Bourke's Parakeet Hens First Clutches of Spring, 2022

Our twelve babies from first clutches of 2022. 

Available Bourke's Parakeets, and "Foot Color to Identify if Split?"

Our 2nd and 3rd clutch babies are weaned and ready for their new homes. Sweet, tame birds. 

Question: Why don't my Bourke hen's eggs hatch?

 

Question:  I’ve was trying to breed a couple of Bourkes for the last 2 ½ years with no luck.  Some kind of calamity or birth defects always ruined the clutches.  Out of six clutches they only raised 1 healthy baby to adulthood.

I thought it might be a genetic problem so I got a new male.  Mommy just got through sitting on 3 fertile eggs but abandoned the eggs at 23 days.  I cracked one open and it was still alive ☹, poor thing.  It was FAR from 23 day of gestation.  Maybe half way developed.  I felt bad that I opened it. ...Help!!

 *****

Answer:

Here's my first piece of advice:  Never open an egg unless the hen has abandoned it herself and it is cold.  Eggs DO NOT begin to develop until a hen begins to brood them. So, counting the number of days might be a grave error. She might lay 3 eggs and not begin to brood right away, then sit on the eggs and lay two more ... all eggs will begin to develop when being warmed, and not before.  So, it is possible that those three eggs might all hatch on the same day, which could be the 28th, 29th & 30th days after being laid. Then the last two two eggs a few days after that... Yes, it takes 18 to 21 days for them to develop and hatch, but ONLY after they are being brooded (warmed). If a hen doesn't immediately brood (and most don't), then you can't count from the day an egg is laid. Well, you can count, but don't be surprised if it takes longer to hatch. 

That's why people can order duck eggs and have them shipped to them, taking days to arrive, but still begin to develop when put in an incubator. Any bird or fowl's egg can sit for several days and still be a good egg. All it needs is to be fertile before brooding, which can be several days after being laid. It can wait to start developing days after being laid, and only after it is kept warm can you reliably count the days until hatch. 

Also, it is wise to allow a hen to abandon her eggs herself. Never remove them because you know they are infertile and won't hatch. Hens learn from the experience of infertile eggs. Or, if some hatch and others don't, leave the unhatched eggs in the nest. They help keep newly hatched babies warm.

It sounds to me like your hen is doing everything she can do for you. Just leave her alone and maybe she will do better in the future. Be sure she has a large cuttlebone or more. You can add a brown rabbit salt block...the iodine and minerals are good for them. I highly recommend a copy of "Rosie Birds Guide to Small Exotic Birds." There's a lot of useful information in it. It talks about nest boxes, etc. I hope you have 1 to 2 inches of pine shavings in the bottom of the box so her eggs don't roll around ... a potential problem that might keep them from hatching. Bourkes are not like Budgies and need shavings in their box. I'll put a link at the bottom. 

One last thought. After three clutches of eggs each year, it is wise to remove the nest box so that your hen doesn't become physically stressed. I hope you understand their circadian rhythm and why and when they lay eggs. It's in the book. There's also a link to my videos and my Blog. I hope they can help you be more successful with your sweet Bourkes. 

ROSIE BIRD’S GUIDE TO SMALL EXOTIC BIRDS on Amazon in USA:              

https://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Birds-Guide-Small-Exotic/dp/198676348X/

ROSIE BIRD YOUTUBE VIDEO CHANNEL:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnja_zyZnS_zHp7wksScpOw/videos

 

THE SPLENDID BOURKE BIRD BLOG:

https://thesplendidbourkebirdblog.blogspot.com/

 

Peace and Blessings,

Gail (Rosie Bird)

Advantages of Co-Feeding Our First Clutches

Songster entering the nest box of his four youngsters.

This year we retired Rosy and Pretty Boy. They are elderly and their clutches from 2018 and 2019 weren't very successful. We might let them have one clutch later in the summer, but will wait and see. So, we have three pairs reproducing at present. Two other pairs we hope will do something in the future.

