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Birds--General/Parakeet Eggs

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Expert: - 12/14/2006


Question
Hello! Thanks for your time! My parakeet has finally finished laying her five eggs but I'm worried. I thought I just had two female parakeets, not a male and a female so I never took the time to learn how to take care of baby birds. Is there a certain strategy or technique to separating them from their parents? The female parakeet is constantly sitting on her eggs, which I think is okay, and our male is taking food from their seed dish and bringing it to her. This seems normal but I don't know if they know what to do next.

Answer
Hi, Janna.  Thanks for posting!

It sounds like your birds are doing everything right thus far, so I'm sure they are very aware of what to do next!  

Yes, the female should be incubating her eggs (sitting on them constantly), and the male is feeding her, which is also perfectly normal.  The male is actually eating the seed and regurgitating to the female.  If fertile and they develop properly, the eggs should start hatching about 18 days from the date the female started sitting 24/7.

You need to decide what you will do next!  In other words, when the babies hatch, are you going to let the parents raise them or are you going to pull the babies from the parents when they are about 10 days old and handfeed them with baby parrot handfeeding formula and a handfeeding syringe?  If you don't pull them for handfeeding, they won't be tame, and you probably won't be able to sell or give them away.  You need to make this decision quickly, as you have a lot to learn if you handfeed them!  See information on my website on this:

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Come back with any questions.

Chrys  

Birds--General

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Chrys Meatyard

Expertise

I`ve been raising/breeding/handfeeding/selling parrots for over 20 years (parakeets/budgies, cockatiels, 6 subspecies of conures, parrotlets, amazons, lovebirds, etc.). I've been published in "Budgies" and "Cockatiels" offered by Bow Tie Productions, and have written avian articles for publication in England. I can provide advice in raising healthy birds, handfeeding/weaning babies, some health problems (although I'm NOT an avian veterinarian), nail/beak/wing clipping, general husbandry, etc. I also have experience with racing/showing homing pigeons. I cannot diagnose specific illness over this website. If you suspect your bird is ill or if you have an emergency, contact an avian veterinarian or emergency pet clinic ASAP.

Experience

Experience: Over 20 years raising parrots and over 13 years raising pigeons. Organizations: Currently, American Racing Pigeon Union and American Federation of Aviculture. Prior member Miami Valley Bird Club, Southern Ohio Pigeon Association, National Cockatiel Society, Miami Valley Sportsman's Club, others. Publications: Monthly newsletters of bird clubs.

Publications
I've been published in "Budgies" and "Cockatiels" offered by Bow Tie Productions, and have written avian articles for publication in England.

Education/Credentials
American Federation of Aviculture, completed Level I course, Fundamentals of Aviculture. Keeping/breeding parrots and other birds for over 20 years.

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