I answered a craigslist ad for a pair of cockatiels that were laying eggs and she didn't have time for the eggs. When I asked her how old they were, she said a year. Is that too young to be breeding? will she have problems down the road?
too young for breeding?
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It's better for them to be older but one clutch probably won't hurt them. You can try to discourage their breeding once you get them until another 6 months passes.
Them saying they are a year old.. could really mean they are anywhere between 1 and 2 years old too. If you get the birds, they will be shaken up for a bit anyway as they get accustomed to their new home.. so it could be awhile before you see any signs of breeding with you.. which will just tack on more time.
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Try and get as much info from her, such as diet and types of lighting, how many eggs has the hen actually laid.
If you do get them, just from the sudden change to a new environment may stimulate them to mate. Let them mate but do not give a nestbox. Spend the next few months providing a good balanced diet and FSL (full spectrum lighting)
If you do get them, just from the sudden change to a new environment may stimulate them to mate. Let them mate but do not give a nestbox. Spend the next few months providing a good balanced diet and FSL (full spectrum lighting)
Thank you srtiels. I asked her if the eggs were fertile, she said yes, but she had been taking the eggs out because she doesn't want them. She said they have 2 now that she is letting them keep so the person she re-homes them to can have them.
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If fertility is showing then the hen has been incubating at a minimum of 5-6 days for the average person to candle and see life. BUT, even though 2 eggs are in the nest, you need clarification....meaning has the hen laid more since those 2 and were pulled, or is those eggs the last laid. If she is still pulling new ones them the hen is still laying.
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IF she gets defensive with all the questions explain that you do not want to handle and move a hen that is in the laying cycle because if an egg is forming in the oviduct, any movement at a time as it is traveling might cause later problems. For example, if the hen is startled, moved while the yolk is ready to drop into the oviduct, it can get diverted into the abdominal cavity and contribute to peritonitis. If the egg is traveling mid-way down the oviduct, sudden movement, or restraining the hen can cause a tear in the delicate tissue and the contents into the abdominal cavity. If the egg is in the uterus (shell gland) and movement or restraint can break the egg depending on the thickness or thinness of the shell. many times you don't know this happens and the partial shell stays in the uterus and the next egg down can impact, break, and adhere to the first egg. This can lead to a prolapse from the hen straining to lay the egg.
I talked to her this morning, she said the last egg was laid a day ago. I told her what you said about not transporting her. She doesn't believe that is true and doesn't want to wait, so I told her I wouldn't be taking them because I don't want to take the chance. Now she says I wasted her time.
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If you never went to look at the birds how did you waste her time? Asking questions is how you go about purchasing a new bird. She obviously doesn't want to sell them that bad if she's not willing to wait five days.
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Sadly it doesn't sound like she will, she keeps pulling these eggs and the bird keeps laying to replace them, on top of the fact that she didn't believe you when you told her that she shouldn't be moved. I'm afraid that she probably won't listen to you at all.
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