Monday, May 24, 2010

How do you tell male and female swans apart?

I've noticed that some of the swans in the river outside my flat have less colour on their beaks than the bright orange of the others is that an indicator?
Answers:
Male and female look alike, but if you look carefully, you can tell one from the other:
1- Males are larger than females;
2- The knob at the base of the male's upper bill is larger than the female's knob. By the way, it鈥檚 this knob that distinguishes the mute swan from all others;
3- The neck of a male is thicker than the neck of a female.
Sexual dimorphism. The male is larger.
In all bird species the males are more colorful and larger.
the male weighs more and is just a little bit larger..
Im not sure about the color thing. alot of birds the colorful ones are the males.. sometimes being larger...
the Red Tailed Hawk is one exception... They are identical in their markings... but the female is twice the size as the male.

How do you tell if there is a bird in an egg?

Please help!? I have a baby bird egg and i don't know if its alive or not. Its an american robin.
Answers:
In a dark room hold it horazontally and shine a flashlight on one end. If you see a dark shape, then thats the bird! if it looks the same all the way through then there is no bird.
taste it and you will see.
Please do not shake it! Try to get a stethoscope and listen for a beat.
zomg, just smash the damn egg
Well, there is techically only one way to find out... break it!
do not touch leave it alone parents will take care of it, if you touched keep worm and wait oat meal mix in water to feed.
One, keep it warm until you know for sure.

Try holding it up against a bright light... it will be difficult to tell if there's a chick in there or not unless it's fairly well developed, but give it a shot.

Unfortunately, robin's eggs make tiny omelettes.

Good luck to ya!
Well.. I suggest you take it to the vet and like them handle it. Don't do anything that would harm them. But the other comment about how you should try to listen to a heart a good idea.
Gently spin the egg on a counter...if it spins fast and true then there is a solid form inside. If it spins slow with a wobble"like its drunk" then there is nothing but mush inside.

There is a 99% chance that it is dead if it is in your possesion. If not turned and warmed the egg dies quickly.
Get a small flashlight (very bright like mag lite) go in the bathroom and turn off the light. Put the light up to the broad end of the egg. If you see an embryo with the spidery blood veins it has a baby. If it just glows it is not fertile. If the egg is very far along you may see the embryo moving.
Candle it.
Take the egg into a dark room and hold a flashlight up to it. If there is an embryo in the egg you will see blood vessels and or the embryo (partial of full).
If you can't incubate it properly,it won't really matter if it is alive or not because without proper incubation it won't stay alive long.
DON'T TOUCH IT!! If you touch it the mother will never come back for it..I should know I have 4 birds with eggs in my front yard! Just wait for the hatching process
SHAKE IT!!
ok, take a bit of card board, poke a tiny hole in it, then put that piece of card board lightly on the egg, go in a dark place and shine a flash light in the hole n u can se something, if there are big circles, it is possible that u might have a live bird, look for veins, it could be an air cell
omg.. lol
yes the flashlight thing may work... but if she sees a baby inside the egg... and with the egg being cold.. the baby bird is not going to hatch... im sorry but if you see a bird inside the egg.. its no longer alive..

and the comments about the mom coming back for the egg..
how in the heck is she supposed to pick the egg up??
in her beak??? and carry it up to her nest??? NO!
im sure she pushed the egg out.. the mother can tell if the egg is not fertile.. even if she she accidentally pushed it out... the egg will not be fertile unless its warm constantly..
dont u notice how the mom sits on the nest..while the daddy brings the food?

also vets will not take the egg..
thank you for caring enough to ask questions...
but the egg is no good.

How do you tell a goose from a swan?


Answers:
geese and swans really dont look anything like each other.

swans come in black or white - geese come in lots of colours.

swans have extremely long necks with longer beaks - geese have shorter nests with thicker, shorter beaks.

their bodies are also different.

have a look in a search engine at a few pics of the two and you will be able to tell.
.
Their heads/beaks are completely different, and geese honk.
A swan is white with a longer neck.geese have dark colors with a white bottom usually with a white ring on the neck.
first things first, You have to start by going to gradeschool
Say what ?
Ask the ugly ducking...he knows.
A swan has a long, sleek neck that has an "S" curve and usually a beautiful bird, a goose has a shorter neck, may have bumps on its beak, and isn't as attractive.
whack it in the head with a shovel

How do you teach a parakeet to talk?

I heard that you can teach one how to talk! I dont know how so can anyone tell me how? (im not talking about a parrot)
Answers:
Its the male parakeets that are noted for talking, so if you want to have a parakeet that talks, a male bird, under four months of age is best.. This isn鈥檛 to say that female parakeets can鈥檛 be taught to talk, but generally female birds are slower to learn and attempts at teaching a female to talk might not be successful.
BUT its worth a go so.... Remember, to stand the best chance,your bird must feel/be part of his "human flock"
Birds learn best in the morning, when their mind is fresh and ready for new information. Repeat the same phrases loudly, slowly and clearly. This is best done on a one to one basis,with no other distractions.A 15-20 minute session is good. Parakeets do best with hard letters like K and T, so the traditional "hello" is actually sort of hard for a Parakeet. "Cutie" would be much better! Parakeets tend to mumble and to talk quickly, so the more slowly you talk, the more normal it will sound when the bird starts to repeat it.
You will need time and patience, and eventually your parakeet will start to answer back to you. Parakeets can also learn to mimic other sounds around them. They can learn to chirp like a cell phone, whistle a short tune, and much more,females especially!
A tip.....do not place a mirror in the cage, as your bird will pay more attention to his reflection,and not to you.!
You talk to it.
u keep saying it and saying it and maybe it will repeat after u.
Same way you teach any bird... horrible repetition. My mom said it took her months to teach her parakeet how to say one little thing, so if you want to do it, be patient!
talk to it in short sentences alot
With your hard unforgiving fist!
I didn't know that you could. Did some one tell you that they are talking birds.
You teach them the same way as a parrot. It takes a lot of time and patience. You keep repeating what you want them to learn, and theoretically, they will start repeating the same thing back.
I had a parakeet a long time ago. They respond to people talking. Just keep repeating to him what you want him to say
like "good boy" or "hello" whenever your around him talk to him. Same concept as "polly want a cracker" repetition
I have raised parakeets for about 5 years now. This is what you do to get one to talk. Put it in a room by itself where it can't hear any other noises. Like radio and TV. Go in and set with it for about 1/2 hour each day. Say one word to it over and over. Start with only one word. After about a week it should start saying it. Sometimes it takes longer. Once he has it down and is saying it by himself then put it back with the other birds. He will teach them. Once all or most of them are saying that word, again might be another week or two. Take that bird back out and teach it to say something else. If you already keep your birds away from the main living area, which is suggested, then you don't need to isolate one bird. Just do the exercise with all the birds and one or more of them will start saying that word. But again only start with one word. Good Luck!!
First Decide What word you want the Parakette to say then keep repeating it over and over until the Parakette Repeats it
keep tell ing it the same thing(like...yo yo yo yo yoyo yo yo)over and over again
make the phrases simple and be repeatative.I have heard that the radio has helped teach birds to talk as radio stations tend to be repeatative
you talk to them alot, we have a parakeet and he will talk and go on and on

How do you teach a cat to get along with the bird?


Answers:
Well start out by watching the bird and cat very closely!!! It really is gonna depend on your cats behavior. I have 3 birds and my cats never really bother them but I would never trust a bird with a cat by itself. NEVER!!!
You don't. Instinctively, the cat will want to knock the cage over and eat the bird! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise or you will have one fat cat on your hands!
You can't. Cats are natural predators %26 birds are natural prey. I let my cat sit in my room with me when my birds are out, but that's it. I don't trust my cat as far I can throw her, I can throw her pretty far. j/k
You don't teach them to get along with each other. You teach them to coexist with each other without paying attention to to one another. It is the cats instinct to hunt birds. that is something that will never change. People that say 'my cat and bird get along great!" are the ones that end up with feathers in the cats mouth. also, cat saliva and scratches are poisenous to your bird even the slightest scratch could kill your bird. teach them to stay away from each other
Your put it in a bag and mke it smoke weed.

How do you stop your blue front amazon from squawking?

Ok mabe stopping is impossible I just need some advice on how to reduce it.
Answers:
Besides the typical "birds are loud" lecture sort of thing, squawking can be lessened by merely ignoring it. Easier said than done, I know, but that's how it works. Birds typically squawk to communicate, out of boredom, or for attention. When the bird squawks, ignore it. Don't look at the bird, don't vocalize to the bird, and don't even bother covering it (I've been told if you cover a bird just to shut it up, you don't even deserve to have it because clearly you don't understand the needs, so obviously it's a bad idea).

When the bird goes quiet, however, run over and shower it with attention, feed it treats, love it like you haven't seen it in forever. But remember, when it's being loud, pretend it doesn't even exist and your head isn't even pounding with the redundant decibel hell of squawking. :) Good luck.
you do know that birds are supposed to squawk?
thats how they communicate, they are flock animals and need attention.
you can either ignore it and hope it stops or give it stuff to occupy its time.
Birds typically make load noises when they need attention or are scared.
Perhaps you should set a specific time each day to play with it and once he learns that that time is his he will look forward to it and not be as noisy. Make sure he has toys to play with and spend as much time with it as you can. They are social critters just like people so think about it. Would you like to be put in a confined area and not be entertained? I鈥檇 bet you鈥檇 be squawking then.
Birds make noise. This is what they DO. As someone already pointed out, being flock animals, they do this to maintain "flock cohesion" (know where everyone is, even when they are out of sight) and to communicate.

