You are NOT going to believe this!!!!

[popcornbird]

First...Logan! I need your help! LOL.

I had taken the tiels to my parents' house with me yesterday, as I always do when I visit. Of course they came back home with me in the evening.

Anyhow, I got a call from my mom this morning. She was like, "GUESS WHAT." Of course, I was confused, and asked, "Uh...what??" She said, "This morning as I was going down the stairs, I saw a little white thing on the carpet, next to the tree where your birds like to sit. I went down to see what it was, and was completely shocked. It was an EGG!!!!!"

O-M-G!!

For those of you who remember Popcorn and Muffin, they have been with me since September 1999. I got them when they were both 3 months old, so that makes them about 8.5 years old today. 8.5 years and no egg...I really thought we'd never have one. I am just amazed.

I brought the tiels back to my parents' house and gave Muffin her adorable little egg. She went right up to it, shoved it under her tummy with her beak, and sat down. Wow. Popcorn is not helping at all...just guarding quietly. They have not become aggressive in the least bit...Muffin lets me touch her when she's sitting with no problem.

Now the problem is...I know nothing about eggs!

It was alone with no mommy all night because Muffin never told us she had an egg and left it at my mom's house. If it is fertile, is there any chance it is still alive? She's sitting on it, on and off right now.

Do we need to get a nest? Any advice? How do I transport the egg back home...It needs to be with its 'mommy'. Wow...is my baby Muffin really going to be a mommy? Do you think she will lay more eggs.

Someone, advise me quick.

[caseysmom]

I had cockatiels and came home to an egg, I ran out and bought a nest box and my cockatiels raised quite a few babies together. It was pretty funny the mom would not always be good and sit on the egg so the dad would chase her around pecking at her, then give up and go do it himself

It is strange that it has taken this long, I don't know if tiels have eggs unless they have been fertilized, have you seen any ummm romance???

[popcornbird]

It is strange that it has taken this long, I don't know if tiels have eggs unless they have been fertilized, have you seen any ummm romance???

Tiels can lay eggs (infertile) even if they don't have a mate, but yeah...I did see some 'romance'. Actually, they've been doing that every once in awhile for the past 5 years now, and nothing ever happened. I'm surprised.

Muffin is minding her own business right now. Popcorn 'just' noticed the egg and tried to sit on it, but it slipped and he became confused and left it. Let's see what happens. I sure hope they know what they're doing.

This is amazing.

[caseysmom]

The nestboxes are fairly cheap and you can get one at a bird store. They have a round indention for the eggs to stay in, they are usually made from wood. I remember coming home one day and my mom was with me and we heard chirping, they had hatched, it was pretty amazing.

[Logan]

Finally! LOL!!!

PCB, I'm only telling you what I think, based on my experience with Roger and Milly, nothing more. But, in our experience, where there is one egg, there is usually going to be more than one. And from what I understand, if it is fertile, even if she ignores it for a day or two, then decides to sit on it, it can hatch. 21 days is the "norm" after the egg is laid until hatching.

If you want nature to take its course, you might put a small mark on the egg with a permanent marker, just a dot, so you can keep up with which one was laid first, second, etc. Even if you don't want to allow the egg to hatch and you decide to boil it or freeze it (sorry, but that is a way to handle it), mark it, anyway, so you'll know which ones you have taken care of.

I bought a nest the first time Milly laid eggs. The problem with the nest was that I never saw her anymore. She and Roger stayed inside all of the time. She ended up abandoning those eggs, if you remember. What I ended up doing when our two clutches hatched was to put some soft bedding material in a large rubbermaid container and put the eggs in there.

I do think that if they seem serious about this, you will not want to be moving them in and out of the cage to go to your parent's house. Hopefully they won't get feisty on you, but mine were very protective anytime there were eggs around, whether they hatched or not, and didn't want to be touched.

I don't get over here much, so if you need me, email me. This computer and Pet Talk do not get along very well, unfortunately. I'm glad Rachel saw this and emailed me.

Good luck!
Logan

[NoahsMommy]

How exciting!!!!

[btw, (((((((((((((((((((Poppy))))))))))))))))), its soooooo great to see you here!!!!! I've missed you so much, sweetie!!!]

You can candle the egg. I *think* if it shows NOTHING in it, its not viable. Otherwise, it'll show a little speck/specks and if you candle it every few days, the specks will grow. This is what I help my friend CiCi do with her Finch eggs.

