love bird smashing eggs

[nial8r]

Hi all just a few quick questions.
Can someone please shed some light on why one of my pairs keep laying then smashing the egg's ?
Also none of my other my other eggs hatched. I even left them for sbiut 35days just in case something happened but no luck. I have seen them doing the hanky panky but nothing. Could they be to young.? I even cleaned out all the nest boxes and they all started nesting again. I only go in the avery every for brief minute in the morning to give them fresh water, fruit and vegetables and seed then about every 3rd to 4th day to clean the floor and perches swings etc.
Any ideas anyone? ??.

Thanks in advance
Regards
Lee

 

[crimson]

sorry, I have no idea, I've never encountered that.
It might be possible that they are too young, and inexperienced like you said.

 

[DallyTsuka]

my female lovebird smashes her eggs.

are your birds all DNA sexed? if not, you could have same sex pairs (females).

 

[nial8r]

Thanks for the replies. I think they may be 2 females. What should i do to get them unpaired?

 

[DallyTsuka]

well if they are a bonded pair of two females, they may be fully happy to stay that way, you dont necessarily have to breed that pair. i dunno, i dont really believe in separating a bonded pair of birds, even if they are the same gender. they can happily be a happy pair of pets ORRRR... i know a few breeders who do this with same sex bonded pairs... they have them for foster parents if another pair doesnt take care of young well enough or if they have too many mouths to feed. if you have other pairs that are laying, having a bonded pair on hand is a very good thing, because they will likely adopt fertile eggs from other birds as well and raise them on their own.

 

[MikeyTN]

Have you even candle the eggs to see if they're even fertilized???

 

[nial8r]

Have you even candle the eggs to see if they're even fertilized???

How do I do that mikey?

Also the pair that are smashing the eggs well the reason i ended up with them is because I couldn't stand to see them in the pet shop being neglected. Missing toes and all

 

[MikeyTN]

You candle th eggs by using a bright flash light and shine through the egg looking for blood veins, if its there it is fertile.

Your pair that's smashing eggs, are they eating them??? Are they the only pair in the cage?

 

[nial8r]

Not the only pair in the avery but they gaurd there box like its full of gold. And yes they are eating the eggs

 

[MikeyTN]

Then they're egg eaters, that tend to happen....here's something you can do! If your other pairs are laying infertile eggs, grab one and poke a hole in each end of the egg and blow out the content into a small dish. Once you have done so start mixing the spicy hot mustard (get one from asian market cause you want the hot stuff) and cayenne pepper. Mix some of both with your egg until you have them mixed well then fill the egg with the mixture, use a little tissue to cover the ends of the egg while wet from the mixture then offer the egg to them. Usually once will do the trick, sometimes a second time is needed. I add Horse radish as well sometimes.

 

[weco]

If they are hen-hen, you'll not be getting any chicks, if they're breaking & eating the eggs, you'll not be getting any chicks and might or might not get any chicks if splitting & creating a new, proper pair, because both of the hens might have developed a taste for fresh eggs.....

It may be that DT has the right idea, just lave them together & if you need a pair of sitters, they may well work out.....

Good luck.....

 

[weco]

Then they're egg eaters, that tend to happen....here's something you can do! If your other pairs are laying infertile eggs, grab one and poke a hole in each end of the egg and blow out the content into a small dish. Once you have done so start mixing the spicy hot mustard (get one from asian market cause you want the hot stuff) and cayenne pepper. Mix some of both with your egg until you have them mixed well then fill the egg with the mixture, use a little tissue to cover the ends of the egg while wet from the mixture then offer the egg to them. Usually once will do the trick, sometimes a second time is needed. I add Horse radish as well sometimes.

Hmmmm, do you think that would make a good fried mushroom dipping sauce Mikey ? ? ?

 

[MikeyTN]

Perhaps weco....lol.... I like spicy stuff....

 

[nial8r]

Wow I will give the mix ago. I have plenty of hot homemade chilli sauce here.
I also have another pair that keep building a nest but not laying at all. Then others that lay dont sit on the eggs at all only at night but still no chicks. Fees like im fighting a loosing battle with these love birds

 

[MikeyTN]

Probably would be best for you to remove all nest boxes for now. Make sure you have all proper sexes placed together. Let them bond, then try again later on. Since they are laying eggs, it's easy to find out if they are male or females if you just place your index finger in between their pelvic bone, if it fits it would be a female, if the pelvic bones are close together and you can't fit your finger in between then it would be a male. Otherwise there's always DNA sexing available! I've always been 100% accurate when I used to sex my Lovebirds years ago when I bred them. But to me you need to learn a bit more and understand them a bit more before proceeding. It's not as simple as you would think just placing them together and expect babies.

 

[nial8r]

Thanks for that mikey. I have already sexed them using the index finger method and have only got one pair wrong snd thats the pair that are egg wreckers lol

 

[MikeyTN]

Once they got the taste for eggs they will kept doing it until you try the method I told you about, it works every time. They will break it open to eat it and once they taste the stuffs inside, they won't do it again.

 

[nial8r]

Next egg layed will be spiked dont you worry;-)