eggs but not sitting on them ???

[nial8r]

Hi all well i now have 14 pairs ( all leg ringed, numbered and jotted down in my book ) i started giving them nesting materials and they have made nice nests in all six boxes and have started laying however the pairs will hang around there boxes but are not sitting on the eggs ?? and in each box there is only 1 egg ?? i dont know if im disturbing them when i change there tucker every 2nd day or the fact that i like to keep the avery clean so im cleaning the floor, frame and mesh with the gurni but staying right away from the boxes. should they be sitting on there eggs and should there be more as i know my ma's lay a new egg around every 2nd day and have up to 5 in each box. any help or info would be great as i dont know weather to remove the eggs that are in the boxes or leave them ??

Regards
Lee

 

[weco]

What kind of birds are you talking about?

Often, hens do not begin sitting their eggs until the second or third egg is laid.....

You'll have to pardon my ignorance, but the only gurneys I am familiar with are those used in hospitals or medical centers.....also, what is a tucker?

Are you talking about a walk-in, communal aviary where the nest boxes are all open? If these are all new birds to you, you may want to limit your activity in there, especially since these are first time pairs & assuming they are first time nesters.....a lot of hens do not tolerate much activity around their nests/clutches...then there are the males who are normally charged with outside protection of their hen & nests.....upset/keep either nervous during the nesting period & you could lose all your eggs/chicks.....nervous birds can trample eggs, develop a taste for eggs, trample chicks, mutilate/cannibalize chicks and/or attack each other.....

Don't pull any eggs, give your birds a chance to prove themselves.....

First time pairs don't always get it right and may require a year together before producing viable clutches.....

Not trying to be smart, but, while you may have set your birds up for breeding, you may want to do a bit more reading on maintaining breeding facilities for your particular species of birds.....

Good luck.....

 

[Betrisher]

I think this poster is an Australian (g'day nial8r!) because a gurni is a pressurised water cleaner and tucker is food.

FWIW, nial8r, I wouldn't be using a gurni around nesting pairs, especially if the birds are new to their environment. Also, if these are new, young pairs, they may not have viable clutches in their first year. The hens don't start sitting until a few or all the eggs have been laid. If you keep looking into the nests (especially if the hens are inexperienced mums), then the birds may abandon the eggs or fail to sit closely enough to hatch them.

I've just discarded five infertile eggs from an inexperienced pair, but another six eggs appear to be fertile and are being closely sat by the second-year pair that laid them. Be patient and don't hassle the birds too much.

Why don't you give a complete run-down of your set-up and situation so our more experienced members can help you?

 

[Hayden1987]

When i was breeding i never checked the nests,
You are better off to have pairs in individual breeding cages/flights depending on the species..
What prefer to do is watch to make sure the hens come out to feed at some point or if the male is feedingbthe hen...
Watch food consumption.. offer more fresh foods and softer foods as this helps encourage breeding in some species
Keep a track on when you think the hen has started sitting and count the days, once you feel incubation period is up.. i tend to check the nests to see if there are chicks.
If the birds are nervous newbies. Dont go in and check while she is sitting.
Wait till she comes out to feed

Be patient and dont be too nosey, as difficult as it may be... keep disturbances to an absolute minimum.
Also i would stop water blasting the aviaries.. much to disturbing and scary for birds.. wait until chicks have weaned.. just go in quietly with a dustpan and brush and pick up the left over food that way


Hope that didnt come out as a know it all comment.. but thats just how i was taught and its never done me wrong, with the exception of the mitchells... the male was an egg eater

Goodluck

 

[nial8r]

Thanks for the replies. Dont stress im a big boy and dont flip out at peoples comments or advice. Yes im in Australia and the birds on topic are love birds. I sweep the floor out the gurni ( pressure was) the concrete floor to keep it clean of bird cukka to keep there inviroment as clean as possible. The pairs that have only one egg in there box are gaurding there entry hole like body guards lol. They are quite calm when I clean and feed them but the do go bananas if I go near the boxes.
Regards
Lee

 

[crimson]

going bananas when you go near their nesting box is understandable.

You know you mean no harm, but they don't, and are only doing what they are suppose to do....protect.

try and stay away from the boxes best as possible, even if it's a few feet further.

If these are relatively new pairs, then they will get to know your routine, when you come and go, and won't be bothered by you so much.

I hang bird feeders from the tops of my cages when I have many birds in one cage, it's a real time saver, as I only fill it when it's near empty, which reduces your trips to feed, and reduces stress within the aviary.

Is it possible to set up the water dishes away from the nesting boxes?

 

[nial8r]

Yeah have there water well away from the boxes and the same with there 5 feeders. I can just reach in to grab the water and feeders with one arm and I make it as quick as possible