Saturday, 4 May 2013

Taking Care of Budgerigar (budgie / Love Bird) Eggs


Fertilization Of Egg :

Budgies are opportunistic breeders. The female budgie comes into "heat" i.e. becomes ready for breeding only when certain requirements are fulfilled. Check this post for Budgerigar (budgie / Love Bird) Breeding Tips. A lot depends on the environment for the breeding to be successful. Many a times in birds both the male and female may not be receptive or ready for mating at the same time. A fertilized egg is usually formed only when both are receptive and even this is not an assured point that all the eggs will be fertilized. The unfertilized egg will look like a normal egg.

How To Check If The Eggs Are Fertilized Or Not? :

Actually it is much better if you do not disturb the eggs and the mother. But as I say people are usually very eager and curious so if you are one of them you can check on the eggs but only after a week. Why a week you ask? because Only after the first week the eggs show developmental signs which can be seen in light. One can use a pen-light or a small torch very close to the eggs. Avoid handling the eggs. If the eggs are fertile they will show blood veins which will be visible in the light. If you can't make out any red lines i.e. the veins its a bad egg my friend.

How to check if the eggs are fertile or not?

(Here you can see of the three eggs only one is fertile)

Promise Me You Won't Do This :

When you find out that the egg is not fertile please... please... do not throw it away immediately. It will disturb the female. Also there is no harm in keeping the unfertilized eggs in the nest box with the others. Well, Once the good eggs start hatching the female will start ignoring the bad unhatched ones and now is the time when you can sneak in and dispose of the bad eggs.

Helping Them Out :

Now the female will spend most of her time in the nest box coming out very rarely. The male has the responsibility of feeding the female. So you better be ready in helping that little guy out by placing plenty of food and water in the cage.

Also do keep an eye on the female on how she is caring for the hatched ones.

Raw data was provided by Harshal Rawool , a friend, a Zoologist from the heart and a lecturer by profession.


  1. I am from india ,orissa. .. I want my lovebird to be free for in wild outside in foral environment. .. fly up the sky. ..can I? ? Because I don't want them to
    Spend rest of the life in cage. .. can I?

    1. Hi,
      Your decision to set the birds free is a right one but that could be deadly to the birds. How old are the birds? How active are they? Will they find food, water and shelter in the place you are planning to release them? After being in a cage can they survive in the wild on their own? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before you let them free.

  2. hi....
    im from andhra.....
    we have 2 male and 3 female love birds in a cage
    it has been two years and still the birds didnt lay a single egg
    what is the reason for this?

  3. Hi there...
    I'm from the Philippines...
    I have my pet here Budgerigar (budgie / Love Bird), they can lay eggs but the problem is, the egg doesn't fertilized to hatch....what do you think sir is the reason why they cannot hatch even one egg..?thank you in advance...

  4. I have two budgerigars, she laid two eggs only now ten days have passed what should I do

  5. Hi I am a budgie owner . I hv yroed tp tame budgies just as its explained over the internet. By keeping your hand at the bottom of the cage fr some time they get afraid every time i move closer to them

    1. Hi my female budgie laid three eggs and died few days later.. what to do about the unhatched eggs and our lonely male bird?

  6. Hi I have 3 male budgies and 2 female budies in an avery. One of the females has layed 3 eggs but they have all ended up on the avery ground cracked/broken. What shiuld I do?

  7. I really like your personal tricks. Really awesome and inspiring! I recently took a puppy from this marketplace and they gave me some better tips also.