Ask Lafeber

30 days eggs not hatched and it is fertilized

I have young love birds and for 31 days now the eggs are not hatching. I checked on the light and it is fertile but not hatching!! Is this normal?

Hi,

Lovebird eggs take 18-24 days from the time each egg was laid, and they can be overdue. If they have not hatched in 30 days after the last egg was laid, then unfortunately they are not going to hatch. You can open them and if there is a yolk like you find in an egg from your fridge, then they were not fertile. If you find veins, partially formed chicks, or thick, dark liquid, then at some point the pair let the eggs cool off and die. If you find fully formed chicks, then for some reason they could not break out of the shell. Usually this is from not enough humidity and the shell is too hard.

You mentioned your lovebirds are young. If they are under 2 years old, you should not be trying to breed them yet. Remove the nest box and do not let them try again until they are 2 years or older. If they are at least 2, remove the box, rest them for 6 months, and let them try again. If you found chicks that could not hatch, put a shallow dish of water in the cage to encourage the pair to get their feathers wet, before they go back to the nest. A hen will usually do this, then sit on the eggs again and this helps prevent the shells from being too hard.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda