Mating but no eggs

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Eshana
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:29 am

Mating but no eggs

Post by Eshana »

Hi Guys

I have a pair of ringnecks that have been mating for more than two months now, but the female has not laid any eggs, even though she has claimed her nesting box and has been busy within... Can anyone help with this?

Thanks
Eshana
McmillanBirds
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:39 am
Location: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by McmillanBirds »

Hi there

Some birds do take a little longer than others. If she is busy with her nest box it shouldn't be too much longer. Do you know how old the birds are?

Carmen
Eshana
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:29 am

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by Eshana »

Hi Carmen

My hubby bought them (7 in all) as a birthday gift early this year. The breeder sold them as unrelated birds, +- 2 years old. So I am not sure exactly how old this particular pair is. Another pair have a clutch of two eggs, which were due 25/08 but have not hatched. The eggs are probably infertile...but I am still waiting and hoping...

Cheers
Eshana
McmillanBirds
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:39 am
Location: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by McmillanBirds »

If the birds are still that age there could be a possibility that they may not lay but it is still early enough in the season for them to go down.
As to your eggs, if my eggs do not hatch on designated date I will leave them for an extra week, if still nothing I will then pull them and candle them to see if they had started developing, if they had, when in the development they stopped developing to try pinpoint if something in particular had happened at the time that could have caused the problem, if I can avoid that particular problem in future. Even if your eggs are infertile, there is a good chance the pair may lay again.
Holding thumbs for you :)
Eshana
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:29 am

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by Eshana »

Hi Carmen

Thank you for the advice...very new at this. Candling...do you mean light a candle and hold them over to see if there is any development?

Thanks
Eshana
McmillanBirds
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:39 am
Location: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by McmillanBirds »

Yes, that is basically the theory, but use a little torch instead. I wonder if candles were used back in the day when there were no such thing as torches. I guess that's how the terminology 'candeling' came about.:)
Eshana
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:29 am

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by Eshana »

:oops: Thanks Carmen....should have realised a torch would do the job too....lol....Cheers

Eshana
McmillanBirds
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:39 am
Location: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by McmillanBirds »

Don't feel embarrassed. I had never heard of it until 2 years ago. I went to breeder and they were checking eggs and they asked if my phone had a pen light as they had forgotten to bring out a torch with them. I asked them what they needed it for and the whole thing was explained to me. I had actually been cracking eggs open after I had taken them away to see what was going on inside. I felt like a narna then too. :mrgreen:
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by ellieelectrons »

That's so cool - using a torch never occurred to me either. I won a small torch at our avicultural society raffle - maybe that's what it was for :o


Ellie.
McmillanBirds
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:39 am
Location: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by McmillanBirds »

Haha, probably! That's so cool though.
Eshana
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:29 am

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by Eshana »

Hi Guys...absolutely thrilled..peeked into the nesting box just now (10 minutes ago) and a little baby ringneck!!!! I am so thrilled...it is so ugly yet so absolutely beautiful. Was so upset this morning because I thought the eggs were infertile. The eggs were intact this morning... so it hatched this afternoon. :D :D :D Thanks so much for all the help.....Eshana
McmillanBirds
Posts: 339
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2012 4:39 am
Location: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Re: Mating but no eggs

Post by McmillanBirds »

Congratulations!!!!!! :D so excited for you!!!
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