Because of the pandemic that's currently keeping us all at home, we decided to only co-feed these babies. If, for any reason, we had to be away from home, or were ill, hand feeding would be a problem. Co-feeding is allowing the babies to trust us and become tame without a full-time commitment to feeding them.

Watch the video of our 11 first clutch babies of 2020 on the colored link.

You Tube Video Link, click below

2020 First Clutches of Baby Bourke's Parakeets - Tame and Sweet

PEACE AND BLESSINGS!

Bourke Babies for Sale. Many Varieties and Probable "Splits"

We prefer to only have one pair of Bourkes per cage,
however, babies temporarily change that.

Young Peaches and Storm produced two clutches the end of 2015 before we removed their nest box. They were late in the season because of their youth. Not old enough in the Spring, by Fall they wanted to breed so we let them.

In their first clutch she laid five eggs, and raised four very different babies. The second clutch held six eggs. Five hatched and they raised all five. Rosie Bird on You Tube has several video's of these babies. A link is given at the end of this post for the latest one.

A Lutino and a Rosy on perch in back.
Rubino on floor with Normal on front perch at right.

There are six babies remaining that are currently for sale.We don't ship our birds. Pick up needs to be somewhere between Reedsport, Oregon (north of us) or Coquille or Bandon, Oregon (south of us). We are located in North Bend, near Coos Bay on the South Coast of Oregon, by the Pacific Ocean. We're NOT near Bend, Oregon, which is in Eastern Oregon. People often get confused between North Bend (named because it's at the north bend of Coos Bay) and with Bend, Oregon ... two very different places.

Storm is a Normal Bourke, split to Lutino since his father is a Lutino. His mother is a Rosy. Peaches' parents are both Rosy Bourkes with dark eyes, and they seem to throw one or two Opaline Fallow babies with red eyes in every clutch. Peaches is a light pink, Opaline Fallow with red eyes and some yellow feathers on her wings. So far in two clutches they've had four Rosies, two Normals, two Lutino's and one Rubino. These offspring could be split to Lutino as their father is.

Lutino in front has a bright yellow back.
Rubino is behind her. They're siblings.

Very young Lutino, Rosy and Rubino, all siblings.

Very young Rubino Bourke hen. Rubino's have red eyes
and are rose colored with no black edging anywhere.

These Lovelies are for sale.

 
If you are able to travel to our beautiful coast, we can describe fascinating places to visit, such as world famous Shore Acres State Park, for instance. Many nice places to stay in Coos Bay or North Bend as well. Many hotels or motels, plus our favorite Bed & Breakfast:  http://www.coosbaymanor.com/

Write to rosie.birds@gmail.com with questions, or for more information.

Here is the link we promised to our video on You Tube of four baby Bourkes currently for sale as of February 20, 2016.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgQDyNoD0PU  Or view below:

 



 

Peace & Blessings!

BOURKE PARAKEET BABIES AS THEY GROW, a Rosy, Lutino, Rubino & a Normal

Peaches and Storm's first clutch. She laid five eggs and hatched them all, but one red-eyed youngster disappeared within the first few days. The other four thrived. See them completely grown up at the end of this video.

Peaches is an Opaline Fallow Rosy hen out of Rosie and Pretty Boy, both Rosy Bourkes with dark eyes. Storm is a Normal Bourke. His father is a Lutino (yellow) and his mother is a Rosy. They produced a very diverse, beautiful clutch!

Peace & Blessings!

 

 

Bourke Parakeet Babies, Four Different Colors in Same Clutch

Had a request for updated photos of our recent baby Bourkes. We were preparing for my husband's surgery last Monday, hours away from home. Everything is going fine, but he will have at least six weeks before adequately recovering. Being a caregiver takes time and energy away from other endeavors.

The Lutino hen before her feathers were all in.

Sweet little Rubino, my favorite actually.

It's been quiet among most of the birds. Only one pair is currently producing. All others are on vacation until next year. Peaches and Stormy had their very first clutch later than everyone else.

Rubino in front, a Normal, Lutino and Rosy.

