Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:05 pm Post subject: Normal Breeding Behaviour?
Hi All!
I'm a new time Kakariki owner, so I'm probably being an overprotective parent, but I just wanted to make sure everything is ok.
I noticed my pair of kakarikis which I have had for over 4 months now, were starting to mate and feed each other etc so I put in a couple of nest boxes.
It's been a couple of weeks and the hen has been going into the nest box quite often only emerging to eat.
However whenever I go anywhere near the aviary to clean, feed or change water, she starts making this strange noise from the nest box. Almost like a shriek.
I'm hoping this is normal and just her way of saying stay away? if so how long till I can expect some eggs?
If she is in there most of the time chances are she is now sitting on eggs
1st time breeders are best left alone...
Those moises are normal.
If u want a peek, tap on the nesting box with the back of your finger nails, lets her know u are there, and open the nesting box slowly, givers here eyes enough time to just to the light.
A quick look in.
Chances are u will se little as she will sit very protective over ay eggs or chicks..
Anout 3 to 4 weeks once she has laid all eggs and started to incubate...thats allowing a few days of error as when she actually started to.
Generally 1st layers are not very prolific.
Within a couple days of hatching you will hear the chicks calling. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
They do not tend to go to nest most of the time untill all or near all eggs are laid.
Are u sure she is not 'hiding' in the nest box.
Every once in a while, and I have no idea why, we get a female that just spends most of their time in the bottom of a nest box...and nothing ever happens month after month.
I have suspected an overly agressive male, but that has never been the case. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
I really hope not! That would be the worst outcome!
She has been constantly staying in the nest box for about a week - no eggs.
When should I start to get worried?
Worried is the wrong word....disapionted maybe more approiate...
About now...
Sry
We have 2 females that do this, change boxes, change flights , change the other bird(s).....the only thing that stops it is remove nesting boxes.
I wish I had some saort of answer as to why or how to stop... _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
I have great news!
Went into the aviary yesterday to remove the nest boxes - checked and discovered Daisy + 3 eggs!
I am so excited!
I am new to all of the this, is there a way of discovering if the eggs are fertile? And how long till I should expect any to hatch?
Yes there is it is called candling
But just leave them alone for the 1st couple batches.
The quicksearch block on the left will find anserers to most of your questions _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Candling imho is not that really needed, and you risk spoiling the eggs (especially if you are ham-fisted like me hahahahaha). After a couple of batches you take a look into the nest with a torch, without even grabbing the eggs, and you can tell which eggs are fertile. They are opaque white, while unfertile eggs have a salmon-rose tinge and they are translucid. _________________ AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
Hi,
Daisy laid her 7th egg today!
I'm surprised as this is her first clutch of eggs, is that normal?
There's a bit of controversy on the site about how long till the eggs hatch, some people say 20 days after the last egg is laid and some are saying 20 days after the 3rd or 4th egg is laid, which is more accurate?
Thanks for all your help!
Nicole
There's a bit of controversy on the site about how long till the eggs hatch, some people say 20 days after the last egg is laid and some are saying 20 days after the 3rd or 4th egg is laid, which is more accurate?
Thanks for all your help
Lets put it in persective... the books say a human gestation period is 40 weeks...do all mothers give birth at exactly 40 weeks?
Hens lay at different rates,
eggs lay dormant for around 10 to 12days
Hens decide to incubate some times after a few eggs, others wait till all are laid.
And how do we know accuratly when exactly the hen actually started to incubate the eggs without CCTV?
Anyone claiming to be able to predict accrately the number of days has been reading too many books and never had hands on experiance at actually breeding kakariki. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
it's around 20-22 days of incubation, so as a general rule of thumb I use 1 month/4weeks after the first egg is laid to expect the first chicks to start hatching
but in the end it doesn't matter because if they hatch... that's it, and if they don't hatch I don't remove the eggs anyway until the hen leaves them _________________ AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
!st batch of this pair...leave them to it
Kakariki are very tolerant of inference, more than most species, but are still prone to having things go wrong if disturbed to often on their 1st batch. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
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