Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 6/4/2006

Question
Hi, my parakeet just laid an egg for the first time about 2 days ago. She hasn't been in her nesting box much after the egg was laid, except for today (2 days later) she has been in there for about 2 hours or so. Since it is the first egg she has ever laid, is it most likely infertile? It is white. I don't know if she is going to lay another today or not, but if the eggs are infertile, will they still lay an egg every 1-2 days? Also, I saw them mating 2 days ago. Is it guaranteed that the female will become pregnant after mating and lay eggs? How much longer after mating does the female lay the eggs? Thank  you.

Answer
Hi, Kelly.  Thanks for posting.

Keets will normally lay an egg every other day after the first one is laid, so she will most likely lay more (average clutch size is 6).  This isn't always the case, but normally.  Even if this is her first egg, it can be fertile if she has had a successful mating (keet eggs are white).  However, realize that not every egg laid will necessarily be fertile...they all might be, some might be, none might be...this is just Mother Nature.  Usually, if a bonded pair of keets are mating, they will lay (some or all) fertile eggs.  A pair of keets only has to mate once to lay a full clutch of eggs, however, the more they mate, the better the chances of fertile eggs or all of them being fertile.  I've seen some parrots mate and never lay eggs, but this is usually the exception to the rule.  It usually takes about 7-10 days for eggs to be produced after mating has occurred.  If your keet is laying eggs, the process has begun, so you should expect more eggs to be laid, one every other day.  This is also the way they will hatch...every other day.  You can expect the first egg to hatch, if fertile, about 18 days after she starts incubating (incubating means when she starts sitting on her eggs all the time, usually when the second egg is laid).

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Chrys