Possible that eggs are fertile??

[mum2zoo]

This is my first time that I have tried breeding my ringnecks and I could do with a little advice please. I have just purchased a new aviary and have seperated my birds for the breeding season. After reading a lot of infomation and talking to a few breeders I have put nestboxes in. One of my pairs is starting to show courting behaviours, the other is not. HOWEVER when I was doing a little fiddling with the nestboxes today so that I wouldn't have to disturb them during the breeding season I found that there was four eggs in the box of the pair not showing any sign of bonding at all. Is there any possibility of these eggs being fertile?? As I am in Australia I did not think that they would start laying for another few months yet. How do I know if they are fertile or not?? Is it better to remove the eggs or leave them there? She is not sitting on them. If I remove them will she just keep laying? I would be very greatfull for any advice that anyone could give me.

Many Thanks
Gayleen

[julie]

hello and welcome,What part of Australia are you from? when you say they arent bonding is that because the female stays in the box and the male stays out or do you not see them in the box at all?

[Jay]

I've had a pair that will only get near to each other when they mate. After that, they retreat to their respective corners in the cage. They produced three hefty babies. So unless you are watching the birds 24/7, it's possible they have actually mated successfully and that their eggs are fertile. I suggest have her incubate the eggs and candle them in a few days.

I've read in an avian journal that after the mating process, millions of sperm cells are stored in the hen's sperm host glands (spermatic fossa) and could remain viable up to a week in psittaciformes. What this means is that the birds could mate once a week and the eggs could be continually fertilized.

Most of my cockbirds however mate with their hens every chance they get go figure...