.

Parrot mating process

What conditions need to be created

In addition to selecting a pair, the breeder should think about creating conditions for reproduction. To do this, you need to choose a cage that is suitable in size for the birds. The size of the housing for one pair of wavy plants is 80 cm in length, 40 cm in height and 35 cm in width. If one cell contains several pairs, then these dimensions should be larger.

Females need houses with nests where they can hatch their offspring. When the parrot begins to lay eggs, the cage is placed in a quiet corner so that the bird is not disturbed. The room temperature must be maintained at least 20 degrees. At the same time, heat and stuffiness should not be allowed, as this poses a threat to the embryos.

Feeding parrots during the breeding season

The budgerigar's menu includes grains and seeds, as well as fruits and vegetables.

To stimulate the sexual instinct, the diet should contain the following foods:

low-fat cottage cheese;
greenery;
sprouted grains;
egg white;
special mineral supplements.

When a female parrot lays eggs, she requires an increased diet. Products high in vitamin E are very useful. Experienced breeders advise feeding their pets a mixture of cottage cheese, eggs, carrots and sprouted grains.

It is important to know! Obese or underweight birds are not suitable for breeding. The pair must be fattened before breeding, but not excessively.

When do birds start laying their first eggs?

If a beginner decides to start breeding wavy fish, then he must be patient with this process, which is divided into several stages:

Initially, you need to choose the right pair so that a trusting and warm relationship is formed between the birds;
Read also: Furry drummers: Why do rabbits drum with their hind legs?
the courtship period can even last several months;
if the female allows the male, then from the moment of mating until the appearance of the first egg, approximately 10 days pass;
the owner can easily understand when the egg-laying process begins, since the female begins to push away the male, often retreats into the house, and her tail periodically shakes and her breathing becomes heavier;
before laying itself, the bird plucks its feathers;
eggs appear daily or every other day, and in young females their number is much greater than in mature birds.

The female does not always begin to warm the eggs immediately, so the incubation process may begin after a few days.

Difficulties of home breeding

Most novice breeders are faced with the fact that their pair does not reproduce, although all conditions for their nesting have been created. And the house hangs, and the food is good, and the daylight hours are correct. But the couple still does not begin to mate, despite all the mutual understanding and positive communication. Why is this happening?

The fact is that parrots are flocking birds, and the process of their reproduction is much easier when they are kept in a flock. For this you need an aviary or a large cage. And the more pairs there are in it, the greater the chance that they will reproduce.

In flocks of more than 20 individuals, the chances of the emergence of pairs in general and clutches of certain pairs are much higher. This is due to the hormonal background that is formed in birds, observing this process. Flocks of smaller sizes reproduce more slowly, and one pair of wavy birds will work on the future young even less willingly.

Sometimes it is quite problematic for novice breeders to breed these ornamental birds for one more reason: they put them in a rather modest-sized cage.

The fact is that females are unlikely to lay eggs in a small space. It just so happens that people sometimes raise two children in a one-room apartment, but parrots do not want to breed in a small cage.

The cage size for a pair of parrots should correspond to the following dimensions:

length – 60 cm;
width and height 40 cm.

In addition to the cage, you will need a nesting house. You can make it yourself with your own hands, but you don’t need to hang it right away. The couple must go through all the stages of the relationship and only then, when you see that the birds are mating, you need to install it in the cage.

How birds fly

During this period, each bird has its own responsibilities, so the following features are taken into account:

the female incubates the eggs almost all the time;
the male takes care of the girl, so he brings her food and also periodically cleans her feathers;
sometimes males are constantly near the entrance to the house or nest, talking and singing;
the female leaves the house to go to the toilet, and at this time a person can clean the nest or add some sawdust, but sometimes the female reacts too aggressively to interference;
It is forbidden to touch the eggs with bare hands, so you need to wear gloves, otherwise the female may abandon the nesting site;
periodically the female turns the eggs over for uniform heating;
after 10 days, you can carefully take the testicle and hold it up to the light to determine whether it is fertilized;
if a dark spot and a network of vessels are visible, then small chicks can be expected soon;
if the egg is completely light, then it is represented by a pacifier, but it is advisable to leave it for another 11 days;
Experienced owners even sometimes clean eggs from bird droppings or seal cracks with adhesive tape, but without experience it is not advisable to perform these actions, as this can lead to damage to the egg.

