# Female Cockatiel leaving eggs



## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

Hi, Rosie is sittting on 3 eggs and the one is due to hatch any day now, well my problem is that she is leaving them for a long time and they are getting cold. She first left them on Monday and that was for nearly an hour or so and i had to set up a homemade incubator to try to warm them up again. Well she has left them again today...she hasn't gone back in for an hour now and I'm just getting the incubator heated up. I'm going to take them out and get them warm again but my question is, will she feed the babies if they hatch? The first egg was due to hatch on Friday and then the other two on the 9 and 11. Is there still a chance of them hatching? Help me please!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Check and see if the air cell has changed in size. Candle the egg to see if the air cell is even around the egg. if the air cell is lowered on one end, that could be why she is letting them chill down some. ALWAYS check the air cell close to hatch dates. many times if you put the egg back under the bird or try to warm it up it messes up the hatch. The baby needs the chilling to stimulate movement to turn in the egg to the hatching position.

You might also let the male back, supervised, to see how he does with her.


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## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

I candled them when i got home and the air cell hadn't changed in any of them.....the one egg was off to the side though this morning and i left it after i had candled it and when i checked after i got home it was back with the other two. I'll try putting Rocky back in...thats what worked last time but I'm just worried that if i leave him in there the eggs may hatch when i'm not here and he killed the first chick last time. I've got them in the homemade incubator i made right now at 99.5 degrees. I'll put Rocky back in and put the eggs back in to. How long can they go without being warm??


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## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

Okay I've put Rocky back in and I put the eggs back in the nest. Rosie is being really grumpy with him and chases him all around the cage. I've put a piece of millet in the nest to try to encourage them into the box but they've both come out again...
I candled the oldest egg that is due to hatch on Friday and here is the pictures.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OK...the air cell is too large. The baby has not started to turn yet. You might want to lightly mist the inside walls ONLY of the nestbox to increase humidity in there. With an air cell that large there is a big risk of the baby getting trapped in the shell, and if hatching be a very weak baby.


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## seaofdreams (Dec 29, 2009)

Wow, that is a massive air pocket. Hopefully all goes well.


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## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

srtiels said:


> OK...the air cell is too large. The baby has not started to turn yet. You might want to lightly mist the inside walls ONLY of the nestbox to increase humidity in there. With an air cell that large there is a big risk of the baby getting trapped in the shell, and if hatching be a very weak baby.


Okay I'll mist the sides, I have a bath in the cage for Rosie but she won't go in it and I was concerned about the humidity....Oh!
The chick in that egg is starting to hatch, this morning I could hear it pipping and the shell of the egg is showing that it is starting to break away the egg...I just got home and its still in the egg but still cheeping..I candled it and I can still see blood veins. Hopefully it hatches soon. I also noticed that that egg is more round than the others...is that normal?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Eggs vary in shape, so I wouldn't worry about the shape of it.

As long as you see blood veins you are OK. If the air cell is still huge all you need to do is just check every once in awhile as to the veins to see if they recede. if they have it is not long after that the chick draws in the yolk and cuts out of the egg.


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## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

Yes I'm keeping a very close eye on it. Rosie is currently in the nestbox sitting on the eggs...I candled the hatching egg again and I could actually feel the chick hitting against the egg and see it move every time it cheeped!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OK...keep an ear out for the cheeping sounds. The kicking in side the egg should also conincide with crack marks (pips) going around the circumference of the egg. If the veins have receded from here the solids meet the air cell the chick has drawn in the blood. If you candle and see movement in the air cell end there could be a slight chance the chick could also be trapped if the pip marks are not going around the egg.

Please keep us posted, and read my article as a *just in case... :* http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/assist-hatches.html


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## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

I just candled again when Rosie came out to eat more food and I can still see the viens, its still cheeping and there is some more crack marks


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

It sounds like the baby is progressing along OK...


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## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

How long does it normally take for them to hatch? The saw the first pip mark around 6:40am this morning and it is now 9:11pm. Its still cheeping and I can feel it hitting against the shell.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Once the veins have definitely receded, then all the chick has to do is draw in the yolk which doesn't take long. Is the air cell still big? If so my concern would be it possibly trapped in the shell. Where the eggshell is cracked, can you see anything of the chick?...like movement or anything.


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## Rocky's Rose (Jun 24, 2008)

I can't see inside the egg from the cracks but when I candled it I can see it moving. I think the viens have started to reced because i can only see one big vien this morning


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