cockatiels and 5 eggs

[onelove4ma]

I have a pair of cockatiels and i believe they have mated because she laid 5 eggs the first egg was laid on easter april 24th. Both parents keep going in the nest and sitting in the eggs. i had read somewhere that it take 18-21 days to hatch well mine havent yet so i took the eggs out to check them and all i can see is yolk inside nothing else. so if someone can please help on this i dnt know what to do with the eggs or even if there fertile or not...help!! thanks

[mainbutter]

A reptile forum isn't likely the best source for bird breeding information.. BUT if their eggs are anything like reptile eggs, fertile eggs will likely see veins if you shine a flashlight through them, and infertile eggs won't.

If all you see is the yolk, I'd guess that they are infertile eggs. From what I remember when my mom had birds when I was a kid, it's certainly not uncommon for birds to lay infertile eggs, especially for a first clutch.

[Highline Reptiles South]

That sounds promising! I had a cockatiel for 15 years......his name was Dave. When dave was about 6 years old ...he laid eggs she never showed any interest in sitting on them though!

[Simple Man]

LOL! I almost lost pop through my nose.

Regards,

B

[Jay_Bunny]

Female cockatiels will lay infertile eggs from time to time. I would confirm you have a pair and not two females as if you have two females, you will just keep getting infertile eggs. If you see only a yolk, especially after all this time, then they are certainly not fertile. Fertile bird eggs are usually a pink or red color on the inside. My female is on her 3rd clutch of infertile eggs since we got her a few years ago.

[mues155]

It only takes about 4 days before you can candle an incubated fertile cockatiel egg and see a bundle of veins and a little embryo with a heartbeat.
A female will lay her first egg, she will not always incubate that one right away. She lays her second one after another day. Then she starts incubating. Usually the first two chicks will hatch within 24 hours of eachother.
My tiels usually took 19 days on the nose when the first chicks hatched.
If you can see a yellow yolk after about a week when candling then no they are not fertile eggs. If the pair is inexperienced they may have mated but the male can miss the cloaca and not actual fertilize her. Just be careful not to let them lay so many times in a row. I would let her again one more time then take the box away. Producing eggs is very hard on birds, as with most animals. Wait 6 months at least before you let her lay again, this will give her time to regain the calcium she needs, otherwise an egg bound female usually is fatal.
I bred cockatield for 5 years. its very fun to raise baby birds but it takes lots of patience.

[OtterGoRun]

Fabulous info from mues155.

If you candled the eggs and they are yellow, they are not fertile. Just because eggs were laid, does not guarantee their viability. Even when fertile, there is a chance of stillborns and early chick death, especially with inexperienced parents.

There are a few things you can do if you don't want to have chicks (after all, you will need to consider who will keep them). You can pull the eggs, but if you have a prolific layer she will continue to lay again and again. If this is the case, be sure to supply calcium fortified grit such as oyster shells so she does not become egg bound (almost always fatal).

You can also leave the eggs in there. The parents will eventually kick them out of the nest.

Lastly, you can make "dummy eggs". Carefully drain the yolk from the infertile eggs and fill them with plaster. Once they harden, you will have a permanent set of dummy eggs. When the parent leaves the nest for food or water, replace the laid eggs with the dummies, and allow them to sit on them until they kick them out on their own. Some birds don't take to dummy eggs, but many do. It's a great way of extending the time between lays.

Also, some females will lay even without the presence of a mate. Just because you have eggs does not mean you have a mating pair.

Good luck!