CONGRATS to the Birdies at PCB's House!!!!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

[Karen]

Wow! You might be gonna be a grandma?

[Jessika]

My in-laws have a male and female tiel and they lay eggs ALL the time... but none have ever hatched

It isn't uncommon even for a lone female to lay eggs I believe.

[smokey the elder]

Hopefully there will be a baby 'tiel in a few weeks!

[Genny]

Finally! LOL!!!

PCB, I'm only telling you what I think, based on my experience with Roger and Milly, nothing more. But, in our experience, where there is one egg, there is usually going to be more than one. And from what I understand, if it is fertile, even if she ignores it for a day or two, then decides to sit on it, it can hatch. 21 days is the "norm" after the egg is laid until hatching.

Logan gave you some good info..I hope the eggs hatch!! (if that's what you want!!!) Our 2 tiels Sunny and Peaches had 2 babies about a year ago. It's so much fun to watch them grow up

[Husky_mom]

I just happen to see this and let me tell you YAY!!.... well if you are wanting baby tiels anyway......

I´m on the same boat right now..... my Jack and Maui laid 7 eggs but just 3 survived..(4 were pecked I guess as they had lil punctures)...still I´m not sure if they are fertile... they mated and all but will have to wait till feb 10 or so to be sure

what was said is true hens might not sit on them until 2nd or 3rd egg are laid...so no worries there.... I´ve heard from a tiel breeder she kept one egg for almost 15 days and then adopted it out to another pair and it hatched....

and lone hens might lay eggs too if they feel the environment (food/temps/etc) is adecuate even if theres no male there

perhaps they were just "romancing" for the fun of it ...... now they just got serious

one more thing.... do you have pics of the happy couple??... I love to guess what the offspring might be like :P

[Genny]

one more thing.... do you have pics of the happy couple??... I love to guess what the offspring might be like :P

yes!!! pics!!! that would be good

[popcornbird]

Well, I have an update, but its not a good one.

The tiels still weren't sitting on the egg that much, but they were once in awhile. It was so cute seeing Muffin roll it between her legs and just sit.

Last night, I noticed their 'nest area' looked a little dirty, so I decided to change the newspaper. I picked up the egg, and put it in a small plate on the side. As I was cleaning, Muffin came and rolled it a little. The egg went crashing down and broke.

I could not believe it, but I was crying. I felt terrible that she lost her first egg in 8.5 years, and can't help but feel its my fault, because I moved it to clean up. Muffin looked devastated, and that made me cry even more. She was looking for it last night.

I've been feeding her cuttlebone, spinach, parsley, and carrots, so that she has enough calcium in case she lays another one. Do you think there's a possiblity that she will have more?

I know this was not meant to be, but it still breaks my heart. The little egg was so cute, and even after it broke, it had the cutest little yolk and egg white. I don't know if it was fertile or not...it was only two days old.

I'll let you all know if she lays another one. Thanks for the advice everyone. The tiels seem to be playing around again...so I hope they're not too upset. Should I leave the 'nest area', so that she has a covered/soft place to lay an egg, incase she has some more? I keep debating with whether or not I should keep it. A part of me things she might need it. Another part of me thinks it will keep reminding her of the lost egg.

[caseysmom]

Oh that is sad. I am sure they will quickly bounce back. When I had my tiels I also had a parrot, he got over and tore the beak of the tiel male, the tiel male was always agressive. Since he was injured the female would not leave his side, she even laid an egg from high up on a ladder and it broke, her honey was just more important to her.

The male got even more agressive when they had babies, he even latched onto my hand while I was cleaning the cage and I had a hard time getting him off.

[Husky_mom]

actually eggs are laid one day yes one don´t one yes one don´t....

so you should be expecting another one soon....

perhaps even sooner as when a female looses an egg she automatically lays another one to fill the "blank".... that´s why they say don´t toss the eggs if you don´t want babies as the hen will produce more and more and that is ot healthy...

just keep feeding her what you are currently feeding so she doesn´t depletes calcium adn they should be ok....

fertile eggs should show some veins when candled (in a dark room place a bright flashlight beneath) I tried doing it with mine, but either I screwed when looking or hey are unfertile as I did not see anything ...

lil yolks are way too cute!!.. I know as I had to throw a few eggs due to punctures and I couldn´t help but look inside... it seemed so tiny and cute!!

good luck... and ((hugs))