# my first ever eggs arrived and have been destroyed!



## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

well after about 6 moths of buying them as a breeding pair and leaving in a cage with a nestbox i finally get some eggs, 4 eggs actually and layed perfectly on time to hatch in the school holidays.YAY!

but on the second day pringle(female)decides to not sit on them during the day any more, and the male hasn't sat on them once (hes lazy).and on a really cold morning aswell!...so i panicked and decided to take them out and incubate them myself.

well...i unhooked the nest box, and guess what .....i dropped it. 

they all cracked except 2 could still be saved. then they overheated in the incubator and they died.  

then after all those dramas she layed another 2.YAY 
after a week i decided to candle them and she really protested, she was jumping up and down in the nest box and hissing, so i left her be.
the next morning i came out and saw she had an egg stuck to her belly 
that egg had obviously died.

now the one miracle egg is left, so i candled it and guess what... that one is dead to!

I feel like such a failure ...

If you read all this, thanks, because i just needed to tell someone. :lovebirds::lovebirds:


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

Don't worry! Sometimes the parents just don't get it right, its not your fault! Accidents can happen to anyone


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## resalat_hasan (Sep 7, 2011)

Don't be sad, I'm so sorry for your loss, take is as accident....hope your birdie will lay more eggs soon and you'll be able to hatch 'em.  good luck for the next time.


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

Thanks you guys.
Considering how unhealthy they were when I got them i think after she relises that this little egg won't hatch I'll take out the nest box until they are back up to full health.

What to do about my lazy male bird?this is the only breeding pair I've got and they love each other so much I don't really want to split them up

Thanks for reading my story


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## igottafeelin (Aug 29, 2011)

sorry that happened to you. next time maybe let them be?? IDK just an idea.


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

Yeah I think instead of candling them next time Ill just let them sit and I'm sure I'll find out if they are growing by if they hatch or not!


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

Your lazy male may also just need a few practice runs. My Ollie did not sit the first two clutches. Buttercup finally beat him up one day and he went and sat the third clutch just fine. Now he is a perfect daddy bird.


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## nwoodrow (Feb 13, 2011)

just a little peice of advice, and im sorry for your experience, but my pairs dont sit until egg 3 or 4 are laid and just because you see mom and dad in box dont mean they are sitting, during the first 7 days babes only need to be turned, they are fine without being sat on, so next time hold off you may have jumped the gun.

When checking on eggs in the nest keep a routine check same time everyday, knock on nest box before entering and if the mom doesnt move dont push her it may be better to check when both are out getting a drink or when dad does start to sit and just because a week has gone by and no ferttilkity shown dont equal dead egg as i said before the eggs will stay viable up to 7 days without being sat on and they may have started sitting later than you thought. i always check 10 days after the first egg was laid for fertility and then keep checking but until day 20 goes by i dont count out the last eggs, don t remove any infertile eggs until you are ready to abandon the entire clutch, and just so you know if all eggs are infertile mom or dad will abandon them after a period of time let them abandon them this way they sit without laying for a littl ebit before they go back to nesting.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I'm so sorry for your loss but it will get better I promise. I lost all my babies this last year so its been a rough year for everyone. As to your lazy male, don't worry about him. The hen can handle the eggs on her own and if he never figures it out (I hope he does) she will do just fine without him. Good luck for next time!


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## katew (Sep 6, 2011)

I know its exciting but I just let them get on with it. Check once per day. When chicks hatch I always check twice. morning and eve. my didnt sit all the time, also after chicks hatched they'd leave them. make sure youre feeding them a varied diet. mine out in aviary so give lots of veg and put dandelion in polts in there. do you have enough nest lining? i have 2" of wood shavings. thats my birds favourite. good luck. we all have some bad luck with breeding.