Amazons have notoriously loud voices. This doesn't even include screaming - just their normal voice is loud.

Birds generally get loud at two periods during the day - in the morning, and towards evening. This is an instinctual thing, almost all birds (not just parrots) do it. If you bird is screaming continually throughout the day, this is a sign that something is wrong.

One of the biggest reasons for screaming is boredom. The bird is bored. Vocalizing (loudly) is keeping it occupied.

The thing about screaming is that in order to reduce it, you have to ignore it. If you scream back, or even go to the bird to chastise or scold it, you have just rewarded the behavior, and ensured that it will continue. This is because, to birds, ANY reaction is a GOOD reaction, especially if it involves you screaming, too. ("Hey, now we're BOTH screaming, isn't this fun?!")

When the bird is being quiet, make sure to reward this quiet time with out of cage time, games, special food rewards, etc. Attention, with birds, is always the best reward. They want YOU.

When the bird is screaming, do nothing. Don't even look at the bird until it quiets down.

Also, keep in mind, if members of your household scream at one another, this trains the bird to scream. If you are in another room and your mom/brother/sister or someone else yells for you, and you yell back - you have just trained your bird that yelling and being loud are good ways to get the family's attention. They aren't stupid. They learn things from watching you and your family/household. Make sure everyone in your household knows not to yell back and forth to one another if you want to get your bird to stop yelling to you. Take the extra time to stop what you are doing and go to the person you want to communicate with, instead of yelling across the house.

Remember to give your bird LOTS and LOTS of stimulation in the form of puzzle toys, chew toys, etc.

How do you stop a Cockatiel from constantly biting my fingers?


Answers:
time! They will have to earn your trust! Plus, sometimes they are just playing! Give them time and show them there is a different place to place with. Maybe a metal necklace or a hat! Treats will help also!
offer treats when holding and maybe it will stop biting finger. Give him something to do while holding . Should do good. Good Luck!!
Keep your fingers out of the cage, doh!
He may be hungry or just showing signs of affection.

I don't know how to tell you a humane way of getting him to stop biting your fingers. I could say put some lemon juice on your fingers, and maybe the taste of that will be so sour---he'll stop!

Does he do it when other people are in the room with you? That could be a sign of wanting to protect you or even jealousy.

My parrot will often bite my fingers when I take him outside and am holding him while I feed this stray cat in my yard. It's as if he really wants to bite the cat, but he bites me instead! It's pretty funny!

Well, good luck, and enjoy your bird!
You can offer them thier favorite treat and tame them slowly from there.

How do you start?

I want to mate my paraketts, they are both about 1 now and besides the nesting box and material will I need anything else? Will they just start mating? At what age do they start?
Answers:
Are you prepared for hand feeding the babies if the parents don't?

Are you prepared for a bigger cage when the babies are ready to fledge the nest box?

Are you prepared for death of babies?

Are you prepared to find proper homes for the babies for the life of all the babies?

If you are prepared to do all of the above then go right ahead, but if you are NOT, don't breed your birds!!!

There are to many birds in rescues now that are unwanted. There is no reason to breed birds just for the sake of breeding birds. Think of what you are doing first. Unnecessary breeding is what is making all the birds that are in rescues now. Please make better choices with your pets, please!

It's not a matter of just putting two birds together, there is more to it.
mating maturaty ususally isn't until the are 3yrs old.
try i do this with my zebra finches.
Get an chicken egg shell
Wash it (Just use water)
Put it in microwave for 4 mins to kill samonella
than leave it 2 cool down and put it in there cage and they will go crazy for it !!
I would wait another six months to a year, although some budgies will lay eggs on the bottom of the cage and occassionally they will raise them there. Yes, they'll figure out the mating thing on their own.
As a rule birds only breed and rear their young when they feel safe and conditions are right.
I would remove the nestbox until you see them mating.
Every egg the female lays will deplete her body of calicum..so you need to be sure she has a cuttlebone and fresh veggies and grains, and cooked eggs.

Listen to what humor4fm had to say..he's dead on!!!!

How do you pronounce the word penguin?

My girlfriend and her family pronounce it pingwin and I pronounce it pangwin, How do you pronounce it? This is the war of the aquatic birds!
Answers:
pen-gwen
Pang-win
Check the dictionary too.
Click the speaker symbol and turn on volume.
peng-win
I'm a Pangwin chick !! Go the Pangers!!!
pingwin of course
[peng-gwin, pen-] i think that your way is closer to the way it is supposed to be pronounced
p茅ng gwin
It is pronounced pen-guin. Or peng-gwin
pen-gwinn
pen-gwen
'pen-gwin'
( PAE-NG-WIN)
pen gwin
pen-g-win.
peng win

or if u prefer german pinguin
That is sort of a weird question but: pang-win...

Hope you make justice in the "war" hahaha
two ways as the spirit speaks--- pin or pen gwin
It's either pang-gwin or peng-gwin, or a sort of mix between the 2. Depends on the person's accent. It's definetely not ping-gwin though. Good luck in your pronunciation war.
All depends on where you come from here in Washington state it's: Pen gwen

It may be different in a different region of the world or even the United States. English is an ever changing language.
pein-guin
You pronounce penguin as if it were spelled like paingwin. Your girlfriend and her family may pronounce it like that because they have a bit of an accent but that may just be how they think it's supposed to be pronounced.

How do you prevent "doves" from migrating in your rooftop?


Answers:
Any humane pest control company should be able to install a wire mesh over areas they can get into or on top of. It's uncomfortable for them to roost in or land on. A slinky-like material can also be stretched across edges, ledges, etc. that accomplishes the same thing.
place an owl decoy up there, that will do the trick.
I have an owl and that does not work you might put up wind chimes that might scare them away. Are you against Doves? Just wondering...

How do you make a nesting box?

my parakeet laid like four eggs and she's been sitting on them in the corner of the cage all week, should i make a nesting box for her? and with what?
Answers:
Well unless you have a male parakeet, the eggs won't hatch..if you have a male parakeet, then just leave things be as they are, can't move them now..if you've no male you can remove the eggs anytime...you can buy nests already made @ any pet store, PetSmart tho %26 ours liked them just fine..TC %26 Peace :)
is she has been sitting in the corner brooding them for a week (and it is on a grate) it is too late- they will be cold and dead.

If she is by herself, you do not want to encourage laying eggs- females can easily become calcium depleted and die from it.

If you have a mate and want her to lay and raise eggs, you can construct a wooden nest box or buy one (which really isn't that much more expensive).

Here is an example:

http://www.windycityparrot.com/merchant2...

How do you keep Squirrels off a bird-feeder?

These anoying rodents keep making all the seeds fall out and the bird arent there anymore!!! :(
Answers:
well, you can buy a speical birdfeeder, were there is like a cover thing so when a squirrel leaps onto it the cover goes down, and they can't get to the food, ( because of its weight). but, yet a bird is light anough, so the cover doesnt go down. (you can ajust the cover)!!!
get some vicious birds in the bird feeder, lol
Put up a sign that says "No Squirrels Allowed" or "Birds Only". That should do it.
Shoot the little *******!
hitman
You can buy squirral-proof feeders now..I had the same problem but i don't anymore !!!
Give them there own feeder or just shoot them...
Sorry, but they will continue to do this until there isn't any food in the feeder. I would stop putting bird seed in there for a while and when you notice the squirrels aren't coming around any longer, then put seed back in the feeder.
buy a pellet gun
squirrels are cute, how dare you. birds are disgusting smelly and they poke your eyes. they're freaking me out. you shouldn't feed them anymore
That is a hard one.
There's a plastic shell you can place at the base to stop the squirrels.
They are smart and very destructive.
There are places where you can buy bird feeders that the Squirrels cant get into. Here are some links for you.

http://www.garden-accessories-tools.com/...

http://www.garden-accessories-tools.com/...

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/home/...

http://www.bizrate.com/birdsupplies/oid1...

Hope these help

Sapphyre
Certified Avian Specialist
http://www.borrowed-rainbow.com...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/borrowedra...
Buy squirrel proof bird feeders
or you can cut a piece of slippery metal
cut in the shape of Vietnamese farmers
hat and place it on top of the feeder.
trust me, it's IMPOSSIBLE!

How do you keep Quaker parrots quiet?

Hello, I have 2 Quaker parrots, one blue one green. My parents are concerned with them because they make sooo much noise. At first we bought the green one and she was perfectly quiet, when we told her to be. Then when our neighbor gave the second blue one to us, he was loud as could be and couldn't get him quiet. Now, he's got the other one doing it. We have them in two seperate cages. The blue one is jealous, so when we have attention on the green one, he goes bolistic, then the other one follows. Any ideas? HELP ME!
Answers:
First, it has already been said, Quakers are loud birds! It is in their nature to make noise and they just happen to be loud.

You can help the bird to be loud at normal times though. Most birds are naturally loud in the morning, as if to let the flock know the sun is up, and in the evening, to tell the flock "You had better eat and find a roost because the sun is going down."

Rather than get upset, try joining them in the morning and evening. Help them see you as part of the flock. This isn't for everyone, but some people find great success with this.

All the other times you don't want the noise is difficult to address. Everything depends on what you or the other person has "trained" the bird to respond to.

If the bird gets the attention it desires by screaming, then it will continue to scream. Sometimes it really does need to scream to get certain attention if you don't provide it first.

You need to study the times the birds make noise and try to figure out why they are making it. Then you need to work on providing their needs before they scream, or learn to not give attention if they are just being demanding.

