# candling?



## jacky52 (Sep 2, 2010)

Well I tried looking at the eggs over a light bulb and I don't see anything. All I see is what I would describe as an air bubble. I didn't try a flashlight. What are the exact steps I need to take. Do I need to turn off the lights. Sorry for sounding stupid. Since this is their first time laying eggs what are the chances they are actually fertile. It wouldn't bother me either way. I love my birds but I don't know what I'm going to do with 3 more birds if they hatch. 

I would say its been about 5 or 6 days since they started incubating them. So I don't know if its to soon or not. I just feel like they are not fertile. If they are not what should I do with the eggs and how are they going to take it. If I just remove the eggs. 

Thank you


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

ughh.... if u dont want babies, try to get ahold of replacement eggs--fast. ive heard you can boil the eggs... dunno how well thatd be and ive heard u can poke holes in each end of the egg and they wont develope--again dunno how that really is beneficial cuz id feel as if something didnt work right and one hatches that baby could have some problems. dont remove the eggs--female will only lay more and that can cause egg binding. honestly try to get ahold of fake eggs. u can buy them. send a message to srtiels--she will be able to help!


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## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

Just simply boil the eggs.. just like you would hard boil a chicken egg. Once cooled, place the egg back. Do you have a nest box up or are they on the floor?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

After 5 days of incubation you should be able to see signs of development. Wait a couple of days and try again, and if you still don't see anything the eggs aren't fertile.

If they aren't fertile, just leave them in the nest until the parents lose interest. Since you don't want babies, you should start working on bringing down their hormone levels so they don't lay another clutch as soon as they give up on this one.

If the eggs ARE fertile and you don't want babies, you can boil or freeze the eggs and then give them back to the parents. Or you can replace the real eggs with fake eggs, available at http://theeggshop.com/ Once again, try to bring their hormone levels down so they don't start another clutch.

The best way to candle eggs is to go in a dark room and put a small bright light (like a flashlight) against one end. It's best to use the bigger end because this is where the air cell is, and there's less chance of heat from the light damaging the embryo. If the whole egg glows yellow after 5+ days of incubation, it isn't fertile. If part of the egg looks dark it's fertile, and the dark area will get bigger as the embryo grows. The light shines through the clear albumen but doesn't shine through the embryo.

It's best to wash your hands before candling. Eggshells are porous and bacteria can get through sometimes.


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## jacky52 (Sep 2, 2010)

Honestly I wouldn't mind them having one. I just don't know what I will do if all three hatch. I mean I know I could find them new homes but there are so many unwanted animals to begin with. Thats all. I don't want to come off the wrong way. I'll try candling them tomorrow. I do have a nestbox for them and everything. I guess I just have mixed feelings, which I think is understandable.

I never thought they would actually mate. I also have two budgie pairs that I have had for about 5 years. I have never seen them even attempt it. So I just figured the cockatiels would be the same. 

So if these eggs are fertile or if they are not, when will they lay again. Even without the nest box she was laying them at the bottom of the cage. She was very stressed about it. So I figured just giving her the nest box would put her at ease. 

Thank you


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

youre welcome and good luck with what decision you make--in the end, is up to you.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> So if these eggs are fertile or if they are not, when will they lay again.


If the eggs are NOT fertile, they'll probably start a new clutch as soon as they give up on the first one. It normally takes 16-18 days from the start of incubation for eggs to hatch, so they'll give up after about three weeks.

If the eggs ARE fertile, they'll probably start a new clutch when the chicks are 3 to 4 weeks old.

I understand the panicked feeling that comes when your tiels start laying eggs against all your expectations - that's what Buster and Shodu did to me. They'd been copulating for 6 months with no eggs so it was a huge surprise when Shodu laid an egg on the cage's play top one night. Since then she's laid 20 more eggs (spread out over two years) and there was only one egg that failed to hatch.

There were no eggs this year though because I used the long nights treatment to keep their hormones under control. I've used the same technique to stop them from laying a third clutch in the same year although I haven't been able to prevent them from laying a second clutch in the same year. So it's possible to prevent them from laying eggs sometimes but not always. If the current clutch is infertile, you can go full blast at hormone control. If it's fertile things are trickier - you don't want to reduce their hormones so much that they stop taking care of the babies.


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## jacky52 (Sep 2, 2010)

Well two of the eggs still appear to be a solid white and I see nothing going on in there. The other one I could see some viens and a couple grey spots inside. I think It was fertile but died. 

The long night treatment. I don't have any spare room to put them. But could I put them in a corner and just cover them up and turn the lights out early.


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## Jess (Jun 20, 2010)

Putting a needle right through the egg making a pin hole either side works.
If it becomes a problem there's an affordable hormone injection HCG that can stop ovulation but you have to catch her when you see signs that she is getting broody.
Lupron is more effective but is silly money, I was quoted £150, the HCG is only £4.95 and the vets consult for doing the injection.


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