What Do You Do When a Parakeet Lays Eggs

by jay | Posted on February 2nd, 2023

Are you a proud parakeet parent? Are you excited about the possibility of having baby parakeets in your home?

If so, then this blog post is for you! We’ll cover what to do when your pet parakeet lays eggs, including how to prepare for nesting and to raise baby birds.

Understanding Parakeet Breeding

Understanding parakeet breeding is an important part of caring for these birds.

It involves identifying male and female parakeets, preparing for breeding, monitoring the egg-laying process, inspecting the eggs for fertility, removing fertilized eggs from the cage, incubating fertilized eggs, caring for chicks after hatching, preventing unwanted egg laying and getting professional assistance if needed.

All these steps are necessary to ensure the health and well-being of your birds and their offspring. Keeping a close eye on the breeding process can also help ensure that you have a successful outcome. With proper knowledge and care, parakeet breeding can be a rewarding experience.

Identify Male and Female Parakeets

Identifying male and female parakeets is the first step to successfully breeding them. Male parakeets have a blue head and a yellow face, while female parakeets have an all-green head with some yellow markings on their cheeks.

Additionally, male parakeets have a longer tails than females, and the male’s cere—the area around its nostrils—is blue or purple, while the female’s cere is white. The easiest way to identify which parakeet is male or female is by looking at their feathers.

Males typically have brighter, more vibrant feathers than females. Finally, if you can make your parakeet mate, that is a sure sign that one of them is male and one of the female.

Preparing for Breeding

Preparing for breeding is an important part of the process when a parakeet lays eggs. Identifying the male and female parakeets and providing them with a nice nesting area free of disturbances is important.

The nesting area should have plenty of space for the birds to move around and enough food and water. Additionally, monitoring the egg-laying process is essential to ensuring that each egg is fertilized and viable. This can be done by inspecting the eggs for fertility, removing fertilized eggs from the cage, and incubating them until they hatch.

Finally, it’s important to prevent unwanted egg laying by removing unviable eggs and providing the birds with toys and other distractions. With proper preparation and care, breeding parakeets can be a rewarding experience.

Monitoring the Egg-Laying Process

Monitoring the egg-laying process is important in ensuring a successful parakeet breeding experience. It helps to identify when mating has occurred and when eggs are being laid. The female parakeet will usually lay one egg every two days, totaling four to eight eggs over a few weeks.

You can track this process by weighing your birds daily to ensure they are not producing too many eggs. Inspecting the eggs for fertility is also important, as it will tell you whether or not they need to be incubated.

Additionally, if your parakeets are laying too many eggs, strategies are available to discourage this behavior. With careful monitoring, you can be sure that the egg-laying process goes smoothly and successfully.

Inspect the Eggs for Fertility

Inspecting the eggs for fertility is important when a parakeet lays eggs. Candling is a technique used to determine whether an egg is fertile.

To do this, hold the egg up to a strong light source and look for a small white circle on the yolk with a “bullseye”-like shape. Fertile eggs will often sink in water, while infertile eggs will float. If you are unsure, it’s a good idea to take your parakeet to a veterinarian for a check-up to be sure.

This will also help you identify if your parakeet is still laying eggs and other issues that may be present.

Removing Fertilized Eggs from the Cage

Once a female parakeet has laid her eggs, they must be removed from the cage. It is essential to do this carefully, as the eggs can easily be damaged during the process. Before removing the eggs, it is important to ensure they are fertilized.

If they are not, it is best to leave them in the cage and allow the female parakeet to keep them warm until they hatch. When removing the eggs, it is important to use two hands so that they can be securely held and nestled against your body for additional cushioning.

Once the eggs have been taken from the cage, placing them in an incubator is best for further care.

Incubating Fertilized Eggs

Once the eggs have been identified as fertilized, it is important to begin the incubation process immediately. The eggs should be placed in a box lined with paper towels, and the temperature should be maintained between 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit.

It is also important to keep the humidity at 40-50 percent. The eggs should be turned daily to ensure the embryo does not stick to one side of the shell. After 18 days of incubation, the eggs will begin to hatch, and the chicks will need to be fed and cared for to survive.

Those who are unsure how to go about incubating eggs can seek help from a certified avian veterinarian who has experience in this matter.

Caring for Chicks After Hatching

Once the chicks have hatched, it is important to provide them with proper care and nutrition. Start by removing the nest box as soon as the chicks have left it, and do not return the box for about a week.

During this time, the chicks will need food and water sources and a place to stay warm. Wash and dry your hands before handling the chicks, as bacteria can be passed easily. Block the entrance to the nest, keeping out predators such as cats or dogs.

Make sure to monitor the chicks for signs of illness or injury, and if any are found, contact a professional for assistance. Your parakeet chicks should develop into healthy adults with proper care and nutrition.

Preventing Unwanted Egg Laying

Preventing unwanted egg-laying by your parakeet can be tricky, but with the right steps, it can be done.

First, it is important to identify if you have male and female parakeets. Male parakeets cannot lay eggs, so if you have a single bird, it is likely male. If you have two birds and one is laying eggs, it is likely the female.

Once you have identified the sexes, if you do not wish to breed your parakeets, you can take steps to prevent further egg-laying. Hormone injections such as Testosterone, HCG, and Lupron can suppress egg-laying. It is also important not to give your parakeet a nest box and remove eggs immediately, as this will encourage her to lay more.

Most bird owners remove the eggs from the cage and throw them away. Additionally, putting your parakeet in a separate cage with a full spectrum light overhead can help stop excessive egg-laying.

Finally, adding dummy eggs to the clutch of up to seven may also help. With patience and proper care, you should be able to prevent unwanted egg-laying by your parakeet successfully.

Getting Professional Assistance

When getting professional help with a parakeet that has laid eggs, it is important to seek a certified avian veterinarian. These professionals can assist in moving the cage to another place if possible and observing the egg-laying process.

They can also advise how to inspect the eggs for fertility and remove fertilized eggs from the cage. They can even pass a needle through the vent and into the eggshell to remove the contents if necessary. This assistance is critical if your parakeet has not passed an egg after trying other therapies.

With the right guidance, you can ensure that your parakeet gets proper care and attention during this important time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding when parakeets lay eggs and how to manage the process is important for parakeet owners. Identifying male and female parakeets and preparing the cage for breeding is important before the egg-laying process begins.

Monitoring the egg-laying process and then checking for fertility is also recommended. If fertilized eggs are found, it may be necessary to remove them from the cage and incubate them. After hatching, parakeet owners may need to provide special care to ensure their chicks grow up healthy and strong.

Finally, it may be necessary to prevent unwanted egg-laying if it is not desired. Seeking professional assistance can help ensure parakeet owners have the knowledge they need to care for their birds properly.

jay

I am not an expert, just passionate. I own a Parakeet and I have been in your shoes. If you are currently looking for information, I've done the research and that is the reason why I created this website.