Well this is new!

I've had my Linnies for four years. I didn't really want to breed them so I never gave them a nest box or nesting materials. This year they took matters into their own beaks.



This was laid today. I know I can just take it away if I don't want to deal with babies but I sort of admire their ingenuity and feel like it would be a shame not to let them raise their family after so much hard work.

I don't have a nest box and don't know what sort of nest linnies like. Do I need to get one or can I give them a plastic shoebox with nesting material for them to use? Or I have a corner litter box that I used to use for my rabbit and I could hang it in the cage.

So, box on the floor or hang the litter box?

Will they abandon the egg when I move it?

This explains why they've been so much more aggressive this year than in previous years. Every spring they get a bit cranky but this year has been excessive.

This is the first year that I've had other birds in the house. Could that be why they decided this year it was time? It isn't an age thing, they were both more than old enough to breed when I got them.

Thanks for the help!

ETA: Sorry about the blurry pic, they were getting really agitated so I just took a quick snap and didn't want to upset them anymore than I already had.

I use a parakeet nest box with my linnies. There's no way to know if they will continue to sit on the egg or not.

Have you candled the egg? If not it may not be fertile.

I did not candle the egg. I was cleaning their cage when I saw it and they were already highly agitated so I didn't want to make them more upset.

I may have been wrong, the egg may have been laid yesterday because another was laid about an hour after I posted this.

New update, walked past the cage and saw one egg had been knocked out and broke on the cage floor.

So, on the whole - nothing to lose idea I put some crinkled paper shreddings in a plastic dish on the cage floor and put the remaining egg in it. I did candle the egg and saw a vein. So we shall see what happens. If nothing comes of this batch maybe next year I will give them a nest box.

Generally speaking linnies lay eggs every other day. There's always an exception, but that's how most do it.

I've never heard of a linnie sitting on an egg in the open, but who knows, can't hurt to try.

Funny how resourceful they can when you least expect them to be, aren't they?

A plastic shoe box, with some torn up paper towels & even some roughly torn up newspapers will do...mom will chew up the nesting materials to her specifications.....

Be careful with the egg(s)...they shouldn't be handled very much because the oils from your hands can fill the pores of the egg shells and smother any chicks inside, and don't try to wash them off either.....

Although I've never dealt with Linnies, but if they're like 'tiels or conures, she probably won't sit her clutch hard, until she has laid the 3rd or 4th egg.....that's if you're going to let them keep the eggs.....if not, when they've all been laid, you will need to figure out how to exclude the parents from the nest, then quickly boil them, cool them & get the eggs back ASAP...probably having the water just before it boils to carefully put the eggs in so they don't crack.....nesting hens will often try to replace damaged or removed eggs, so just taking them away is not really a safe solution for the hen.....

Good luck.....

Just saw your update, so she'll probably replace the broken egg...don't know their laying frequency, but 'tiels & conures lay their eggs every 1.5 to 2 days apart.....

Thanks Weco.

After reading your post I took the crumpled paper out and put in some coarsely torn paper towel. I left the crumpled paper shreds in the cage in case she wants them too.

Fortunately I didn't handle the egg with my bare hands at all. The male has been very ornery and aggressive so I was wearing a glove each time I picked it up. The only one I handled bare handed was the broken one so that's not a big deal.

I'm starting to warm up to the idea of letting them raise this brood. However, if I decide not to let them keep them, how long should I leave the dead eggs in the nest? With my finches when I decided they needed a break I replaced each egg with a white marble and left them in there for a month. Do you think that would be enough time?

HeatherDesigns said:

Thanks Weco.

I'm starting to warm up to the idea of letting them raise this brood. However, if I decide not to let them keep them, how long should I leave the dead eggs in the nest? With my finches when I decided they needed a break I replaced each egg with a white marble and left them in there for a month. Do you think that would be enough time?

Click to expand...

You're welcome.....I didn't look up incubation times for linnies, but most parrots run to about 28 days, so, if she abandons them around that time, you should be able to discard them at your 30 day time frame, without any problems, but if they're viable, you'll know by then.....

As to marbles, that might have worked with finches, but many of our feathered friends are smarter than the average bird.....there was a recent thread around here about a hen throwing the fake eggs her owner purchased, right out of the nest and continued replacing her eggs.....

There are two or three companies that sell faux eggs and if you want to try fooling Mother Nature's right hand helper, you need to get imitation eggs that are not hollow plastic, that has a ridge running around it, but there is or was a company that used to make some pretty good sun conure eggs, but sorry to say that Mother Nature sent one of her tornadoes to visit where I used to live, so lost some of my files & haven't rebuilt all of them, but maybe there is someone around here who might know the brand and/or seller of the eggs I'm talking about.....I believe they were clay or ceramic, but they had the heft & feel of real eggs.....

Again, good luck.....

It's 21 days for the eggs to hatch, 5 weeks to fledge and for parent raised about 7 weeks to wean.

Weco, I don't know if this is the place you meant as far as dummy eggs go but I found this site. If you should ever need any again

I think they ate the egg, I stuck my hand in the box on the 25th and felt around and there was no egg. I have no idea if they will lay anymore. Rory is still being very aggressive and Amy is spending a lot of time in the box so maybe they already have? I just hate to disturb them more than I already have.

More eggs!



They do have access to more nesting material, they just haven't put it in the box. They even took most of what I had put in there for them and threw it out. I think this would qualify under 'Minimalist chic'?

The only problem with not having any material in the box is it can cause splayed leg with the chicks. I'd put more in there if it were me.

My hen is sitting on 6 eggs currently. One has hatched so far.

Should I just toss some more bedding on top of the eggs and let the parents sort it out or do I need to put the eggs on top of the bedding?

The eggs have to be on top.

Ok, I added more paper towel and put the eggs on top. Both birds have spent most of the day out of the nest box. I hope I haven't caused them to reject the nest now.

I just have one question: If all goes well and they hatch, are you going to name one of the babies River Song? Or perhaps Melody Pond?

Well it depends on how many hatch. If all four hatch then I may end up with River, Song, Mel(Melody depending on gender) and Pond.