Did your parrots have chicks?

Not really

The bird incubates the eggs for 20 to 25 days, and
the female maintains an optimal temperature for the embryos, which is approximately 37 degrees .
Sometimes the bird wets the eggs with water from the drinking bowl. She turns them over periodically to ensure even heating, so doing this yourself is not recommended. As soon as the embryos gain enough strength, the process of pecking the shell begins.

In the photo you can see what a fertilized egg looks like:

Male courtship

Parrots breed exclusively after mating. You can recognize the riot of hormones in birds, which invariably accompanies the mating season, by such characteristic signs as:

condition of the cere;
behavior.

In male parrots ready for breeding, the cere becomes bright blue, while in girls it enlarges and turns brown.

As for behavior, the mating games of wavy birds are interesting and somewhat touching. The male behaves a little intrusively, trying to demonstrate a reverent attitude towards his chosen one:

Tries to please;
spins around in front of her and chirps;
kisses (touches the beak of the female with its beak);
feeds from its beak.

Perhaps feeding is the most important part of mating games. With this action, the male proves the seriousness of his attitude.

Some females at this time partially recreate future events - they stop feeding on their own and feed only on what the male brings. This is exactly what will happen day after day when she hatches the clutch. During mating games, this behavior of the female is a kind of test, checking the male’s ability to provide her with food. This criterion serves as the main one when a female makes a decision about mating - she can refuse a male who has not coped with the responsibility of the breadwinner.

What problems arise

The owner must monitor the process of hatching eggs in order to promptly identify any difficulties. With some effort, such problems can be eliminated.

The most common force majeure events include:

Both parrots are flying . This indicates that the cage contains two females who have reached sexual maturity, but are carrying unfertilized eggs. This is usually associated with a high-calorie diet, so it is necessary to cut back on the diet. Hormonal imbalances may occur, so it is recommended to reduce the amount of fatty foods. If a person is aimed at breeding birds, then he will have to look for a mate for each female.
The bird pecks the eggs. Often, young females, after laying an egg, immediately begin to peck it. This is usually caused by not having enough calcium, so you need to hang a mineral stone. Other reasons include stress or lack of experience on the part of the wavy. Sometimes birds simply get tired of frequent nesting. Therefore, even during the mating period, it is necessary to establish the nutrition of the wavy animals, and also offer them a sufficient amount of vitamins and mineral stones. If this does not help, then it is advisable to remove the nesting area for a while so that the female can rest. Even the male can peck the eggs, so he needs to be transplanted into a separate cage.
The chicks die. Sometimes only hatched chicks die, but there is no need to worry right away, since if 1 out of 5 or 6 dies, then this is considered normal. The female cannot warm up all the testicles evenly, so sometimes weak chicks hatch and quickly die. Even birds have genetic problems and developmental defects. Experienced poultry farmers note that there is incompatibility between parrots, so the pair has to be separated. Sometimes chicks die because the female flies out of the nest for a long time during the brooding period, which leads to slow development of the embryos.

To obtain strong and healthy offspring, the female must eat well during the mating and brooding period.

Possible troubles

The most common problems when breeding parrots are:

female fatigue;
violation of feeding rules;
difficulties with egg laying;
death of offspring.

Sometimes during the laying process, some eggs get stuck in the female's cloaca. Alarming signs include: the bird sitting for a long time on the floor with its legs spread, rapid breathing and lack of appetite.

How to help

Getting stuck can lead to the death of the female. The most reliable action in this situation is to call a veterinarian. Experienced breeders eliminate this problem without a doctor in one of the following ways:

Place 2–5 drops of oil (vaseline) into the female’s beak.
Gently take the bird in your arms and massage its back and the base of its wings. This stimulates the contraction of the oviduct.
Using a syringe without a needle or a soft brush, apply sterilized oil to the opening of the oviduct. Most often they use sunflower or peach.