This beautiful mixed clutch is a thrill to get. Stormy is a Normal Bourke male who is split. His father is a Lutino and his mother is a Rosy. A grandparent must be a Normal, since he is. Peaches is out of our Rosie and Pretty Boy, both are Rosy Bourkes. Peaches, the mother of this clutch, is an opaline fallow with red eyes.

We're getting feathers here and very alert.

Only one young pair, Peaches and Stormy, have a nest box. All others had their three clutches in Spring and Summer, so will wait until next year.

We're growing up! Dad at door, Mom in center.

Mom in center, standing. Only 3 babies showing, but there are 4.

Here we are at six weeks, fledged and weaned already.
Rubino in front, Lutino and Normal. Rosy below.
Photo taken October 24, 2015.


PEACE & BLESSINGS TO ALL!

 

ROSY BOURKE PARAKEETS, SOME NEWLY HATCHED BEING FED

Bourke Parakeet Babies, Parent and Hand Fed For Sale on Oregon's South Coast

 

HELLO ALL!

 

These lovely Rosy Bourke babies are for sale.
All are hand fed and banded.

I've been so busy with my novel, "Cast Me Not Away," that is to be published soon, that I've not been able to do my favorite past time: blogging here.

 

Another time consumer: I agreed to hand feed baby Bourkes for two people. When I do this, I don't normally ask for a deposit. Feeding baby Bourkes is an act of love, but time consuming and more expensive than with parent fed babies, so I should take a deposit.

I removed two of Fuchsia's offspring and two of Rosie's to hand feed. They are ready, but the buyers are not. As has happened before, one said, "Oh, I thought North Bend was near Bend." Bend is in Eastern Oregon far from the south coast of Oregon where I live, near Coos Bay. No matter how often I emphasize where I am, there are still mistakes. The other buyer had a family emergency. Does happen.

 

So, I have four pretty babies waiting for new homes. Also have some parent fed Bourkes that I'll let go for $75 each or the very tame, hand fed youngsters are $125 each. Also, have two adult bachelors, both red-eyed opaline fallow Rosies that I'll consider selling. Both were hand fed and very tame. Kept them for a Lutino hen, but she's now paired with a Normal brown fellow.

I cannot ship. It's too far to PDX. I will meet people south of us in Coquille or Bandon, Oregon, or north of us to Reedsport or possibly Florence. We will be making a trip to Eugene in August if I still have birds at that time. More are coming, but they will be parent fed. I band all birds with closed bands giving hatch number, year of hatch and our initials: EGL.

If interested, write to me at:  rosie.birds@gmail.com

Peace & Blessings!

 



Hand Feeding Baby Rosy Bourke Parakeets, and a Link to Video with Tips & Tricks

Hand feed, or allow parents to feed?

Four newly hatched Rosy Bourke Parakeets.
Best to wait and allow the parents to feed them
until the young are about two weeks of age.

These two hand fed birds are learning to eat on their own.
Offer lots of choices for them, especially spray millet.

Bourke Parakeets are easier than most birds to hand tame while young. Even those left in a cage all the time will become quite friendly, coming up to the cage bars when you talk to them.

If you can hand feed your baby birds, however, they will become remarkable pets, sweeter and more affectionate than those that are hand tamed. It is labor intensive and requires a great deal of care.

Click below for Video on You Tube of me hand feeding Rosy Bourke babies:  

HAND FEEDING VIDEO - TIPS AND TRICKS

Two hand fed baby Rosy Bourke Parakeets.

Mother Rosy Bourke in nest box with her youngsters.

Four Baby Rosy Bourkes being parent fed.



Rosy Bourke Fosters Another's Baby At 18 Days of Age

So many things to post about and so little time. 

There really are five baby Bourkes in this photo.
Red-eyed baby is laying in front of the two in back.

Our Rosy Bourke, called Rosie, is the sweetest of birds. She and Fuchsia were both on their 3rd clutch of the year and I didn't want them to begin laying more eggs even before their current clutch had fledged ... just knew they would. To prevent that, I removed their youngsters to hand feed and took the nest boxes off their cages.

