Are the parakeet eggs fertile?

Question

I didnt see my parakeets mate but the female laid an egg. The male keeps kissing with her and is standing by the nesting box and occasionally goes in there. Does it sound like the eggs were fertilized by him or would he do this even if they are infertile?

Answer 1

Females will lay eggs even if not fertilized. There are 2 ways to tell. You can either wait out the gestation (i believe around 2 weeks) and see if they hatch; or you can "candle" the eggs in a few days. Very carefully take the egg out, and hold it in front of a candle or bright light. Ifyou see veins or an embryo, your egg is fertile. If you see nothing, then its not.