# Should i remove the infertile eggs?



## Thelion151589 (Aug 8, 2011)

I have a pair of cockatiels 1st time breeders they have 6 eggs all infertile they've been incubating them for 3 weeks already, what can be the cause of the eggs being infertile, its the 1st time this happens to me when is set up a pair for the 1st time, should i remove them all and let them give it another go? or let them rest for a few weeks and try again? or is it the birds that are infertile? thanks


----------



## Sendo (Nov 25, 2012)

Mine incubated their first clutch for 3 months


----------



## Thelion151589 (Aug 8, 2011)

Sendo said:


> Mine incubated their first clutch for 3 months


Thats way too much... lol


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Silly question maybe, but were they mating several times a day before the egg laying started? Did they seem to be doing it correctly, with the undersides of their tails touching?

The eggs are proof that the hen is fertile but it's always possible that the cock isn't. Are they appropriate ages for breeding?


----------



## Thelion151589 (Aug 8, 2011)

tielfan said:


> Silly question maybe, but were they mating several times a day before the egg laying started? Did they seem to be doing it correctly, with the undersides of their tails touching?
> 
> The eggs are proof that the hen is fertile but it's always possible that the cock isn't. Are they appropriate ages for breeding?


Yes they were mating correctly i was observing them for a while, they would literately mate and take a 5 min break and get on it again right away after and they were like this till the 1st egg was laid, the male is about 3 yrs old that's what the breeder told me, and the female shes 2 1/2 was born from my tiels, does a dirty vent have anything to do with it? because i remember i had fed them some fruits and veggies and the male had runny poo that day, and his vent was dirty and they mated a lot of times that day...


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If there was poop actually stuck to the vent it might have blocked the sperm from getting to its proper destination, and it's possible that other conditions could have interfered too. But hens can store sperm for a while, so there shouldn't have been a problem if they'd been mating on days when his vent was clean and his digestion was good. 

It's up to you to decide whether to try them again right away or give them a rest. Their ages are perfect and it's OK to have two consecutive clutches, and if they still seem healthy and energetic they should be good for another round. But if their next clutch is infertile too it's possible that the male is infertile, or that this pair is physically incompatible somehow. I've heard of cases where a pair produced nothing but infertile eggs, but both birds produced babies after they were re-paired with different mates.

I've heard that trimming the feathers around the vent can be helpful, so you might want to give that a try.


----------



## Thelion151589 (Aug 8, 2011)

tielfan said:


> If there was poop actually stuck to the vent it might have blocked the sperm from getting to its proper destination, and it's possible that other conditions could have interfered too. But hens can store sperm for a while, so there shouldn't have been a problem if they'd been mating on days when his vent was clean and his digestion was good.
> 
> It's up to you to decide whether to try them again right away or give them a rest. Their ages are perfect and it's OK to have two consecutive clutches, and if they still seem healthy and energetic they should be good for another round. But if their next clutch is infertile too it's possible that the male is infertile, or that this pair is physically incompatible somehow. I've heard of cases where a pair produced nothing but infertile eggs, but both birds produced babies after they were re-paired with different mates.
> 
> I've heard that trimming the feathers around the vent can be helpful, so you might want to give that a try.



Im thinking about setting up my male with a different female to see how it goes, and if same results im guessing its gonna be the male, up to how old to males and females remain fertile?


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

The fertility period for cockatiels isn't really known but it's generally thought they're good until they're about 12 years old for hens, and maybe longer for cocks.


----------



## Thelion151589 (Aug 8, 2011)

tielfan said:


> The fertility period for cockatiels isn't really known but it's generally thought they're good until they're about 12 years old for hens, and maybe longer for cocks.


ah ok  thanks, today i checked the eggs once more and now they have 7 eggs, i was thinking of tossing them all away and letting them start all over again, because if she laid an egg 3 weeks after incubating the 1st ones, is this a good idea? thanks


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes, it means she knows the other eggs aren't going to hatch and has started a new clutch.


----------



## Thelion151589 (Aug 8, 2011)

roxy culver said:


> Yes, it means she knows the other eggs aren't going to hatch and has started a new clutch.


so im just gonna throw them all away the 6 old one and the 1 new one because since i dont have them marked i wont be able to know wish are old and new, hope this time i get some fertile eggs


----------

