Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 12/7/2007

Question
hello i was just woudering if you could help me my budge layed 4 eggs one hatched last sunday could you please tell me when will the other 3 hatch the first baby is doing well andf she is still sitting do you think the others will hatch many thanks caro l

Answer
Hi, Carol,

If an egg hatched last Sunday, the others may not hatch at all.  Eggs hatch every other day in the order they were laid, IF they are fertile and the embryo develops properly during incubation.  So, if one hatched last Sunday, I'm assuming this was the first egg laid (it could be the second or 3d egg laid...you'd know this, not I).  The second egg should have hatched on Tuesday, the 3d egg on Thursday, and the 4th should hatch Saturday.  If you have no hatchlings since Sunday, the other eggs may not hatch at all.  There's still a possibility of an egg hatching tomorrow, if the egg is viable.  The female could still be sitting in order to keep the 1 baby warm, not necessarily to continue incubating the other eggs.  I'd wait and see what happens in the next several days.  The 2d and 3d eggs may not be viable, but the 4th might be.  If the other eggs aren't going to hatch, the female will eventually push them aside and then you can remove them.  Otherwise, don't remove any other eggs until the female pushes them aside.

Chrys