i think my birds pregnent!

Question
Dear Amber,
A few days ago I asked Chrys on this website why my bird's cere was swelling up. He said that it's probably because it's in the breeding stage. What are signs to know if it really is in the breeding stage!

Answer
Hello Melissa! When female keets go into heat their cere will turn a dark crusty brown from its previous white or beige color. If there is no male in the cage then your female is def. not going to lay fertile eggs. Some females however are know to lay eggs with out the presence of a male but the eggs will be unfertile or 'duds' and will never hatch. If there is a male in the cage (dark blue cere) then it is possible she may lay eggs. Most female keets will not lay eggs if there is no nesting box present. Budgies don't really get pregnant but will lay eggs as soon as they form inside the cloaca. After the male mates with the female she will lay an egg every other day until she has a clutch of 5-6 eggs (she could lay up to 10 but 5-6 is the normal clutch.) You will see the male and female court eachother and the male feeding the hen. If however you do not have a male and the female is your only keet then look at her cere and see if it is crusty in appearance and is dark brown. some swelling is normal but it the cere becomes too large then something is wrong. Call your vet or avian vet and see if they reccomend anything. If you do not have access to a vet then i will try to help you out to the best of my ability. good luck