You might try having two people hold one bird each if you are going to hold the birds in front of each other. You can also give the bird not being held a treat to munch on, before you pick up the other bird. That way it is rewarded before it screams and it may not feel neglected.

When you put the bird being held back in the cage, always give it a treat and then take the other bird out and give it attention.

The single most important thing you can do, is to try and see things from your bird's perspective. Don't expect the bird to understand you and your wants. You have to work at understanding them. They didn't ask to come and live with you. They are stuck in your house without the ability to communicate with you outside of using body language and their voice.

There is more to this than can be written here. There are entire books on the subject! Below is an article that might help you get started though.

It will walk you through making a journal that will help you see what is behind the bird's screaming session. When you can pin point the problem, you are at the beginning of the solution.
Quakers are all loud .There is nothing you can do about it.The other one tough your bird to be loud.Maybe you should try putting there cages together.Then later on put them together and see if that works.
If they have a cage try putting an opaque blanket over them. They should go to sleep within minutes. It works with my birds, hope it works with yours. Much luck.
you dont unless you let them out have wing fixed and let them come out play with them alot but they will still get lound when they feel the need to mind both do i have two males in different cages and they yell at each other all the time
i cover them at night but in the day it sounds like a jungle i have 3 large birds amazon ,mccaw, gray also so it just happens
they will wear down and take a break in time
Hey Cute Cat, Quakers are pretty smart. If you already put them in separate cages, put them in separate rooms for a quick fix. I taught mine to quiet down. It took awhile and there are loud periods in the day, but it's nice to shut them up when things get out of hand like when I'm on the phone. First, I ignore them and leave the room when they are noisy. If attention is given, positive or not, they will try harder to get it. Then I would whisper "Can you whisper like this?" Now they start whispering when I say this especially when I'm on the phone for a treat. They will say, "Whisper?" in a quiet low tone. They are noisy birds. How about training them in separate rooms and let them sleep together at night?They are flock birds. Just an idea.Have a great week.
I have a friend who puts them in separate rooms and turns the radio on lightly for them it works great, before leaving the house wheel them into the same room so they can socialize as much as they want.

How do you help an eggbound chicken?

My chicken is definately eggbound. If you don't know what that is, please don't answer this question, but it is when eggs get stuck inside the chicken. I know she will die if we don't do something.
Answers:
It doesn't sound like your chicken is egg bound. Her rear end being massive is not a symptom of being eggbound. Walking in and out of the nestbox, but not passing an egg is.

http://www.surrey.ac.uk/~cus1fb/fowl/egg...
http://www.pekinbantams.com/egg_bound.as...
OMG take her to the vet. How can you tell she is egg-bound? I never could tell with mine. How long has it been since she laid an egg? I know they lay every other day but mine only lay so many and then they take a break. Are your chickens getting enough calcium? They sell the medicated pellets that have calcium in it and its not that expensive. Buy a bag and mix it with their regular feed. But don't just sit there take the poor hen to the vet.
Isolate the bird if you can and keep her warm. Try to put some olive oil or vegetable oil into her vent using an eye dropper or plastic syringe. A warm wet compress on her bum might also help to loosen things up.

Be careful not to break the egg, as it can have bad results. In some instances though, breaking the egg has proved successful in treating the condition, although it is probably not worth the risk involved.

Comfort and warmth is the key, additional calcium in the form of crushed oyster shell may help to prevent the condition in the future.

Good luck.
Well there really isn't anything you can do except take it to the vet. they can probably do something.
It'll probably be kinda expensive though. i hope your chickens okay!
The best way to unbind her is to massage her abdomen.Put your hands in between her thighs and abdomen and gently massage the abdomen.If this doesn't work you may have to break the egg.If you have to do this be sure and flush all of the shell and egg content out.If you have to flush out the bird be sure you do so through the cloaca and not the anus.
What I do to my budgies when they get egg bound is I put vasalin on their bottom and give her a hot bottle under her. It helps alot
A stuck egg will cause other eggs to gather behind it, which caused the enlargement of the hen's abdomen. Try using mineral oil or KY Jelly. Put it on your forefinger, insert into the vent. With your other hand, gently push against the abdomen to force the egg toward the vent. If you can see the egg, but it's too big to get out, put a hole in the shell and remove it in pieces. Then rinse the cloaca with hydrogen peroxide. If the egg got stuck for a long while, tissue may poke through her vent. Protect her from cannibalism by her fellow buddies by putting her on her own until her muscle tone is back to A1.

By the way, I once had a Barred Plymouth Rock hen named Violet. She was named quite appropriately. She too became eggbound, and I decided to bring her into the house. I placed her in a very large dog cage on an old dining table, next to some flowers. As you can guess, she ate those that she could reach through the bars! They were Violets!! I got her egg out, but, she became infected and was given Baytril by the vet. She healed nicely. No egg laying though for a while. And when she started again - unfortunately she became eggbound again. I'm said to report she passed away. It's my experience with other hens, and from friend's experiences, that once a hen becomes eggbound, she's will have reoccurences. Good luck.

How do you hatch your egg? It wont hatch. Can someone help me?


Answers:
Just keep sitting on it. Sometimes it takes awhile, depending on when you laid it.
let the parent birdies take care of they shoudl do all the work
how long has it been since it was layed?? if its been awile it may be rotten
it happens
I hope that all goes well good luck
well if you touched the egg u need to keep it warm but if u havnt u need to let the parents take care of it
You may be waiting for a bad egg to hatch whereas you are wasting your time.
Take the egg into a dark bathroom or closet and hold a flashlight to it.
You should see veins or a baby bird/chick provided you have a good egg.
If you don't see any of the above you probably don't have a viable egg.
What kind of egg ...chicken or reptile ? Chicken eggs you do the candle or flashlight check by putting it in front of the light..if you don't have a rooster tho, you have no chick..reptiles are alot more difficult..TC %26 Peace :)

How do you handle duck eggs. A pair of ducks left 2 eggs, One on water and one on land.?

What is the best way to successfully hatch these eggs.
Answers:
Ducks Lay An Egg A Day For 12-24 Days Before Setting, The Duck Wouldn't Have Laid Just 2.

I'd Back Off %26 See If She Lays More.

It Most Likely Rolled In The Water, Put It Back In The Nest, But Mark It With A Pencil 1st So You Know Which One It Is, If No Other Eggs Were Laid %26 The Mother/Father Duck Is Not Setting On Them In 5 Days Come Back %26 Put Them In A Incubator, At 100.5F For 28 Days At 50% Hum. %26 Up It To 80% Hum. 3 Days Before Hatch Turn Them Atleast 3 Times Aday Until Day 25 Then Stop Turning Them So They Can Set Up For Hatch.

Eggs Can Set For 2 Weeks Before Needing To Be Put In The Incubator, Also If The Egg That Was In The Water Was There For Less Then 3 Days It Could Still Be Good.


EDITED TO ADD:
Yup, kerlyran Your Duck Will Lay Her Full Clutch THen Go Back %26 Brood Them So They All Hatch On The Same Day.

If She Didn't Do It Like That She'd Have A 2 Week Old %26 A Day Old At The Same Time %26 At That Ages They Have Dif. Needs.

The Embryos Will Not Start Growing Until She Sets %26 Then It Will Take 28 Days From When She Sets Until Hatch.
I'd guess that the one that was in the water simply isn't going to be any good, and the one on land may not be, either. You would need to place them in an incubator in order for them to hatch...and just give them time. But it may be too late to do anything for them at all.
The one in the water is most likely not going to make it and the one on land is fine as long as it gets it the incubator before ten days. Each day that it is not in the incubator there is a less and less chance it will not hatch.
I was just going to post a similar question! WE have hd two ducks adopt out back yard pool as their home. The female dug a hole in our planter next to our kitchen, and laid an egg. She then disappeared until the following morning, when she seemed to settle on her egg. She left an hour or so later, and then there was another egg! Now, the following day, she is back at hr nest. So, I guess the poultry breeder is suggesting that she does not stay on her eggs until she has finshed laying all of them. I have a pair of mallards... they seem to be awfully social; they have even curled up mere inches away from my very large dog and had a nap. Whwnever we go outside, they stop whatever they are doing and waddle up to us to check us out. This is going to be a very entertaining few weeks!

How do you get ur amazon to talk?


Answers:
Time...repetition and ..well..more time. The more time you spend with them the quicker they will learn. Also, the professors who teach Alex the african grey say that if you sit with the bird on a table and talk to someone other than the bird and pass objects back and forth that are brightly colored (baby plastic keys work well for us as well as blocks) and as you pass them you say "red block?" and have the other person take it and say "red block!" the bird will feel less "on the spot" and may be more likely to try to get involved in the conversation. It took several months for us to get our grey talking but our conure picked things up in weeks. Amazons can be a bit more stubborn talkers but keep trying! Hope this helps!
I tell her, "Listen woman! You are not that tough."
Just keep repeating the words you want him to learn, it takes time but it will surprise you one day. My Lilic Crowned Amazon (at 3 years of age) would say my name, papa (when he wanted food) and good-bye.

How do you get rid of/scare hawks and crows away?

We have a pond and it has some fish in it and a couple frogs (pretty big frogs) Either crows or a hawk have eaten them.
Answers:
Are you sure it's crows or hawks? Not sure about hawks, but I don't think crows are good at fishing.

Have you seen the birds that have done it? Alternatively...are there any species of herons and/or cranes that live in your region? THAT is what we have a problem with, and have eaten quite a few of our fish over the years. And now with the new pond on the deck, they are not even shy at all about visiting it. We don't really live around any 'natural habitat' for these birds, but they still easily find backyard ponds and will remember where they are.