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

The thing is that this is not my pairs first clutch and he will sit on them but only after about the 3rd or 4th day, they are both around 5 years of age and wre bough from a breeder. I put some grass and various types of branches in there for them to chose from, but I'm just worried about the shavings that when they hatch it could get in they're eyes and when they get older they might try to eat it!?with my birds they will sit on one egg, two eggs or however Many eggs are there and will lay more as they sit!considering where the nest box is positioned I can't quite see in there so I normally just poke my camera on my phone in there, take a picture , and tell like that.


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

It sounds like you may be giving them the wrong nesting material. I use paper towelling and white paper shredded bedding. Most people use wood shavings. Not saw dust, larger shavings. It is soft and cushioning and provides padding for the eggs. The babies may chew on the shavings when they are much older but they typically won't eat them. 

As for your pair's huge clutches. I have two pair that lay 7 or 8 eggs each time. They won't actually start sitting on the eggs until day 5 or 6. They both do fine and normally the eggs are not all fertile but I leave them in there. I do not disturb them, even to check the eggs until they really start sitting for a week or more.


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

Man, thats horrible! Im sorry!


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

Paper towel sounds like a good idea, but I dont want to disturb them anymore I think before the next clutch I'll put it in though.oh and you know how I only had one egg left, they both came out the box this morning and guess what.... THERE IS NOW 2!yay once again I'm happy, but they still might not be fertile, I guess ill find out by if they hatch or not, I'm not going to risk candling them again for ahwhile


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If you get a chance while both parents are out of the nest, it would be a good idea to remove the branches that are in there and add some suitable bedding. Proper bedding will help the eggs stay warm and in the right location, which improves the chances of hatching and reduces the risk of breakage. Your male should make a nesting hollow in the bedding, which might make him feel more invested in the nest.

Edited to add: you can buy aspen or pine bedding in the small animal (rodent) department of pet stores. Some brands are better than others, and I recommend Kaytee. It's nice and clean, unlike some of the off brands that are full of dust, and works great for baby birds. Do NOT get cedar, it's too aromatic for birds. The bedding should be 2 to 3 inches deep in the nest.


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

No the branches are in the cage not the nest box so they can choose if they want it in there or not.but I think I'll use paper towel or do you think pine needles from she oak trees will be good?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> the branches are in the cage not the nest box so they can choose if they want it in there or not


Cockatiels don't build a nest; they find a hole in a tree and customize it by shredding with their beaks. The branches might be nice for them to play with, but they're not likely to use it in the nest.



> I think I'll use paper towel or do you think pine needles from she oak trees will be good?


The best success is with wood shavings. Paper isn't recommended, see http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=21671 and http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=22985 for examples of the problems it can cause. I have no idea whether pine needles would work, or what you're thinking of using from oak trees. There are some natural materials that rob moisture from eggs, like coconut hair for example. 

Wood shavings are cheap and are used by most breeders. I've never heard of them causing problems for eggs or chicks (although freak accidents are always possible). Inappropriate materials tend to cause problems and so does insufficient bedding. So I can't recommend anything but clean, standard aspen or pine bedding in a nice thick layer. You don't have to change the bedding after the chicks hatch if you don't want to - it's natural for cockatiels to raise their babies in nests full of chick poop.


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

Ok thanks the last thing I want to do is cause more problems,What about potting mix or does that suck to much moisture out the eggs?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Don't use potting mix, that's dirt with fertilizer added. Peat moss is bad too. Why not just follow the standard practice and use clean shaved-wood bedding from the pet store?


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

Yeah I'll use the shavings, I'm just confused because every book I've read has said something different also I don't have the money to buy a bag of shavings yet, and was wondering if there's something I can use until I do purchase a bag.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If the books are kind of old it's possible that the advice might be outdated. A thick layer of shredded newspaper would be better than nothing until you can get the wood shavings, since it will be a while before any of the eggs actually hatch. If you have access to a document shredder, that would be a quick and easy way to turn some newspaper into nest litter.


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## Codyandme1 (Sep 14, 2011)

Ok thanks, I'll do that


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