# Parents Away From Eggs All Night



## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

My pair of cockatiels currently have 5 eggs. The last one was laid two days ago and they started sitting on them immediately after the first egg was laid. Normally, both parents are in the box during the day and just the hen is the box at night. Well, last night both parents stayed out of the box all night. I've never seen them do this before. I've seen them out for short periods of time, but not all night. They have had successful clutches before. Once with me and a few other times with their previous owner.

Additionally, my A/C broke. It was in the high 90's for three days in a row where I live and many people lost air conditioning. Mine has not been working for two days and it will be another two before I can get someone to come fix it. So, it was very warm in my house all night. It was 83 when I went to bed and only dropped to 78 by morning.

Does anyone know how long the eggs can be left and still hatch? 

Thank you, Eileen


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

I should also mention that the parents are in the nest box this morning.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Normally I would say the embryos probably chilled overnight and should not be viable any longer. It's a shame, but something must've spooked them off the nest. You can let them sit for 3 weeks to see if any miracles happen. The only thing that may be in your favor is that the temperature was warm, so it is possible for eggs to survive. Wait 3 days and candle the eggs to see if they're still alive and fertile.


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## Eric's Mommy (Dec 1, 2011)

I agree with bjknight93 hope for a miracle.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

It depends...I had a pair this last time that would sit during the day then leave the nest at night, this happened four nights in a row until I figured out what was going on (first time parents, both handfed, not the brightest pair) and helped them out. Out of the nine eggs she laid, 7 hatched. So there is still the possibility that they hadn't developed enough yet for this to affect them.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

Thank you. I was thinking the same thing. Maybe it was warm enough? I will candle them in a few days and see if anything deveops. 

I am wondering if the heat is what caused her to leave the nest box. It can't be comfortable in that nest box with this heat. 

Eileen


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Depends...I know in the warmer states during the summer many tiels don't have to sit they just have to go in the box to turn the eggs, but that's with temps in the high 90's and low 100's.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Maybe you should prop the nestbox lid open with something until your AC gets fixed.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

I was thinking about doing that. I'm hesitant to do anything that might spook them though.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

I candeled the eggs this morning. The eggs are now 10, 8, 7, 5 and 3 days old. The ones that are 10 and 8 days are fertilized and appear to be doing well.  I see veins and what appears to be movement in the eggs. The other 3 all look like they are either unfertilized or not far enough along. They are all clear inside with no veins. Eggs 1 and 2 have bright white shells and eggs 3 through 5 have are a pinkish color shells.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

A pinkish shell is a sign of an undeveloped egg, which is to be expected with your two youngest eggs even if they're fertile. It's possible that the middle (7 day old) egg is infertile or DIS but it's also possible that you might see changes in it before too long. But at the very least you have two fertile eggs.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

I guess the answer to my question of whether a chick could survive, if the parents left it all night is...in some cases, yes! I did end up with one chick out of the clutch of 5 after the parents left the eggs unattended all night. It turns out three eggs were not fertile and one was DIS. Here is 3 day old baby "Liberty" who began hatching on the 4th of July.  He/she seems to have no shortage of attention from Mom and Dad.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

awww cute little white faced bub.


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## Eileen (Mar 11, 2011)

Thanks. It should be a White Face Cinnamon baby.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Very cute! Congrats!


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