Because of them we have to have two plastic decoys (a gray heron and a white crane) out 'standing' in the pond to deter them because generally they will not land someplace they think one of their species is already at. It's not fail-proof, but generally it works pretty good.
Get some tin foil and put it in the trees, also I have heard wind chims scare them away. Good Luck.
ive heard that what Sunset says has worked. if not.. get a shotgun.

How do you get rid of birds that are trying to build a mud nest under our porch over hang?


Answers:
I would love if I had birds build a nest on my porch! To each his own I guess. It is actually illegal for you to destroy a nest. These are most likely swallows, or phoebes...both native birds and protected by law. I would suggest getting some wire screens and blocking off the area to keep them out. It would be cruel (and as I mentioned before...illegal) for you to keep letting them waste all their time and energy building a nest just to have you rip it down.
let them build a nest. they are beautiful to watch
shoot a bb at then
Why get rid of them? They are good luck! Imagine trying to build a nest and not being able to find a place! Just put a mat undernesth so that you can throw away droppings easily!
you shouldn't! In chinese, they bring fortune.
The birds are most likely a Swift of some kind. also called swallows. In Calif we used to wash away the nests with a strong spray from a hose. every time they build a nest ,wash it away. It took me 2 years before they finally left me alone. But some will still come back, just keep washing them away, that is all I found that worked
Bricks.Rocks...Etc...



lol j/k

If you really want to get rid of it, make sure you dont wait until the nest is done.
Move home %26 let someone who apreciates them buy your house :-)
get a cat or too.
Place something on the overhang so they cannot fit their nest there. Although I am a friend to wild life, it is not good to have birds so close. For one, they may try to attack you once they lay eggs. Also, there is a chance, although slight, that they could carry a lit cigarette into the nest and catch your house on fire.
If you decide that the good luck isn't quite worth it, I would suggest a simple roost inhibitor such as spikes (http://www.bird-x.com/products/spikes.ht... or netting (http://www.bird-x.com/products/netting.h... Both of these things are very easy to install and are completely permanent. Also, they will not harm the birds in any way (fear not, Bird-X, Inc. is committed to HUMANE bird control). Feel free to visit http://www.bird-x.com for more information and a wider variety of products, or call (800)860-0473 for a free, expert consultation.

How do you get a bird out of your house?


Answers:
Alright, here's the real answer:

Fully open one door or unscreened window to the daylight. CLOSE all the other curtains to darken the room.
The bird will always fly out toward the light.
.
Open all the doors and windows. Remove the screens if you need to. The bird will leave on it's own.
Get a cat!
Try to catch it mid-flight by throwing a sheet over it. Then you can escort the little birdy outdoors. Works great on bats too.
It takes 2 people with a sheet, each get on a side and run it out of the house
I think opening all the doors, windows, screens is great, but constantly chasing it helps also, otherwise them seem happy to stay where they land and poop a few times. I have finches and when one gets free it takes about 5 minutes of constant flying to where they tire enough to throw something over it to catch it.

How do you gentle down a mean rooster?

We have a very beautiful, buff polish rooster and a pair of hens with him. The hens are very gentle, and we have never been mean or rough with these birds, but the rooster has gotten very mean lately and will run up and flog anyone that gets near. They are in a large pen with a few other hens, turkeys and ducks, but no other roosters. My kids are now afraid of him.
Answers:
Let me first dispel the myth a mean rooster cannot be calmed down.What you have is a dominate rooster.A rooster will only remain dominate till another rooster takes his thrown.A rooster ESPECIALLY one that is 1 to 2 years old will make attempts at proving himself against most everything he comes in contact with.When you go in the pen he is showing you he is the dominate rooster what you have to do is prove to him otherwise.Strange as this may sound yes you have to literally kick his butt.This is common in many species of birds.Tom turkeys,pheasant roosters, gander geese even some breeds of ducks.Most times simply chasing the rooster around the pen then catching and pinning him to the ground will cure this problem.Sometimes you need to be a little more drastic by holding him by his wattles then dragging him around a little.Roosters do not recognize a calm voice nor commands they only understand the pecking order and right now in his eyes you and the kids are not high on his.He sees you as a potential rival the kids he sees as an easy target because they will flee.Chickens are highly social birds and have a strict pecking order.Less you and the kids prove to him you are the top birds you will continue to have this problem.So will anyone entering your pen.I have raised and contended with several roosters with this same personality.I have on several occasions obtained roosters and tom turkeys which people no longer wanted because they feared them.Rather then entering the pen defensively you need to enter the pen offensively take the fight to the rooster before he has the chance to bring it to you.For lack of a better term man handle the rooster.Have your kids do this.It isn't mean it is basically talking chicken and he will understand.I have raised chickens for many years.I currently have 12 roosters in my flock.10 of which are year and a half old birds.Nearly every one of them at one point or another made an attempt to show it was boss over me and the family,as well as a few friends.None of my roosters have any desire to make an attempt to spar with people.
Two words,to cure the problem rooster,..Campbell's Soup !
Kill it, and get another rooster.
u cant really his begin Territorial so best leave him alone till he calms down then slowly introduce urselfs to him by feeding him bits and pieces as long as he doesn't feel threaten then it should be find, good luck
he will cont . trust me i had one like him... see if you can sell him and look for a different Rooster,or he could end up in stew pot...
my grandparents had a rooster that did the same thing. now that he is **** of the walk with his pick of the ladies, he has a lot to crow about.

the territorial behavior is typical for a rooster in their prime and he is simply making sure that everyone knows he is the stud for the hens.

my Grandmother used to say that separating them completely from each other would take some of that behavior away. it won't remove it all because he has no competition in the arena to humble him in front of his harem.

and if all else fails, gentle him down with hot biscuits and gravy!
Roosters cant be tamed down. I would keep the kids away from him. I grew up on a farm with chickens my whole life. All the roosters we had were mean. Even the ones that we hand fed. That is just their nature.
Answer : It's high time you get a new one
Do they make avian Prozac?
Roosters CAN be calmed down.

Basically, you have to make sure that he sees you as boss. Carry him around, don't let him get away. Cuddle him as you watch TV, carry him around as you do chores. Quickly dunk him in a bucket of water (but keep his head above the water), basically anything that shows that you have power over him.

You can also remove his spurs to stop him doing any real damage.
http://groups.msn.com/chickenchronicles/...

How do you cure a broody laying hen?


Answers:
Basically, you need to cool her down. To do this, you need to put her on wooden slats (and don't give her an option to get onto a solid floor). These wooden slats should be a few inches off the ground to ensure good air circulation, cooling her down. Make sure that she can't be rained on, and that she has shade. An open umbrella over the cage is a good option for this.

Make sure you provide her with food and water during this time, and beware that breaking up a broody normally takes about three days.
It's difficult but it can be done. First of all, remove all eggs from her presence periodically throughout the day (this if you have more than one hen). Don't provide a private nest box, make sure it isn't dark. Some people isolate the broody hen. Just make sure she can't get to any eggs. When she tries to peck you for interrupting her "space" throw her out of that space. The hardest way to stop it - put a fake egg in her nest. Let her sit on it until kingdom comes and she realizes it isn't going to hatch. Just make sure you keep removing all the other eggs she lays. She will eventually give up. It make take a month though! Good luck.

How do you clip your cockatiel's toes?

Step by step and supply list would be great.
Videos would be good to [MUST BE ABLE TO PLAY ON MAC]
And i will not take my cockatiel to the vet. The vet has done it before but i forget how.
Answers:
I get mine while he,s holding onto the side of his cage. Works for us.
have blood stopper powder just in case
use small dog or cat nail clippers
do not cut the pink spot (called quick). try to keep away from it
be very steady and have firm grip of foot
I use a small towel I wrap them tightly and do one toe at a time under a bright light so I can see the vein. I use a tiny baby nail clipper. I also clip their wings with a scissors. If you can have a person hold them while you clip the nails it also helps.
Hold your cockatiel in your hand, holding the foot tight enough that he/she won't be able to move. If you look at it's nails, you can see a blood vene (especially if you look torch a light). With a toenail clipper you can cut the bird's nail. But you must make sure that you don't cut into the quick.
you dont clip their toes , youll kill them, you can clip their nails, just watch out not to short their is a vien in that nail and if you clip it the bird will bleed to death
Invest in a Dremel. It鈥檚 basically, a small, hand-held grinder with removable tips. They鈥檙e sold at most hardware stores, even mega stores like Wal-Mart. It鈥檚 an essential piece of machinery for anyone who grooms their own birds.

The small grinding tip is ideal for trimming toe nails and beaks. It makes it virtually impossible to cut too far and too much. In the event you do cut the vein in the nail, holding the dremel in place for a few seconds cauterizes the cut and stop the bleeding.

How do you clean a baby bird that has got into waste oil?


Answers:
Dawn greascutting, clean her with gloves on and with an old toothbrush. :-)
I heard that Dawn works real well.
All the tiem these commercial come on about cleaning ducks in waste oil. Try Dove dish washing liquid.
The previous answer is correct. Dawn with gloves and a toothe brush. Make sure you clean the nasal passage really well and make sure the chick didn't get any in its mouth.
Dawn dish washing liquid and a tooth brush it is the same thing they use on animals and birds they clean from oil tank disasters.
use a light dish detergent like Palmolive, to remove the oil, this may take several time to do it , fully, hold the birds head out of the water while someone "ruffles the feathers" and removes as much as possible. the head can be cleaned with soap damp cloth. make sure the keep the bird warm, and dry it off asap after the baths so it can get warmed up , keep the bird in a covered cage to reduce the stress on it . since your also removing the bird natural oils from the feathers, you may want to call the vet to see if there is any substitute for their own feather oils, to help protect the skin, and feathers..
Try dawn or any dish detergent and a toothbrush, and gently clean the oil of the bird.
Believe it or not but DAWN dishwashing liquid is the best thing to use on animals. This is what they use to help ducks and other animals that get caught up in the oil tanker spills.
Very, very carefully.
It is usually left to the wildlife professionals to rescue the infected birds and take them back to their facility, where they clean them one feather at a time in hopes to save their lives.

