Budgerigar Egg Incubation Calculator
Budgerigar eggs hatch after about 18 days, normally between 17 and 20 days from the start of incubation. A typical clutch is 4-6 eggs.
Budgerigar egg incubation calculator
Expected hatch date
Wednesday 25 November 2026
Earliest
24 Nov 2026
Latest
27 Nov 2026
0 of 18 days elapsed
A budgerigar does not have a gestation period. Birds do not carry developing young inside the body: the female lays an egg and the embryo develops inside that egg, outside her, warmed either by a sitting parent or by an incubator. The correct term is incubation, and it is measured from the day the eggs are set or the parent begins sitting, not from mating and not from the day the first egg appears.
Key budgerigar incubation facts
- Budgerigar eggs hatch after about 18 days of incubation, with a normal range of 17 to 20 days.
- A typical clutch is 4-6 eggs.
- Incubation only starts when the eggs are sat on or set, which is often days after the first egg is laid.
- The hen does most of the sitting while the male feeds her at the nest.
How to count the days
Day one is the day the eggs go into the incubator or the day a parent starts sitting continuously, not the day the first egg was laid. Eggs can be held for up to a week before setting without much loss of hatch rate, and holding them keeps the clutch hatching together. Stop turning around day 15 and raise humidity for the final days. If nothing has happened by day 22, candle the eggs before discarding them: a cool incubator can delay a hatch well past the average.
How do budgies incubate their eggs?
A hen budgie lays one egg about every other day, and usually starts sitting after the first or second egg. Only the hen incubates; the cock feeds her while she sits. Because sitting starts early and eggs are laid two days apart, the chicks hatch about two days apart too, so a clutch of five can take well over a week to finish hatching.
When can you check if budgie eggs are fertile?
After about a week, a small torch held against the egg shows veins and a dark spot in a fertile egg, while infertile eggs stay clear. Check only when the hen is off the nest, and keep checks short.
What happens when budgie eggs hatch?
- Chicks hatch blind and almost naked and are fed by the hen, later by both parents.
- The youngest chick is much smaller than the oldest; this is normal in budgies.
- Offer egg food, soft food and fresh greens alongside seed while the parents are feeding chicks.
- Chicks usually leave the nest box at about four to five weeks old.
Common budgie breeding problems
- Clear eggs: common in young or unpaired birds.
- Egg binding: a hen fluffed up on the floor and straining needs a vet quickly.
- Too many clutches: hens will lay again and again; remove the nest box after two clutches to let her rest.
- Eggs without a male: a single hen can lay infertile eggs; these will never hatch.