Rosey Bourke Breeding

Question
QUESTION: My female Rosey Bourke has been laying eggs continuously.  The male bird feeds her while she is sitting on the eggs.  So far none of the eggs have been fertile.  Is there a way that I can tell if the eggs are fertile, without waiting three weeks while she is trying to hatch them?  Is the only way to know they are NOT fertile is to separate the birds?  I am worried about her health, although so far she seems fine.
ANSWER: Hi, Louise.  Thanks for posting!

You can candle eggs 7-10 days after the female starts incubating them to see if they are fertile.  However, if you candle them and they aren't fertile, you should still leave the eggs right where they are laid until the female abandons them on her own.  To remove them will cause her to lay more eggs soon after, so it's best to leave them the full period of time so your female doesn't go to nest again.  Candling is the process of shining a light through the egg(s) to see if you can see an embryo inside (or not).  

Even if you separate your birds, the female can still lay infertile eggs.  A female parrot doesn't need a male to lay infertile eggs.  

If your female continues to lay and lay, it can affect her health.  Be sure she has plenty of cuttlebone available to replace any calcium she might need.  You can take your female to an avian veterinarian for a hormone shot to stop her from laying for a period of time (several months up to a year at a time).  You can discourage egg laying by removing any nesting box or anything that resembles a nest and reduce available light to 8-10 hours per day.  

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Is there a way that I can improve conditions so my male bird will impregnate (if that is the right word) the female?  (Mr. Blue and Roadie by the way)
ANSWER: Hi again, Louise.

How do you know the eggs she has laid up to now have been infertile?  Eggs can be fertile to begin with, but not develop and/or hatch for lots of different reasons.  How old are your bourke's?  How many clutches of eggs has your female laid that have been infertile?  

Sometimes fertilization doesn't occur because perches aren't stable enough.  Check the perches to ensure they don't move at all.  Birds that are older sometimes become sterile.  Does the female incubate the eggs properly for the full incubation period?  Have the eggs been laid in a nesting box?  Have you opened any of the eggs to see what's going on inside?  Is your male standing on top of the female during mating?  I've seen some parrots try to mate hanging from the side of their cages, which usually doesn't work.

There are vitamins available to help with fertility.  Find Nekton vitamins on the internet.  If your birds are on a poor diet (such as all-seed), it could be a problem with poor nutrition.  Have you actually seen your birds mating?  

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: No, I have not seen them mate but they are active physically- she preens, puts bottom up, he feeds her after she lays her eggs.  When I begin to think the eggs are NOT fertilized I break them apart and have found only unfertilized eggs.  She is about four years old and he about three.  She has been laying eggs continually for about a year.I just took her off her nest - in the nesting box and the eggs are not ferilized again; he is acting aggresively but still feeding her. Their diet is varied, but maybe not enough- I will work on that.

Answer
Hi again, Louise.

Obviously, they are either not mating or there's some other problem.  If this bird has been laying continually for a year, you really need to take her to an avian veterinarian for a hormone shot to stop her egg laying or her health could be affected.  Females that lay a lot of eggs during their lifetime have shortened life spans.  You should take the nesting box down, keep available light exposure to 8-10 hours per day in order to discourage egg laying.  This will be difficult this time of year because it's breeding season!  Another good reason for that hormone shot.  A female can still lay infertile eggs without the benefit of a male, so just separating them won't fix the egg-laying problem.

Chrys