If you have found a baby bird in this predicament, if there's time call the Wildlife station in your area and they will help you. That's their livelihood.

If you don't have time, very carefully take a towel dipped in water and clean the waste oil off the bird's feathers. But make sure each dip into the water with the towel is clean of oil residue.

Good luck and thank you for caring about birds.
Any dish soap would work that has a degreaser. Dawn is very gentle so you may want to use it instead. Also, use a soft bristled toothbrush to help scrape way the oil. Also, make sure you use luke warm water. it's not hot enough to hurt the baby bird, and it will help clean the oil away better. Good luck and may God bless you for saving another little creature!
Best way that is safe and bird rescuers and sanctuaries use is Dawn dish detergent.
dawn dish soap dilluted with warm water.
This is difficult but not impossible. Gently but firmly hold the bird in a sink of warm water. Many ornithologists recommend Dawn dish washing liquid which is very effective against petroleum products. There will be many water changes. Have a great day.

How do we take care of a baby bird we found outside?

In our backyard today we found a dead bird.. cats go back there a lot too. Then We saw the mother and a baby bird. The baby bird looked mature but half the size of the mother which was rather large, like a pigeon or something size. We went to go look and the mother flew off but the baby couldnt fly yet so we took it in (fear of cats eating it) and put it in a large box with some towels. what should we do?
Answers:
Ok at least it's not too small which gives you a better chance...

keep it warm .. BUT not hot ...

Now you should really take it to the Vet or call a vetinarian group that deals with birds .. in the mean time .. If you have any milk arrowroot biscuits .. grind one up and then mix with boiled cool water .. till a sloppy paste ,,

You can try seeing if it will eat off a spoon ..( as in tipping it off the spoon into it's mouth .. becareful NOT to block it's nsal passages with the mixture as this may suffocate the bird, Try wiping a small amount of the mixture onto the side of it's beak .. that way it may get the smell of it and realise it's food and will eat for you ..

If it won't eat off a spoon, please try an eyedropper..

this is all the advice i can give you but the two most important things I have told you are to keep it warm and seek professional advice.
good luck,
Jen
Try to put it outside where there is no fear of cats, it may call for its mom and the mom may find it and feed it. Otherwise get some bread and mix it with water to make a watery dough. Fill a syringe without the need and full it with the liquid. Hold the bird and force it to open its beak and put the syring head in its mouth, slowly push the liquid into its beak and it will start eating it, feed it from 1 to 2cc of the liquid and wait for an our or two and do it again. Don't feed the bird too much though! Try to put some solid bread or seed for it as well, when you see it starts eating those regularly you won't need to syringe feed it anymore. Soon it will start flying and then you can let it go, just try to free it away from the cats so that it can live for a while!!
feed the baby bird by dipping some chapati in water for some time so that baby can eat it easily
try to put it in the mouth by using ur hand and keep the baby warm.
Just put the bird back in it's nest,and leave it be,along with the mother.You're just doing more harm than good for it anyways.It's not like the mother can't fend off some cat trying to get at it's baby for one,and two,I don't see you out there catching the bugs and worms it has to eat,to survive.Also,if you're so worried about this,then put up some type of birdhouse to cover the nest around the young bird and it's mother.
I agree with gravedig leave the bird outside with the mother bird. You are scaring the mother away just as much as the cats. I know it is hard not to help but let nature way take care of the little bird. If it is a fledgling it is ready to leave the nest. When your home you can help keep the cat away.
i found a one day old rabin who had been blown out of the next. I kept it ina tubberware container, with lots of nesting material, with a heating pad under it (so it wouldnt boil).
I fed it baby bird food from a tiny seringe.
Your bird is probably old enough to eat regular bird food (i also found a baby pigion who had hopped in hot tar and had it all over his legs) and i fed him meal worms, wax worms and dove food.
Most people do not realize that in the U.S. you need, by law, a license to have in your possession most species of wild birds. The exceptions to this are introduced, or non-native, species such as European Starlings and English House Sparrows.

If you found an injured bird, or an abandoned baby bird, you should contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center and make arrangements to take the bird there or have someone come to your house to pick the bird up. The people at these facilities are trained and licensed, and can give the bird the best chance of survival and eventual return to their natural environment.
if the bird is fully feathered.. its a fledgling... they are grounded for about 2 days before taking off..
I would definately take it back out there. if you are able to keep an eye on the darn cats. whos cats anyway?
if not, you need to contact your wildlife rehabilitator.
here is a link
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.
This bird is a fledgling.you need to put it back immediately so the parents can care for it. Birds leave their nest before they can fly...this is normal. Put the bird back in a safe area outside.tree or scrub where your cats cannot get to it, or better yet keep them indoors until the birds leave the area and watch for the mother..she should eventuallly find it. You are breaking the law by having this bird in your possession, and it will most likely die under your care. If you replace it outside and the mother does not come back, and ONLY when you are positive she is not coming back then you need to take this bird to a wildlife rehab in your area. Next time let nature take it course and don't interfere with nesting birds.
Well I just found a baby Inca Dove with no feathears at all and i saw the mother and the babies sibling in the road dead so i decided to take the abondaned baby in. I keep the bird in a small cardboard box lined with papertowels, along with a nest made with papertowels, with an overhead light set on medium. I keem a towel over the box so the baby is in darkness. i have four cats in my house so the baby stays in the garage which is fairly warm its self. The bird should be at least 85 degrese F. If the bird gets too cold he could die. I feed the baby Kaytee Exact baby bird formula. You should feed the bird every hour to every three hours depending on the age of the bird. Be sure to sanatize all materials used to prepare the food after every use. Do not feed the bird leftover food. Make fresh food everytime. Kaytee is rich in protien and antibiotics to keep the bird healthy and free from disease. Baby birds are prone to disease eaisly so i highly reccomend Kaytee Exact. To feed my bird i poke a small hole just big enough for the birds beak to stick through, about a fourth of the way from the bottom of a small paper cup. i put the formula in the cup and get the bird to stick his beak up in the hole to suck up the formula. however, you can also use a small syringe to squirt the food in the birds mouth, but very gently. Watch the birds Crop (when full there should be a small round bump on the birds neck). Feed the bird until his crop is full or until he refuses any more food. It is very important to keep the birds surroundings very clean so change his bedding after every feeding. Be very careful the bird does not inhale any food. You should only have to get up during the night once to feed the bird. if fed at 9 pm you should get up around 3am to feed him and then again at 6am. Make sure to wipe off any food that might have dripped on the baby. (beak, chest). When the bird is fully featherd and begins to explore more, you should begin the Weaning Process. Weaning is the process in which you stop hand feeding him and get him to eat normal bird food. Kaytee makes Juvenile bird food just for the weaning process. To Wean the bird, you can sprinkle some of the juvenile food around the birds area such as some in the nest and around the bottom of the box. remeber to have a small cup full of water for the bird. the cup should be shallow enough for the bird to drink from. continue hand feeding the bird, and soon the bird will preffer the new food over the hand feeding. If you begin the weaning process too late, the bird will become "spolied" and will want you to hand feed him which will make it difficult to wean him. When the bird is able to eat by himself completly, you should be able do keep him in a cage. Make sure the cage is big enough for him to hop around in. When he is older you can buy him toys. but for now just affew perches is good. Make sure the bird is able to get down from the perches eaisly. He could panic if he cant get down from the perches. Be sure to cover the cage with a towel or blanket at night so the bird does not get too cold. when birds are put in darkness, it means to them that it is nighttime so they sleep, but in light they know its daytime so they stay awake. You can also let the bird out in a room where he is supervised and the door is closed so he can practice flying or just fly for fun. make sure everyone else in the house knows he is out though so they wont open the door and let him out of the room.

How do u teach a sparrow to play cricket?


Answers:
go to the dickie BIRD school of cricket!!
put it in front of a wicket and throw a ball at it.
introduce it to a bat!
if you are having trouble teaching it...its probably because he finds it boring..and prefers rugby union!!
Maybe if England were hitting sparrows instead of cricket balls there shots would fly out of the ground.
more to the point , how do you stop a nob asking stupid questions
you dont
You should try the following source link

How do the baby chicks get out of a nest box?

when you have an elevated nest box for your hens, how do the babby chicks, onced hatched, get in and out of the nest box? do they just fall? thats an 18 inch drop.
Answers:
The hen will set on them for the first 24 to 48 hours after hatching to insure all the eggs that can hatch did.when she leaves the nest she will call to them and entice them to jump down.18 inches isn't to high for them to jump.Once they get on the ground they do not return to the nest.They will stay with and around the hen.When the chicks get cold or scared they will run under the hen.She will every few minutes lay on the ground and the chicks will climb on her back and under her wings to get warm.During the evening roost rather then returning to the nest the hen will stay on the ground with the chicks.Again the chicks will go underneath her to stay warm.Once out of the nest they do not return back to it.You can put a box in the bottom of the coop as a place for her to nest the young over night.
They are not exactly supposed to come out, it's not very safe.
Actually they will stay in the nest until 4-5 weeks or when ever its time for the parents to say enough get out LOL, the father nudges the babies out around 4-5 weeks and he teaches them to forage and to perch and how to find food. If your not handfeeding, may I suggest that you take the babies out after 14 days and start to play with them and hold them.