Important! Lack of heat and lighting also play an important role. For breeding parrots, it is better to choose a time of year with long daylight hours.

Too much incubation

Sometimes it happens that a female incubates her offspring longer than usual. This is an alarming sign for the breeder. This bird behavior may indicate the following problems:

The male's reproductive functions faded and fertilization did not occur.
The female is often removed from the clutch. Creates unstable temperature conditions for embryos.
The humidity level in the room is insufficient.
Future chicks have a high chance of developing diseases.
No embryos.

To ensure the viability of future chicks, you should carefully check the condition of the embryos using gloves. This is done when the bird is removed from the nest. When looking at the eggs (opposite the light source), the choroid plexuses and dark core should be visible inside the shell of 15-day-old eggs. If the contents appear clear and the shell is gray or mottled, the baby inside is dead. Such an egg must be removed immediately.

Interesting! Sometimes it happens that a young female lays the first egg at the bottom of the cage. This means her instinct has not yet awakened. The owner should carefully place the egg in the nest and place the female on top. The bird's maternal feelings will appear in the near future.

The female does not hatch eggs

With inexperienced breeders, it happens that the female resists the appearance of chicks even after fertilization. This behavior of the bird is a consequence of a combination of many circumstances, the main of which are:

incompetence of the parrot owner;
poor quality care;
weakness of strength in the expectant mother.

A female who produces offspring too often does not have the opportunity to restore her body. It is recommended to plan mating of birds no more than once every six months. With age, the reproductive capacity of parrots declines. It is better not to select older females for breeding.

It is not uncommon for a bird to not sit on the nest after the first egg. She waits for the others to appear. If a female abandons a clutch that she has sat on for 3-4 days, she is not suitable for breeding. It is urgent to organize artificial heating of the embryos, or to place them in another female.

The female pecks the eggs

This happens for many reasons:

Inexperience of the bird (first clutch).
Calcium deficiency in the diet. The female looks for an opportunity to replenish the mineral deficiency by pecking at the shell.
Stress. When the female is sitting on her eggs, she should not be disturbed.
The bird is unsuitable for breeding.

Interesting! It is imperative to place a container of water for bathing in the parrots' home so that the female can wet her feathers and moisten the clutch with them.

Death of chicks

It happens that the number of live chicks is significantly less than the original number of eggs. The most common reasons:

the presence of unfertilized eggs in the clutch;
death of embryos during incubation;
trampling of younger chicks by older brothers;
throwing chicks out of the nest by parents who were under stress.

There are known cases when a male made his way to the eggs (in the absence of his wife) and destroyed them. Such a “father” should be immediately isolated.

Interesting! If the clutch contains unfertilized eggs along with fertilized ones, the “dummies” are not removed. Their shell, which is heated by the bird's body, helps maintain the temperature in the nest during the absence of the female.

Most novice breeders are interested in calculating how many days it takes for budgerigars to hatch chicks. Real deadlines do not always coincide with generally known standards. This is not surprising, since factors often intervene that disrupt the hatching process or the emotional balance of birds.

For example, a female on a nest is scared by a cat. A stressed bird may begin to peck at the eggs or abandon the clutch altogether. The owner of the wavy birds needs to keep an eye on the female who is sitting on the eggs.

You should intervene only when necessary, when you need to help her sit on the nest until the chicks hatch. With a caring and competent owner, birds feel protected, are less nervous and reproduce well.

How many days do chicks hatch?

Usually the first chicks hatch literally 18 days after the start of egg laying. They are born one after another , and a person can periodically look into the nest to catch an amazing moment.

Sometimes the female refuses the chicks, so she does not feed them or kills them altogether. The chicks are blind and also lack feathers.

They cannot feed on their own, and their weight does not exceed 2 grams. They don't roll over or move.

The female feeds the chicks with goiter milk.

