My budgie just laid an egg!

[trogdor]

Our two parakeets have been engaging in reproduction related program activities for the past month or so. Now the hen has laid an egg. I have no idea what to do. Advice, please.

[GOPisEvil]

1. Does your bird seem to know what to do with it?

I'd call a vet, myself. :-)

[Bertha Venation]

2. how freakin' cool!

I'm w/ Evil -- call the vet. You may want to get a nesting basket at the pet store -- they're primarly sold for finches, but I'm sure you can find a slightly larger one somewhere.

Congratulations!

[HFishbine]

3. May I suggest

over easy.

[Mobius]

5. thats gross

the egg is already fertilized and probably has a fetus growing already.

[foreigncorrespondent]

6. That is so sick. (n/t)

[commander bunnypants]

13. with suasage and toast

got milk?

DDQM

[Mobius]

4. please keep us informed

I dont know how long till the egg hatches. but WE WANT PICTURES of your baby bird. I would call the vet and ask what to do, as far as the nesting and temperatures needed etc, however.

[jimbo fett]

7. Buy one of those Paas egg dying kits and make it real purty!!!!

[bif]

8. Turn it into a Pyzanky egg for Easter

n/t

[mopinko]

9. oy

well, as a breeder of parakeets, i can only say oy vey. there is a lot to know about raising happy healthy budgies. after they are laying is not the time. they really need to be on a proper diet for a few months before hand to make sure your hen does not end up with deficiencies. just like human, nutrients not provided in her diet will be taken from her body. and getting them to actually eat said diet can be a lot more complicated than just putting it in the dish. please don't tell me they only get seed.
here is a link to a pretty good chatboard. they had to wipe out the archive a while back, but there sre still a lot of posts that you can go back through and read up. the search engine kinda sucks, but you should be able to go back and look for breeding and diet. you have to kinda slog your way back to find the whole threads. the search only brings up single posts.
http://chats.upatsix.com/chats.php?board=budgie

you can pm me with questions. i can't promise not to be just a little testy. but i will try.

[Beetwasher]

12. You're a Breeder?

That's great!

And that's terrific advice you gave to the poster.

I've got two budgies. Sadly, most people don't really know how to properly care for them and don't realize that they need as much attention and care as any dog or cat and also need a diverse diet. With the exception of a few foods, such as chocolate and avocado, they should be eating as balanced a diet as any human...

They make terrific pets! They smart and playful and affectionate! And they talk!

[mopinko]

14. they are great little pets

and i spend a lot of time trying to help people take good care of them. it is a constant source of frustation, tho. not only do people not know how to take care of them, a lot of them don't care to. they are cheap, and cheap=disposable.

[eyesroll]

18. Amen.

We have two birds -- a parrotlet and a Meyer's parrot, both single hens. We've always taken our birds to the vet for their yearly checkups, and of course when necessary for illness or injury. I'm amazed (or maybe I'm not) at the number of times I've gotten the "look."

One time, in the Pet ER with our late cockatiel (she had an injury to her leg), I got, from someone there for his cat or dog, "wow, I didn't even know you could take a bird to the doctor. I thought you just kept one until it died, and then you got a new one." Thankfully, this man did not have any birds.

[Beetwasher]

22. Me Too

I take my budgies to the vet yearly and the Avian vet loves me because he rarely gets people who bring in their budgies and he appreciates someone who's actually responsible about them.

One of my hens died last year and she was sick for a while and I kept having to bring her to vet and he was amazed that I was willing to spend so much money to have her treated...But to me it wasn't even a decision to think twice about...I ended having to have her put to sleep, but I still don't regret the money I spent and the vet was very impressed that I cared...It's just so damn sad how these incredible little creatures are treated by so many people...

[mopinko]

23. my vet loves me for the same reason

my flock is very well cared for. but you would be surprised, well, no you wouldn't, by how many people won't buy a bird from me, because i want more than the $20 they can get one from at petco.

[Beetwasher]

25. Where Are You Located BTW?

Not that I'm in the market for a bird now, both of mine are still quite young and unfortunately I can't really handle another bird right now, but still just wondering for future reference...

[mopinko]

27. chicago

[Beetwasher]

29. Oh well, I'm in NY

Sounds like you probably have some great birds though!

[mopinko]

30. have friend there.

not a serious breeder, but has babies occasionally. does a very good job.

[Beetwasher]

20. I Know, That Really Irks Me and Makes Me So Sad/Mad Sometimes

Especially when I go to the pet store and see all those budgies, so many of which are going to end up w/ people who don't realize that they are NOT disposable pets or like a goldfish. People don't realize how intelligent they are...