 

I'd been hand feeding their babies for a day and a half when the unexpected happened. It looked like my husband was having a stroke and I called 911 for an ambulance. Fortunately, it wasn't a stroke, it's Bel's Palsy, which most people recover from in a few weeks ... thank you, Lord.

 

However, Wednesday morning proved very chaotic. I had to follow to the hospital. What to do with the hand fed babies!? It seemed highly possible that they might fly my husband to a larger city than our rural community. Even if they didn't, under no circumstances would I get home in time to keep feeding the baby Bourkes. We live a half hour drive one-way to the hospital as it is. I wouldn't leave him and commute back and forth while he was in danger.

 

As they loaded him into the ambulance he asked if I'd be following. "As soon as I can," I said. Then raced around the house making sure the dog and cat had plenty of extra food and water. Fortunately, I'd already freshened all the birds' waters, but I added extra water bottles to all the cages and gave them all two sprays of millet (that was fastest).

 

Still, what about the babies?

Hand feeding baby birds, I change their box each time
they're fed. Throw out the paper towel liner, and allow
pine shavings under them to dry from droppings that
soak through the towels. A clean box at each feeding.

Fuchsia's nest box uses plastic cables to attach it to her cage and my husband puts it up while I hold the box ... not a quick fix.

 

I decided to trust my sweetest bird, Rosie. Her box has two hooks that allow it to quickly hang from the side, easy to install. I sliced through half the duct tape covering the hole where her nest box had hung and folded it back like a door. Then put the box back on. It hadn't been cleaned yet, but that wasn't much of an issue.

 

The real issue was, will they re-accept their young after almost two days absence? And, more worrisome, Will Rosie and Pretty Boy accept a foster baby that is already 18 days old? Not even a newly hatched chick?  Not only do they need to feed it, they need to not "savage" it as an intruder in their nest ... a potential risk.

 

Yet, it appeared to be my best option and I put all five babies into Rosie's nest box.

 

No one was home at our house from early Wednesday morning until late Wednesday evening after my husband was released from the hospital. I immediately checked the babies. All five were stuffed full and contented. 

 

What a wonderful bird is Rosie, our Rosy Bourke hen!  And, what a grateful diagnosis for my husband. He may be very uncomfortable for several weeks, but it isn't life threatening. God is good.

 

I still want to post photos of the two pretty baby Linnies we've had for two weeks now ... that post is coming up next, I hope. If things will only slow down a bit, smile. 

Peace & Blessings.

 

Today's Bourke Question & Answer on Lone Bourke Hen Laying Eggs

Today's photo of Rosie on four eggs.

There are still many questions and answers to post, but little time. This one came today, so all it takes is a quick copy and paste.

Question: LONE BOURKE HEN WON'T QUIT LAYING EGGS

Photo of Fuchsia on eggs.

Hi Gail,

 

First, thanks for creating this blog! I love reading your posts :)

 

I'm hoping you might be able to offer some suggestions on how to discourage my beautiful female normal bourke from constantly laying eggs?  My husband and I have had her for a year and a half now and she has never had a mate. We don't intend on getting another bird.

 

She is such a sweet little character and I honestly don't mind that she lays eggs, but I am concerned for her health. We have taken her to our avian vet and consulted local bird shops, but none of the suggestions seem to deter her.  The vet suggested we remove the eggs as soon as possible (but she continues to lay eggs until she reaches about 4 or 5. The bird shops suggested hard boiling them and putting them back, changing the location of her cage often, and misting her environment with water occasionally to simulate the rainy season?  Nothing seems to work and she is already on her third round this year. 

 

For the most part she is still behaving normally and will come out to interact a few times a day. She's still eating and drinking normally and does not sit on her eggs at night. We only use newspaper on the bottom of the cage and change it regularly (especially if we've noticed nesting behavior). Unfortunately, she will tear up any new paper we put in and create another nest.

 

Any suggestions you have would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

C ---

------------------

My 7 young Rosy Bourkes in a travel cage and about to go to their buyer.