The exact time of birth of the chicks depends on the number of eggs, as well as on the time spent by the female on oviposition. Sometimes the last egg lies for up to 28 days, but usually a very weak bird appears.

If there are eggs left after 4 weeks, they should be thrown away. The wavy birds feed their offspring for about 2 months, after which the chicks begin to fly out of the nest. It is at this time that they need to be placed in a separate cage, and also distributed to new owners.

The female needs to rest before the next mating, so it is necessary to remove the nesting area, and it is also advisable to separate the pair for a while.

Preparation for masonry

Usually, budgerigar breeders begin preparing the birds for breeding 2-3 weeks before installing a special nesting house in their cage. The bird cage should be placed in a quiet room with a calm environment. It is recommended not to disturb parent birds unless absolutely necessary. It is necessary to provide parrots with the following living conditions:

The air temperature in the room is from +15-20°C and above;
Daylight hours are 14-16 hours.

If the required length of daylight cannot be provided naturally, it must be replenished through artificial lighting (fluorescent lamps), but only with a smooth transition. A sudden increase in daylight hours will trigger the molting process in the bird’s body.

As for the ambient temperature, the upper limit has not been determined, but birds cannot be kept in the heat. High temperatures are especially dangerous for embryos. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the birds are in a warm, not hot, environment.

House installation

2 weeks after the preparation stage, a house must be installed in the cage. The optimal size of the house is 20 x 20 x 15 cm.

Don't worry if the female doesn't react and doesn't go there. In a couple of days she will get used to it, begin to become interested and build a nest there.

For this she will need building material. Sawdust, dry grass and thin twigs are placed in the cage. As a preventive measure against parasites, you can add dry medicinal chamomile.

The female will independently carry the material into the house and arrange the nest; she should not be helped.

Reasons why the clutch turned out without fertilized eggs or with frozen

By waiting a week after the female lays her last egg, you can check the clutch. Manipulations with eggs and in the nest in general should be done no more than twice a week, only in the absence of parent parrots and only with rubber gloves.

Eggs laid by a bird can be of three types, the shell of each of which has a characteristic color:

Fertilized – light gray, matte;
frozen (with a dead embryo) – gray-brown, spotted;
unfertilized - yellow, shiny.

You can check whether there is an embryo in the egg by holding it up to the light (best with a 100 W lamp). Eggs with embryos inside have a dark spot – the embryo, while “dummies” are completely transparent.

It is not necessary to remove eggs without embryos from the clutch, but frozen eggs that are found must be removed immediately.

The norm is 1-2 frozen eggs in one clutch. Typically, this situation arises when a young female was unable to heat the entire clutch equally. If all the eggs or the majority of the clutch turned out to be frozen, it is necessary to think about the reasons that led to the death of the embryos. Mass death of chicks while still in the embryonic stage can be caused by the following problems in parrots or omissions of the breeder:

Infectious infections;
incompatibility at the genetic level;
improper diet;
dirty drinking;
inappropriate microclimate.

Eggs are without an embryo at all, i.e. unfertilized, appear due to the fault of the breeder. The formation of “dummies” by the female’s body is invariably associated with improper preparation for reproduction, the responsibility for which lies with the owner of the parrots. Sometimes the appearance of “dummies” is due to health problems in the bird, but, again, this means that the breeder selected the parent parrots, as they say, “carelessly.”

Moment of birth

Before the egg appears, the bird becomes calm and focused. The abdomen sinks and swells, breathing becomes difficult. The pet sits in the nest and does not want to communicate. Sometimes childbirth is accompanied by cramps and bleeding.

To alleviate the condition, the female is fed baby food diluted with drinking water. Heating is increased slightly by bringing the light source under the bottom of the cage no more than half a meter, maintaining a temperature of 37°.

To avoid diarrhea, the pet is limited in its consumption of soft green food. Labor ends when the egg slips out of the bird's body. Subsequent ones come out every other day. As soon as 2-3 eggs appear, the female sits down to incubate the offspring.