more lovebird eggs then expected??

Fish Addict

my little sister put a post up here awhile ago about her lovebirds having eggs and she said someone said they usually have around 4-5 eggs in a nest but now they have 7?? she doesnt know what to do shes just letting them be.. she would like to know if this is okay?

thankyou

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2232 Location: uk

Leave them to it as if she removes any eggs the female will just lay more to replace the ones taken which would result in a calcium deficiency which can be fatal if she becomes egg bound.

Is your sister sure she has a true pair of lovebirds.
Do both birds use the nest box and how often are the eggs being laid, It should be 1 egg every 2nd day.

Mike

Fish Addict · Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:40 am Post subject: more on the update

they dont have a nest box? they have made a nest on the ground of feathers and chewed up soft paper the male is sitting on 2 eggs cause it seems like the females keeps giving him the other eggs cause she can only sit on 6 at a time.the female does keep laying them every like 2 days..so im not sure.

thanks

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2232 Location: uk

Males do not usually share the incubation as the female usually does it all herself he only helps with the feeding of the chicks..

You can candle the eggs to see if they are fertile but this has to be done with care.
Get a smal bright torch or pen light, Gently pick up the egg between your finger and thumb being as careful as possible as the eggs are easily broken, Uing the torch on the under side of the egg will show the light through and if fertile will start to have red web like veins this indicates a fertile egg if no veins wait a few more days and try again, If there is any more eggs laid and none are fertile then you have 2 females.

Mike

casey_540 · New member Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 13

we tried holding it up to a light but we couldnt really see anything all we could really see is.. you know how in a egg theres a bubble at the bottom and top of the egg .. all we saw was like a circle and i thought right away that was what it was . but no viens though, they havent laid anymore eggs, the one we think is a male is still sitting on them.. what do we do with the eggs if they dont hatch??

thanks

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2232 Location: uk

Sounds like the eggs are not fertile.
If the eggs do not hatch after the incubation period you can either take them away or leave them with the birds until they get bored of them and abandon the nest.

the longer the eggs are with the birds will help reduce them laying more eggs.

Here is a link to what candled eggs look like they are parrot eggs but all bird eggs look the same when candled.

http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/research/parrot/d/d.htm

Mike