10 year breeder.
baby chicks will always follow their mom,and they will try to get out of the box,once the eggs is hatch,the nest is not really the place where the mother will take their babies,they usually will sleep somewhere on the floor and the babies will go under the mother to keep them warm.
The best option is simply to provide a ramp up to the nestbox.

18" could be a very dangerous height for them to drop, and they definately won't be able to get back up again.

How do parrotsTalk?

What are the mechanics of how they produce voice like sound when they do not have vocal chords?
Answers:
How birds make sounds is still the subject of many studies. We use vibrations of our vocal cords to vocalize and our tongue and lips to form words. A human's vocal cords are located in the larynx. Birds also have a larynx, but avian speech is not made in the same way. Birds also have a structure in their throats called a syrinx, which is thought to be the source of the sounds they make. The syrinx has a pair of structures called medial tympaniform membranes, which produce a flow of air in the throat that results in sounds. It is also thought that a bird's unique respiratory structure, including multiple air sacs, has a function in causing the vibrations of the tympaniform membranes and thus, sound and speech.
They listen to your vocals and imitate exactly what they've just heard or they imitate it
Obviously, they do have vocal chords. Otherwise, they could make no noise other than to whistle. Birds mimick what they hear. They have no concept of human speech.
they OPEN THIER BEAKS AND SQUAWK duh!
They have a voice box pretty much with the same kind of vocal chords humans have except smaller. That is why it sounds like they are in a box or on a recorder when they talk.

They're pretty cool birds!
they have a sypherinex (I cant spell it right) in their throat instead of vocal chords

scientists arent exactly sure how it works but either way it is impressive

How do parrots talk?


Answers:
How birds make sounds is still the subject of many studies. We use vibrations of our vocal cords to vocalize and our tongue and lips to form words. A human's vocal cords are located in the larynx. Birds also have a larynx, but avian speech is not made in the same way. Birds also have a structure in their throats called a syrinx, which is thought to be the source of the sounds they make. The syrinx has a pair of structures called medial tympaniform membranes, which produce a flow of air in the throat that results in sounds. It is also thought that a bird's unique respiratory structure, including multiple air sacs, has a function in causing the vibrations of the tympaniform membranes and thus, sound and speech.
When they are alone they mimic the sounds they here in a hope to avoid the lonelines, sad but true!
what the parrots do is they mimic the sound of the words you speak . another interesting fact is that the bigger their ears are the more clearly they can mimic a word or words. ( and yes they do have ears under their feathers on the sides of their heads they have holes there :) ) .
larger birds such as parrots have larger ears so they are the ones that can usually mimic they mimic not only words and phrases but sounds such as ambulances or other birds. as for talking , or understanding what they mimic , they have to have some intellegence. the most intellegent of the parrots is the african grey parrot who can have the same understanding and vocabulary as a 7 year old.
Mimicry. As the owner of an African Grey I can also say there is a certain amount of intelligence involved which shows in the timing of the speech. Such as, when one of the dogs barks, the Grey will tell it to "be quiet"

Greys and minah birds are know as the best talker but minah birds are quite messy.
Ehem, they dont talk they copy us.

How do I tell...?

How do I tell if my budgie is a male or a female? The skin above its beak is blue sometimes and browmish gray other times. I cant take it to the vet (the cage wont fit in my car and it isnt hand tame) so I need to know how I can tell without some kind of complicated test or something. The budgie is about a year old, maybe a little older. Thanks!!!


PS-About how long will my budgie live?
Answers:
With adult budgies of most colours it is easy to tell male and female apart by the colour of the cere which is the bit around the nostrils, above the beak. It is blue and smooth in males, and brown and rough in females.

However, for a pet you need a baby budgie, and the younger the better. The typical blue or brown colour will not have developed at this stage. Instead, look closely for the presence or absence of white on the cere, since white is the precursor of the buff and brown shades of the female cere. Look at the actual nostrils: if there is a hint of a whitish ring around them, then the baby is probably female. If there is absolutely no white, and especially if the cere is a nice pink, and well rounded, then the baby is probably male.

An adult hen budgie's cere is like a layer cake. The bottom layer is pale blue. Over this spreads the whitish colour, and then the buff and brown shades are deposited on top of the white. Therefore, a very young baby hen may show some pale blue on her cere, but there will always be white as described above.

An adult **** budgie's cere is not a layer cake: the fleshy/pink/purple tones of the baby turn blue.

With certain fancy and pink eyed varieties, the blue of the male never develops -- the cere stays pink or flesh coloured. (The identification of some fancy colour varieties is an advanced subject, beyond the scope of this page.)

Dark shading on the beak or cere indicates only that the baby is still very young indeed, and gives no indication of sex. It is common in darker coloured chicks.

There is a subtle difference in body shape too. Young cocks tend to be more tapered, and young hens less shapely or more blunt ended (to put it in an unflattering way!)

Cere colour seems easier to distinguish at an earlier age in darker coloured individuals who have plenty of pigment in their bodies. So, if the sex of your purchase is very important to you, it may be advantageous to go for a deep coloured bird rather than a 'blond' or very fancy variety.



An important thing to know before buying oneself a pet bird is the maximum life span of the wanted species. In case of a budgie, one can expect the birds to become 10 to 12 years old if one treats them in an ideal way. But normally, budgies do not live that long. Most of the birds live for only five to ten years, which is a realistic value for their life pan. It is not possible to derive the age of a mature budgie from its outer appearance. A five years old budgie looks exactly the same as a 15 years old bird.

Statistics say that half of the budgies kept in Germany die before they become five years old because of wrong nutrition and keeping conditions. Overweight and the lack of movement make their inner organs become too fatty, which leads to failures of the bird's organs. In the worst case, they stop working without any warning. Most budgies that are overweight suffer from so-called lipoma, a special kind of fatty tumour that grows between skin and muscles.

But it is also possible that even optimally kept budgies die very young. Many of them develop tumours that cannot be stopped from growing. Scientists have not been able so far to resolve why budgies tend to develop tumours so much. In my flock, there were two cases of tumours so far. P眉nktchen got a malignant tumour in the abdominal cavity, and therefore she had to be put to sleep by a veterinarian. Vela got a kidney tomour when she was about 14 years old. The veterinary told me she would die within the next few weeks, but he recommended to wait with putting her to sleep, because in his opinion, she would be able to live without pain until a few days before her natural end. When the pain starts, it would be the right time to release her from the torture, he said. I am very glad we decided to let her live, because those "few weeks" we expected her to survive finally became 1,5 years! Vela's tumour encapsulated itself what is highly unusual, so my little budgie lady had really good luck! Up to her death, Vela had no pain caused by this tumour. In fact, she died from grief shortly after she lost her beloved mate Mira.

The age high score so far is maintained by Kiki who died on 21/04/2002. He became slightly more than 17 years old. But there is also a negative record concerning the age. After half a year of living, the cute little Ceti died. Shortly after he made his way right through my opened window from outside, the first signs of a poisoning started to show up. When he was outside in the German wilderness, he ate something poisonous, which finally killed him a few months later.
well here i found a great site that might be able to help you!
http://www.birds-online.de/allgemein/ges...
the females beak skin is brown the males is blue

How Do I Tell if My Bourke Parrot is Male or Female and What Mutation is it?

How do you tell the difference between male and female bourke parakeets?

Here is a photo of my bourke, Nova: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/c...
The breeder I bought it from said that it is a rosa bourke, is this true?
Answers:
The only sure way to tell if your bird is a male or a female is by having your Bourke's DNA tested.

A normal Bourke's Parakeet will have a brilliant blue on the front of the wings and on it's rump. They are primarily grey with pink at the bottom of their chest.

A Rosy Bourke's Parakeet will have different variations of pink. Some are a dark pink while others are a light or medium pink.

The Cream Bourke's Parakeet is pale in color and has more "yellowish" feathers.

The Rainbow Rosy Bourke's will have a splattering of pink, grey, yellow, blue and even green on it's body. I have a Rainbow Bourke's and it is primarily pink with iridescent blue, yellow and green on it's rump.

Adult plumage is usually reached around eight or nine months of age. Until then you will not be able to use any guidelines by looking at the feathers.

Male Bourke's are said to have more color than the female and are also larger than the females. A Normal Bourke's will have darker blue feathers above the nares than the female. Also the females are said to have a white wing stripe.

Breeders tell me that males will sing and females will only chirp with they mature. They also tell me that Rosey males have more pink coloring on the head than the females. Again, a DNA test is the only sure way to tell if you have a male or a female Bourke's Parakeet.

One of the reasons it is so difficult to tell the difference between the male and the female Bourke's Parakeet without DNA testing is because you have to have a male and a female to make the comparison. Even then it is difficult because every bird is different.
the thing to do if you want to know take the bird to the petshop and they'll tell you if its a male or female
as far as i know only way to tell difference is by blood testing which your vet can do
Take a picture of your rosie bourkes rump and i can tell ya. seriously! The male has more blue than a female. Sometimes slightly "buff-er"

How do i tell female finches from male finches?


Answers:
It depends what type of finch you are talking about, there are hundreds of different ones.

With the most commonly kept finch, the zebra finch, the male has orange cheek patches and chestnut flanks with white spots, while the female does not (in more mutations). Males have red beaks and females have orange beaks.

