# A question regarding my breeding pair of tiels



## Kylie (Jul 9, 2009)

Hello! 

I am wondering if anyone can shed any light on a current sitation with one of my breeding pair of tiels....

8 days ago i noticed an egg!!!! two days later another, then another and another!!!!!

There are currently four eggs now from this particular pair in question. The problem is that they keep burrying their eggs. today was the second time i had to gingerly uncover and move the eggs back into the middle of the nest. 

However it seems as tho when the eggs het "hidden" both mum and dad are quite happy to pretend that there arent an eggs!!! when i move the eggs back into sight they return and sit on them the first two eggs i have candled and can just see the beginnings of the spider like veins in them but the last two are still too early to tell.

Today all four eggs were seporated from each other and seemed strategically placed one in each corner of the nest box with the nesting material pilled high on top of them in each corner !!! they have bred for my four times in the past these particular pair without even a small hiccup so wha is their form now? why would they be doing such a strange thing? 

should i remove some of the nesting material so it is harder for them to do this because they do sit on them when they can see them but im afraid that if it keeps happening the embryos will die. how long can a bird spend off of the eggs before the eggs chill and die?

thanks for any imput!


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## Tony's Tiels (May 21, 2009)

They are trying to hide the eggs from you ! 
When it is time for them to start incubating they will uncover the eggs & do their job.
Sometimes, less human interference is better....
From what you are describing, they are doing Exactly what they should be doing.

She probably has more eggs to lay & that is why they are covering the current ones.
(it is not time to start incubating yet....)

So, just let them be, it sounds like the human interference is stressing them out.
Not trying to sound harsh, trying help here....
So do not take offense


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## Kylie (Jul 9, 2009)

Hi Tony,

No offence taken!  I usually check the nest box every second day and i enter the aviary each morning and afternoon for feed and waters duties. other then that the aviary is situated in a quiet spot at the back of our house where not much ever really happens. See i thought maybe if they wernt doing it on purpose that perhaps i had put in too much nesting material this time and when they moved around in the box they might be accidentally hiding them! i just didnt know if there was a stratergy to it or not! so maybey your right and i should not do the checks anymore and just relax and let nature take its course.  i guess im just a bit anxious!!!!! however i did check again this morning and all four eggs were all back together in the middle!! 

I feel sorry for the hen tho as the cock wont sit at all for her she has the whole duty of sitting and iv never seen him feed her at all he just follow her wherever she goes if she leaves the box so does he if she eats so does he if she decided to have a break oon the perch so does he all he ever wants to do is preen and mate with her and does not share any duties other then chasing any other tiel off of the box! it is just different this time with this pair the cock has always been a great hubby and daddy but this time he seems more preocupied with trying to court her all the time again tho i suppose it is early days!  thanks for your help i should just stop fussing!!!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Ok...a quick question. Are the eggs warm when you check them? Many times if both birds are out of the box they cover them to keep them warm...BUT they ususally leave the clutch together.

From your last posting it sounds like if there are other tiels on or near their nesting site this is the problem. The male probably feels very threatened by this, and has to keep the hen in sight. can you remove these other tiels and see if the pair settles down and is not trying to hide the eggs. the hiding of the eggs may be their way of protecting them from another tiel possibly going into the box and harming the eggs.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I've only had this happen once with tiels and they were infertile eggs, it happened with my budgies a few times and they were infertile as well. 

Just a thought. 

Oh and I've never witnessed any of my tiel Males feeding the females, I don't think this normally happens with Tiels.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

ATV,

Your right tiels do not feed each other as a norm during the mating and nesting process, and especially when a hen is in the nest. This is not to say that it is not done, but I have only seen it a couple of times and it was the hens that ususally initiated it, and nothing was passed from ones birds mouth to the other. 

You mentioned you candle a couple of eggs and they were fertile. Is a tiel sitting on the eggs throughout the night?

Have you noticed when a tiel goes back in to sit if they will uncover the eggs on their own? I have many pairs that do cover eggs when neither bird is in the box...I just never had them scatter them so spread out like you are describing.


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## Tony's Tiels (May 21, 2009)

Interesting how we have all witnessed different things....
When one of our hens was doing all of the incubating, dad did go feed her, very regularily.
I was able to see the food actually passing thru to her 
thru a small opening of the nest box, after about 10 days, they started to share incubating duties.
I suspect the female here is sneaking out to get food at some point, as the hen we had did along w/ getting food from her mate. She was Very Fast about her feeding time, & got back to nesting quickly. As time went on she let dad help more & more with incubating.

And, I am confused now also, Are other birds sharing the same cage/avairy as the nesting pair ?
If so, I have to agree that would be the main reason they are hiding the eggs.
And, it does sound like they are ready to incubate, since the eggs are all in a group now.
It sounds like this pair needs/wants their own space w/out any other birds close by while incubating & raising the chicks.
Quote From SR
"From your last posting it sounds like if there are other tiels on or near their nesting site this is the problem. The male probably feels very threatened by this, and has to keep the hen in sight. can you remove these other tiels and see if the pair settles down and is not trying to hide the eggs. the hiding of the eggs may be their way of protecting them from another tiel possibly going into the box and harming the eggs."

We have had tiels spread & hide eggs before, SR has worded a soluton very well.

One of the reason's being it is a Very Good practice to be able to check the nest box, but if both parents are trying to hide eggs from You & Birds, it will get more & more challenging & I suspect stressful for the parents.

Keep us posted, Best wishes with this endeavor !


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