[mopinko]

24. did you know

that the world record for a talking bird is a budgie? his name was sparkie, and there is an exhibit about him in the british museum. he was quite a celebrity in the 50's. he had a vocabulary of hundreds of words and phrases.

[Beetwasher]

26. Yup, I Knew That!

My first bird was an amazing talker...He would talk in small sentences and phrases and was just an amazingly intelligent little creature...I miss him, he was my best bud!

[mopinko]

28. i always say-

they are THE most bang for the buck in the bird world.

[Loonman]

10. Jingle bells, Siouxsie Smells

Budgie laid an egg.


Oh. that's awful...I like Siouxsie.

[eyesroll]

11. First, for the health of your hen--

Make sure she has adequate calcium (cuttlebone) and protein (hard-boiled or scrambled egg). She'll probably want to sit on her eggs most of the time, coming off the nest to eat or poop (less frequently, but in greater quantity each time, in both instances. FYI -- laying hens make monster poops. Don't be alarmed).

If she appears overly fatigued, or like she's straining to lay eggs or defecate, call a vet immediately -- those are signs of egg-binding, which can be fatal. But egg laying is a natural behavior, so if she's in good health, she should come through fine. She could lay six or more, one every other day or so.

If you don't want babies -- there are ways to drain the egg so it can't develop. (Ask a vet or breeder about this.) BUT: Don't remove the eggs. In the wild, birds will try to replace the eggs that they've lost. This can lead to excessive laying, calcium depletion and egg binding.

If you do want babies: Don't interfere too much with the eggs. Just check the nest daily and remove any broken eggs. (Make sure you wash your hands well before handling eggs or chicks.)

Keep in mind it takes about 20 days for the eggs to hatch -- if she's sitting on them significantly longer than that, then they're duds. The parents will tire of them eventually.

If they do hatch, mom and dad can (usually) handle them. If the parents start abusing or neglecting their chicks, or if you want to be able to pass them along as "hand-raised chicks," you'll need to find an experienced hand feeder to help you. (Don't try this on your own if you've never handfed before -- you could hurt or kill the chicks.) A local cagebird club or good bird store or breeder (not Petco/PetSmart) can probably refer you.

Good luck!

[libertad]

15. buy a nesting box (or make one). the box should be made of

wood and about the length of the bird -allowing a little extra room for the bird to turn around without damaging tailfeathers. A round hole with a small perch under it should be made on one side and then mount it on the side of the cage. Put the egg in the box and the bird should go in and take care of it. Usually if the egg is laid on the floor of the cage, it doesn't survive, but there is a chance it will. Good Luck.

[USAF Brat]

16. If your intent is to hatch and raise a baby parakeet

then you need to get a nesting box for the parents. They need a safe, secure place to hatch and raise the chicks. Since I am a cockatiel breeder I can't give you many specifics about parakeets, but I can start you out with a good link to help you find good information.

First go to the Tailfeathers BBS. Scroll down about half way down the page and find the Budgie section. There is a special area all about breeding.
http://pub98.ezboard.com/bthecockatielstopsmessageboard>
http://pub98.ezboard.com/bthecockatielstopsmessageboard

Next do a search on your favorite search engine and find a bird club in your area. They will be able to put you in touch with an experienced breeder in your city/county. They should be able to supply you with a basic nest box and a lot of wonderful advice and encouragement. If you can't find a bird club, then you could call a few pet shops that have birds and they should be able to hook you up with someone that can help.

Don't forget to ask about any dietary supplements for the parents! It's important that the mother gets plenty of calcium to replace what she loses when she lays her eggs. There are many recipes of "bird bread" made with inexpensive corn bread mixes that leave crushed egg shell in the bread, and add other supplements needed for the parents to maintain their health. (Another web search will help you find many recipes.) Being parents is a lot of hard work and they need to keep their strength up! It's also important to make sure they have the bread and other soft foods available after the chicks hatch so they have good nutritious food to feed their chicks.

Good luck! It's a wonderful experience to raise baby birds!

[mopinko]

17. not that much difference

between tiels and budgies, care-wise.

[Maddy McCall]

19. You need a nesting box. They cost about 10.00 at the pet supply store

Buy some fluffy wood chips, put them inside the box. She will know what to do next.

You need to do this immediately. The egg she has already laid is a goner, but get the box in there for her and she will continue to lay.

[trogdor]

21. Thanks all!

Even for the wisecracks. Had me rolling on the floor. I'll try my best.