Gouldian finches have a few differences, but males have a lot more blue on the back of their neck compared to females.

I think most finches you can't accurately tell apart visually, they need DNA sexing to be completely sure.

Google the type of finch you are thinking about for information about the difference between males and females.
Here is a web site for info about how to tell female finches

http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/searc...
In general most males of most bird species are brighter and have more color than the females. Females are typically dull.

In my area we have 2 common types of finches -- the Golden Finch and the House Finch. The male golden finches are bright yellow whereas the females are very dull, like a light brownish yellow. The male house finches have bright red on there heads and stomachs -- the females have very little color.

How do I teach my parakeet (female) to say "sexy" or to talk at all?


Answers:
Male budgies or parakeets are more likely to talk but you can try to get yours to. Cover the cage and turn off all external noises such as the tv, radio etc. Sit next to the cage and repeat the word or phrase you want the bird to say. You have to do this about 3 times a day for at least ten minutes. Good luck...some birds are better talkers than others.
repeat the word over and over again every day. Keep the bird seperate from other birds the reason parakeets talk is that they are bonding to others in the flock if you are the only one around, the flock is you so they mimick. Try to keep it to one word or phrase at a time at first, and speak slowly and clearly. Once your bird has learned a word or phrase, he/she will begin to pick up more and more. Males are generally better talkers than females.
First answer is correct. The males talk better for some reason. It kinda funny as women seem to talk more than us guys, so you would think the Female be a better talker. :-p
But, as stated just keep using the same word. Also, listen to her, she may talk best she can and you not realize she is mocking you. I had a male named Floyd and he was a good talker. At first I not know, but, one day he was in the window on a glass rim sticking his head into the glass. He was having a good time. I listened and realized he was saying; Floyd, Hello, Kiss and my name.
I add this; Think of a baby learning to talk. The Parents know the words they say and when pointed out to others everyone hear what the baby saying. Hope you understand.

How do I teach my parakeet (female) to say "sexy" or to talk at all?


Answers:
Its the male parakeets that are noted for talking, so if you want to have a parakeet that talks, consider adopting a male bird. This isn鈥檛 to say that female parakeets can鈥檛 be taught to talk, but generally female birds are slower to learn and attempts at teaching a female to talk might not be successful.
BUT its worth a go so.... Remember, to stand the best chance,your bird must feel/be part of his "human flock"
Birds learn best in the morning, when their mind is fresh and ready for new information. If you use a towel or cover over your bird's cage, talk to them for 1/2 hr before you remove it each morning. Repeat the same phrases loudly, slowly and clearly. Parakeets do best with hard letters like K and T, so the traditional "hello" is actually sort of hard for a Parakeet. "Cutie" would be much better! Parakeets tend to mumble and to talk quickly, so the more slowly you talk, the more normal it will sound when the bird starts to repeat it.
Have patience, and eventually your parakeet will start to answer back to you, hopefully! Parakeets can also learn to mimic other sounds around them. They can learn to chirp like a cell phone, whistle a short tune, and much more,females especially! If talking is not successful,why not teach her to whistle rhymes/tunes!!
Get another one.
threaten it with concrete boots
Parakeets are very small birds and the smaller the bird the less chance they will talk. Your should first name it sexy. so you can assocate sexy with the parakeet. Keep in mind that the only way you will EVER get the bird to talk is if you spend a lot of time with it, let it get out of the cage, and feel comfortable with you. The best way to teach it to say sexy is to ue positive reinforcement. Every time you change the water and food say sexy a lot. Feed him less so he is very hungry and excited to eat and when he eats say sexy sexy (use NORMAL VOICE) not bird voice or it will not work. This si how animal are trained to do the things they do. I am not telling you to starve him by any means i am simply telling you to use positive reinforcement. Another method is to find a treat he really likes and again say the worda lot when giving it to him and only give it to him when hes hungry. good luck
The key to teaching a bird to say a certain word or phrase is repetitiveness. Every time you enter the room where she is, say Hello Sexy (or just sexy). It may take a long time, but eventually she will repeat it. I have a 'teach your parrot to talk' tape that I start playing for my babies from the time I pull them..until they go to their new homes. I play it twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. My kids taught my Male Eclectus to say "Don't come in, I'm naked" after they saw a bird say it on a movie. Now, every time someone knocks om my door, he will say it.
parakeets are very limited to single words only, they cant say sentences. to train a parakeet--- cover their cage,turn off all external stimuli ie. tv, radios, anything making noise, movement etc. that will distract the birds attention. you will have to repeat the word "sexy" for hours untill he/she will blurt it out. this will be hard for you--- they are repeating tapes for all night sessions tho.

How do I take care of goose eggs?

I rescued these goose eggs by a large lake. They seemed to be NOT in a nest. Just on the ground. A goose egg needs to be around 90 degrees somethin and it was that temperature outside! Now they are in a huge tin can outside and the sun shines on the tin can and it collects heat and it gets really warm in the tin can, but not hot hot or else it will fry the eggs! Do you think they have a chance of surviving? And plus I already researched about goose eggs, but do you think they will survive?
Answers:
Next time, leave the eggs alone. Some geese don't build nests; they just sort of find a kind of shallow hole and sit on their eggs.
Get the eggs to rehab. Don't try to take care of them yourself. And a tin can... your best bet is a heat lamp, and towels or tissues to insulate the eggs. Don't depend on the sun or the weather! These eggs require more care than most people can give.
Seriously, please try to contact rehab as soon as possible. Let them handle it.
You have to sit on them to keep them warm, but don't sit on them so hard that you'll break them.

How do I take care of eggs?

I just rescued these domestic goose eggs. I want to try to incubate them, but I don't have an incubator. I put them in a tin can(it's huge) and set them outside, so it can collect heat in the warm sun. But what about nightime? What should i do? How to incubate them?
Answers:
the sun is probably not enough to incubate them. you need to set up an incubator - you can probably use a normal lightglobe.

but you need to look through a search engine to see what temperatures goose eggs need, how often they need it and how often to thrun the egs, if at all.

no eggs are easy to hatch - it is best to leave them with the parents as they will probably die.
.
Sit on them!
rescued from what?

are they fertile?

have you considered putting them back with the mum?
Maybe you should turn them over to your local zoo, they should have the equipment to care for them, and they will be properly cared for, because if you have them outside your home night animals (raccoons, possums, or skunks) might get at them.
i'm not sure about 100% sure about night time, but you should leave them in the tin can and out them in a warm place. if i were you i would put them in my garage. it gets quite warm in there...or you can wrap them in a lot of blankets.
I like omelets myself.
If you placed these eggs in a can in the sun there is a high probability you already killed the eggs.Goose eggs need to be maintained at 99.5 degrees constantly.The temp can fall to 98 or climb to 101 but that is about the amount of variance they can tolerate.Also goose eggs need to be maintained in a humid atmosphere about 70%.These conditions are best met within an incubator.Being you don't have an incubator you would need to simulate one.Generally a large to medium size box can work with an adjustable light in the top.You would have to have a couple of thin bowls which can hold water to add humidity.The box would need to be closed but not taped up.The temp at the bottom of the eggs would have to reach at least 99 degrees while the top of the eggs never rises above 101.If you haven't killed the eggs already I would say you need to do something much different then a can in the sun.
It will be very hard to incubate these eggs. You do need an egg incubator because the eggs need a certain temp and humidity to keep the embryo alive. What did you rescue them from?
The chances are the eggs are no good. And if parent birds abandon the eggs then there was a reason for it.

Did you know that eggs and very young baby birds can die at room temps?

Placing eggs inside side of the tin can will not help the eggs hatch. The tin can will not provide the type of environment that is necessary to hatch the eggs..

Sapphyre
Certified Avian Specialist
http://www.borrowed-rainbow.com...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/borrowedra...

How do i take care of a duck egg?

okay, so there was this duck nest next to my house with about 10 eggs in it. but three days after we found the nest, a racoon got to it and ate 9 eggs. the mom abandoned the one that was left, and i really want to help it. how do i take care of it??
Answers:
You might wanna to bring it on the house, since that racoon COULD come back. Keep in a shoebox lined with towles and place it under a desk lamp.

You could also do this with a heating pad if you have one. IF it does hatch the duck won't need to fed for the first 24 hours. Here's a site that can probalby help you, there's a message board, some of the members there will probably help you out:

http://www.backyardchickens.com...

If you want the best advice, ask a vet, chances are you shuld be able to handle this yourself.

Hope all goes well for you!
theres really no way to take care of a duck egg, u can google it if u want, take it to the pet store and see wut they can do about it if u really want to help it but u keeping it is only making it die and get worse
keep it warm until it cracks.DON'T DO ANY THING ELSE TO IT OR THE DUCK WILL DIE.trust me.
sit on it.lol

but really.put it in a warm place.if you want it to hatch keep it as warm as mom would have..incubate it...heater blankets.think warm..very warm and comfy. good luck
Merely keeping the egg warm will not make it hatch the egg needs to remain between 98 and 100 degrees.There are ways you make a home made incubator out of a box and a standard 100 watt light bulb in a hanging lamp.make a type of nest hang the light over the nest and adjust the light up and down till you get a constant 99 degrees in the nest.Then place the egg in the nest.You should also put a small bowl of water as close as you can to the nest.This will keep the humidity a little higher.Good luck.Watch the temperature very closely.In case the temp rises and falls and you need to adjust your light level.Raise the light to lower the temp lower the light to raise the temp.
ddstandl. . . is correct except he forgot something.
The egg needs to be turned at least twice a day until you see the egg move itself and then you leave it alone as the duckling is getting in position to break out of the shell.