 

Answer:

 

Hello C ---,

I'm curious where she's laying her eggs. I assume she doesn't have a nest box? That would stimulate egg laying, and isn't necessary for birds unless they are intended to lay. Is she using a seed cup or bowl? If so, remove it and feed her in something very shallow. If she's laying on the floor, that's another matter.

Egg laying is stimulated by sunlight ... longer days in the summer and shorter in the winter. She needs to get less light, whether sunlight or artificial light. Do you have a dark room where she can spend the late afternoon, evenings, etc. Allow her only 8 hours of daylight each day and she should quit laying. That might seem mean ... taking her away from the family; however, producing eggs is physically stressful and continuous egg laying puts her at risk. Have plenty of calcium available for her ... cuttlebone, mineral block, oyster shell. She needs to replenish her reserves.

When hens lay eggs and are allowed to sit on them, that's better for them then taking the eggs away. To do so can cause them to quickly lay another clutch. If she sits are her existing eggs for over 20 days and realizes they won't hatch, that might dissuade her from continuing to lay. She needs to know they are not any good. So, by leaving the eggs with her, she will lay fewer eggs and perhaps educate herself that laying is futile.

Even hens with mates sometimes have to abandon eggs that are infertile. They will typically sit for about 24 or 25 days before giving up (this can vary). I always recommend letting hens abandon their eggs themselves, rather than removing eggs before a hen gives up on them. Hens aren't producing more eggs while they're brooding. Also, they won't see you as the "bad" person who stole their eggs.

If she has eggs now, leave them with her. Let her keep brooding. Eventually, she will quit. Then, do the "dark" days treatment before she can start laying again. If she is in a room where you have the lights on late, that could be stimulating her to lay eggs at any time of the year. She's reacting to a longer day length and needs more hours of darkness.

 

Best of luck. Hope this helps.

-------------

 

Additional Thoughts:

Two of my Bourke hens are on their third clutch of eggs this year. Typically, I have allowed them to raise two clutches and hatch a third. When the babies in the third clutch are two weeks old, I remove and hand feed them so that I can take the nest boxes down. If I don't do that, the hens will begin laying more eggs before their previous young have all fledged.

 

This year, I hand fed the first clutches because there were two babies I wanted to keep and wanted to ensure they were very, very tame. Now, I need to decide if I'm going to hand feed their third clutches too. I probably will need to in order to prevent them from laying more eggs...

Young, hand fed Opaline Fallow with Red Eyes.
He was DNA tested and is a male.

Sister of the bird above. She was also DNA tested.
She is an Opaline Fallow Bourke from Rosy parents.

Two hand fed birds in front are promised and will leave us
next week. The Lutino hen in the background is staying.

 

Peace and Blessings

 

Bourke Parakeets For Sale: Babies, Hand fed, Very Tame; Rosies, Opalines and Opaline Fallows

Life is so busy lately that I've not posted recently. I want to, and have lots of questions sent to rosie.bird@gmail.com that were answered and I hope to share with Readers.

I've been hand feeding five baby Rosy Bourke parakeets. Prices range from $150 to $225, depending on color. All are very, very tame and sweet. Sorry, but I don't ship. Can meet buyers from Coquille to Reedsport. We are in North Bend, near Coos Bay, on the southern Oregon Coast. (Not Bend, which is in Eastern Oregon).  Three are $150 each and the Opaline Fallows with red eyes are $225. Contact us at rosie.birds@gmail.com

These darlings are $150 each. Hand fed and very sweet.

Pale pink, Opaline Fallow Rosy Bourke with red eyes.
This one is $225.

Hiding in a tissue box. These sweethearts are $150 each.

Just had a bath. Feathers are wet.

Contact us via email at: rosie.birds@gmail.com

PEACE & BLESSINGS!

Lineolated Parakeets Being Hand Fed

Here's a quick photo of the pair I've been hand feeding since the days they hatched, Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, 2013. Have done video's too, but slow to get them onto You Tube. They'll come later.

Linnie babies at 17 and 18 days of age.

