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!!
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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.
Peace and Blessings,
Gail (Rosie Bird)
