# First clutch of (infertile) eggs and a few questions



## timtam (Oct 15, 2012)

My tiels laid their first clutch of 4 eggs about 3 weeks ago. All eggs were/are infertile which I suspect is because they are too young (just over 12 months). I left the eggs with them however as I didn't want to encourage them to lay again. I have a few questions though:

1. How long will it take them to stop sitting on the eggs. They have been very good parents as far as looking after the eggs goes. At least one of them has been on the eggs since the first one was laid and they are not showing any sings of that changing. The only difference I've noticed is that for the last few days both of them are spending most of the day together in the nest box.

2. Once they do stop sitting on the eggs and I remove them, how long should I wait before giving the nest box back?

3. Today I've noticed that one of the eggs has completely disappeared. I've searched the cage and ruffled through the nesting material but cant find any trace of it. Any suggestions on what could have happened to it? Could this have something to do with why they are both staying in the nest together instead if one at a time?

Sorry if my questions sound a bit silly. This is our first clutch of eggs so I have a lot to learn.


----------



## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

12 months isn't too young, but first time pairs don't usually figure it out right off the bat and it may take them a try or two to get it right. 

1. They will stop sitting on the eggs once they realize the eggs aren't going to hatch. That will probably be within the next couple days. 

2. You can leave the nest box if you want, if you want them to try again right away. Have you seen them mating? I ask so that you can gauge whether they're doing it right or not. If they aren't doing it right and need more practice, I would take the box out til they get it right.

3. The egg is probably buried in the bedding somewhere, which is not as easy to find as you would think. I had one hen that would bury her eggs until she had laid at least three, then she would dig up the other two. It didn't matter how hard I looked in that bedding, I could never find them after she had buried them. I had pairs that liked to sit in the box together and pairs that didn't, I don't think that has anything to do with the missing egg.


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

They might start another clutch as soon as they realize that this one isn't going to hatch. So it would be a good idea to start on hormone control right away to try to prevent this from happening - more info at http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=32330


----------