Ugly little critters, aren't they? They're noisy too. And, they never want to stop eating. The Bourke babies I've hand fed quit eating when they're full. These guys won't quit and keep cheeping for more. Another Linnie breeder told me to be careful not to overfeed them. Now I know why.

 

The Linnies are maturing slower than my other birds. I've read that they are weaned at 8 weeks. Their eyes are open now, just napping in my hands above.

By contrast, here are Bourke youngsters at approx. the same age.

 

Peace and Blessings for a

Happy New Year!

 

New Peeps in the House! Linnie Eggs Have Hatched.

Mama and Papa Linnie. Hen at left is more blue then her mate.

Peeked into the Linnie nest box this morning not expecting to see anything new. We acquired our first pair of Lineolated Parakeets early last summer. After two months to get used to us, I gave them a nest box. They immediately claimed it as their own, and slept in it at night.

But, it was several months before an egg was laid. I expected them to wait until the following Spring, so when I saw attempts at mating, I tried not to get too excited about it. Then when there was an egg, I knew there was a probability that they would be infertile. The previous owner had run into that with them.






Lineolated Parakeet Nest Box from other side of cage.



Our Papa and Mama Linnie had three eggs, but it felt like the wrong time of year for offspring and, even though the house is heated, it's been really cold and icy here lately. However, this morning a tiny baby lay an inch from the mother on its back with an empty crop. I was excited, but concerned. Was it dead? No, it moved slightly. I put the lid back down and left her alone. After about ten minutes I looked in again. Baby was still on its back with an empty crop, obviously cold and unmoving. It would expire if nothing was done and she didn't appear willing to pull him back under her.

Now, this pair is not one of our hand fed Rosy Bourkes, so reaching into the box worried me. But I knew, if necessary, I could hand feed the baby even from day one. I'd done it with Lady Gouldian finches we hatched in a homemade incubator, so day-old Linnie parakeets would be easy by comparison. I reached in and scooped up the baby. Mama Linnie retreated out of the box. Low and behold, under our turquoise blue Lineolated parakeet had been another baby!

 

Linnie cage and nest box. They share their cage with a
Lady Gouldian hen I hatched in an incubator & hand fed.

 

I picked it up too. I'd already alerted my husband to this possibility and handed the fuzzy little babies to him. His hands are always warm, mine aren't. He warmed the cold one with the sibling and it began to move slightly, although not with as much energy as the one that had been under its mom. Both began to peep while I prepared a thin mix of Exact Hand Feeding Formula...six parts hot water to one part formula.

Both babies ate like crazy. Now, should I put them back? Their mother had returned to the box and was sitting on the remaining egg. Would she hurt these if I returned them? I'd heard one horror story of that happening with a pair of Linnies. But, this pair seem so friendly and not flighty. To hand feed this young would mean feeding them every two hours for over a week.

What eventually helped me decide is that next week we have to make a 3-hour trip out of town to a doctor appointment, then drive three hours back. That's too long to leave them unfed. Taking them with us was a possibility...I've actually done that before. But, it's such a lot of trouble at this time of year when it's so cold. When I did it before I carried a thermos of very hot water, which worked for the first travel feeding and after that it cooled down and I had to reheat the water in a convenience store's microwave before mixing the formula. This time of year, keeping everything warm would be an issue.

Here is our beautiful cobalt blue Linnie, "Blue."
He or she will hopefully get a mate out of the other pair.

 

So, back into the nest box went my hand with the two babies in it. Mama Linnie immediately exited. I snuggled the babies feet side down next to the egg and closed the lid. Very shortly after, she returned to the box. When I looked inside she was covering everyone. Later, Papa Linnie joined her. Hopefully, they are feeding their offspring as well as keeping them warm.

On the stove, I'm boiling eggs to make fresh egg food mixture to encourage them to keep themselves and their babies strong.

So, Hip, Hip, Hurray! Baby Linnies! Maybe our cobalt blue, hand fed and noisy "Blue" will have a future mate from this clutch. It's what we'd hoped for.

 

Blue shares a cage with a tame Rosy Bourke bachelor
until they both find a suitable mate.

 

Peace & Blessings!