Ask Lafeber

Parakeet eggs

My parakeet has 8 eggs which she has been laying in for the past two weeks one egg has a black dot on the top if it is that a sign it’s about to hatch and should they all still.looknso white is white a good sign

Hi Lorraine,

The average incubation period for parakeet eggs is 17-20 days – they can hatch a bit earlier or later. And this time frame is for each egg – since they are laid one day apart, each egg will hatch one day apart. The egg you mentioned might have some poop on it, or the hen may have cracked it while turning it, or maybe it is a chick pipping early. It’s best to leave the pair alone and not check too often, as this can make the pair nervous and they might damage the eggs or even abandon them. The eggs will look white whether they are fertile or not. The only way to tell is to candle the eggs, which is a technique where you use a light to check for fertility. It’s better to be patient and wait to see what happens. If the eggs do hatch, let the parents feed the chicks. Hopefully you are offering them leafy greens, chopped veggies, & cooked eggs with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the eggs. These foods are in addition to their regular diet. The nest box needs to be removed as soon as the chicks leave the box, so that the parents can be rested for 6 months. Or the same goes even if the eggs do not hatch – remove the nest box and rest the pair from breeding for 6 months.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda