Parakeet Egg

Question
My parakeet is about 5 years old. We had had two but one died recently. We had thought they were both males but about 5 days after it died the surviving parakeet laid an egg (which she had never done before). We had thought they were both males so we didn't have a nesting box or anything and the egg is at the bottom of the cage. Would it be safe to pick the egg up and place it in a nesting box? And is it possible that the egg is fertile even after the male had died?

Answer
It is safe to pick up the egg and put it in the nesting box, just don't roll it about or jolt it, and try to keep the same side facing up as before. I'm not sure if the egg is fertile or not- had the birds mated before the male died? It is always hard to tell with birds. I would say that it wouldn't be fertile but there is always a chance!

Thanks for your question.