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

[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

[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!

[K9karen]

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

I had a lone female parakeet who laid a total of 21 unfertized eggs over the years. She never sat on them, they scared her to death. Everytime she sat on my mom's finger and mom spoke to her, she'd go into a trance and then, days later, out came an egg! My mom tried desperately to ignore her, but she'd land on my mom's shoulder and..same thing. Unfortunately, I learned too late about the calcium and gave it to her too late.

PCB.. I hope you become a grammy soon! That would be so

[sirrahved]

In cockatiels, the egg color also varies slightly from fertile vs. non-fertile eggs. Non-fertile eggs tend to have a slightly more peachy/pink appearance. Fertile look more white.

Hoping you have wee ones on the way!

[popcornbird]

Update:

I'm pretty sure the eggs are all infertile. I've candeled them several times, and until now, all I see is an egg yolk, and air sac. There have been no changes in the eggs at all in all these weeks. Still just an egg yolk...If they were fertile, I'm pretty sure we'd be hearing some peeping by now. I am disappointed, but its okay. God has His Will in the Creation of new beings, and if His Will isn't there, then it isn't going to happen, and I'm fine with that. He knows what's best.

Now the problem is, Muffin is still sitting on them. This past weekend, she was off them the entire day, playing and running around the house for hours. She was still sitting on them in the night. For some reason, she started sitting again since yesterday. What's up with that?

I don't want to take them away too early and cause her to lay more. When is the right time? Will she eventually 'get it' and just abandon them on her own?