If you "candle" the egg you might have a better idea of what size duckling you are dealing with.
Take the egg into a dark room and shine a flashlight on it. . . you should see blood vessels or perhaps a partial of full embryo.

Good Luck
put a cross on the egg so you will be able to tell when you have turned the egg,, then put it into the airing cupboard make sure you turn it every day,,,it will take between 18 to 21 days to hatch good luck..
Hi...you might not take this seriouly but you know there is nothing you can do to save the eggs. In the philippines we have this kind of food called BALUT. Boil the eggs for 2 hrs and that's it! Trust me it's good.

How do I remove duck nests?

This is a Moscovy duck nest right below my bay window.
Answers:
Moscovy ducks only take 25-28 days before they hatch.

why cant you just leave them there til they leave themselves?
.
Let it be Meanie. They won't be there long then you can remove the nest.
where will they live if you remove their home ='(
I would leave them, they wont stay there forever. Besides that would be neat to watch. Ducks are harmless.
if it really is a bother, then call animal control. they will move the nest and the ducks and try to put them back in the wild.
The process of removing a duck nest is a very tedious and complicated endeavor. First of all, you must communicate with the owner of the nest that you wish an audience with the duck king. After which, if you have managed to obtain such a meeting...which is likely to only happen on the 5th the Monday of February at exactly 11:62 PM while it's raining on the south eastern region of the exact center of the earth... Then you are well on your way... The next step is very, very important and that is this NO MATTER WHAT THE DUCK KINGS SAYS DON'T LISTEN TO HIM he is trying to convince the other woodland creature of his superior intellect by mentally/hypnotically controlling the humans of whom he seeks revenge for the death of his love... Ahh those were the day's waddling wing in wing with the love at his side with little ducky feet pattering not far behind, splashing in the crystal clear pond ... Ahh that is the life THEN Blam...
Waddling wing in wing without the love. Ok back from the flashback scenario. The plot of global domination of which I was referring is so complex and intertwined within a web of deceitful government conspiracies that I would be put on the "list" by the league of loons if such information were to be released to the public. Oh if you want to avoid all of the hassle of the above then I'm sorry I can't help, for I have not spoken with a duck before nor have I had a nest in my bay window. I would think you could remove it very carefully or call a nest mover.
Just place it somewhere where the ducks will prevail and wont get hurt... thats all ;)

How do I perchase a monkey?

I am looking to buy a cotton top tamerin. I know all the info on them but I need to know how to actually buy tthem.
Answers:
I am sorry, but WHY IN THE WORLD DO YOU WANT A MONKEY????? my sisters x-boyfriend had 1 an it threw its poop everywhere, they might look all cute and funny, but on the inside they are lean mean poop throwing machines!
i would say to get on the internet and look up cotton top tamerin breeders. preferably at google. you'll find lots of them at different prices.
You know there is a spell check, right? Because if you don't and you can't spell purchase - you probably don't need a monkey
Don't bother buying one. Just go to Indonesia, they are seriously everywhere in the wild there. Just get a big bunch of bananas and they will flock to you and you have the pick fo the bunch. Grab one, chuck it in your suitcase and fly home. Problem solved. How you get it past customs is your problem.
Monkeys do not make good pets. If you did your research you would know that. Reconsider, there are so many horror stories out there and the odd are that you will just be another one in the end.

Monkeys become dangerous and agressive wen they hit puberty. If you are living alone then be prepared to for the rest of your life. Monkey will not accept "intruders" into thier homes and will attack them, they don't care its your girlfriend/boyfriend.

Please check out these links, and the decide if monkey ownership is still the responsible choice:
http://www.petmonkey.info/testimonials.h...
http://www.petmonkey.info/koto.htm...
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/primates/...
Thankfully for the tamarins, people no longer keep primates as pets. They are not good pets and people don't make good companions for primates so don't bother looking.
You most certainly DO NOT have all the info on them. They're spelled tamarins..
Can you spell hamster? Maybe you should do research on hamsters.
from a zoo

How do I make my own humming bird food?


Answers:
One part sugar to 4 parts water. (One cup sugar to 4 cups water) Do not add food coloring they don't need it. Generally your feeder will have red flowers in it, if you have a decorative feeder throw it away they don't work and are to hard to completely clean. You will need to clean the feeder every other day during the spring and summer months and twice a week during the cooler months. There is a black mold/fungus that grows within the feeders. If you don't change the sugar solution and the humming birds ingest the mold they will die (their throats swell and they cant breath or eat, saddest thing I have ever seen) When you use the decorative feeders you are not able to get into and clean all of the nooks and cranny's and the mold will continue to grow. (just FYI)
Boil one cup of water and one cup of sugar until clear. Add a drop of red food coloring and put in the fridge to cool. When its cool, it's ready to use.
you melt sugar in hot water i do it all the time
Mix sugar and water together. They don't care what color it is and you dont have to boil it or anything. That's all. It's kinda funny how they aren't picky. I guess they need to find all they get. Again, don't boil it.
if you go to www.animaltradingcompany.nl they do a mix ujust add water to!
JenE gave you all the correct information. I have to boil the sugar and water to completely dissolve it.

How do I make a good chicken pen?

I want chickens but I do not want my chickens to be eaten by raccoons/coyotes/hawks/weasels... or anything else. I just want them as pets, not to eat! Also, what are the best chickens for beginners and what is the best food and shelter?
Answers:
well first u need an electric fence.
First decide about how many chickens you want to keep. You said you just wanted them for pets, but there is no reason why you should not have a good supply of fresh eggs while you are keeping them. You need to make a good pen to keep the chickens in. Get rolled chicken wire from your hardware store.
Dig a trench around the perimeter where you want your fence. Make the trench about one foot deep. Set the posts and put up the chicken wire with the bottom of the wire at the bottom of the trench. Fill in the trench packing it down with dirt mixed with gravel. This will protect your chickens from the wild animals that you are worried about from digging under your fence. Put a top on your pen with the chicken wire to protect against hawks and other birds or prey. Now you have a good yard for the chickens to run in you need a shelter from the weather. A house that opens into the yard where the chickens can be shut in at night should have roosts and some nest boxes inside. You can hang heat lamps in cold weather.
The type of chickens to start with is pretty much a personal choice. None are much easier or harder to raise. The feed is specially made for the size and type of chickens you want to raise. Check with your local farm or feed supply store.
You can see that it is going to take a pretty good commitment on your part to keep the chickens. It can also be very rewarding if you are willing to do it right.
There are a variety of breeds which are great chickens.Decide how many you wish to keep first.This has a lot to do with a coop and pen size.To decide on what type of chicken you would like doesn't really impact a coop/pen design.If you desire chickens for color there are several multicolored type's.There is also a variety of comb styles.For interesting looking birds the Polish breeds are great,and easy to raise.There are also some rare breeds that the back yard hobbyist can help maintain.For some great color pictures of chickens I recommend Privett hatchery's web-site As well Cackle hatchery out of Missouri have some wonderful pic's of their stock on their website.feathersite has an a-z listing of chickens with pic's of most breeds.As for the coop and pen much depends on the amount of birds you intend on having.Being you want your chickens more for pets you would probably do well with a raised floor design in the pen.To keep all critters out your pen needs to be fully covered as well as full bottomed.A raised bottom is fairly easy to build.Use a 4"x4" treated posts for your corners.Bury the ends at least 1 foot deep.You can use treated 2"x4"s for support and top rails.use 1 inch chicken wire and go post to post.then go across the bottom with a 2"x6" treated board.I tell you what to save time e-mail me and i will draw you a set of blue prints.As well as advice for feeding and general keeping.
Several good links:
www.allaboutchickens.tk (click on coops)
http://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesi...
I would recommend wooden houses. Neverrrrrrr make chicken wire house or the raccoons will stick there hands in and pull there heads off. Gosh my step mom's stupid. I couldn't tell you how to build as long as its big enough and safe enough. You could bury like bricks or chicken wire along the outside of the coop to keep things from digging in. But you know its better to let your chickens roam free or they will get sick and die form being cooped up all the time and are most likely to lay less eggs or no eggs at all. You can't protect your chickens from every predator but you can prevent them from coming in like getting motion detector lights in the coop. Remember there just chickens so don't get to atached thats what i learned.
Hi some of the best pens i have ever seen are converted small sheds on a small concrete slab. The chickens have some area to free range but are also fully enclosed

How do i know if my cockatiel eggs are good or bad and is there a way to make a homemade incubator?

my cockatiel just laid two eggs...each a day apart. mother will not set on them. i have put the eggs in a shoe box with paper towels. her first egg which she laid about four months ago was a dud. how can i tell if these eggs are good or bad, and is it possible to make my own incubator, instead of buying one? THANKS IN ADVANCE..
Answers:
take a flashlight and place it on the side of the egg. you will be able to see a shape inside of the egg, that resembles a baby bird. if there is not, it is a dud, but you should still hold on to it just in case it is not a dud, and it was just small or hard to see. also you can lay them like you do with the paper towels, and put a type of heat lamp over it, not so it gets hot, but just so it stays warm. keep it away from drafts, so it does not get cold. hope it works out! i know how exciting it can be to see an egg hatch. it is pretty cool. if you need any more info just ask.
The only way to tell is to crack them open and fry em. Ill have mine over easy, plz.
You could take a wooden box put a lightbulb attached to the inside upper part. Then, you set the eggs on the hay ground , and you will be able to see the red vains, which means a fertile egg(alive), or if it appears to be dark and show no veins, then your eggs may be "INfertile" your incubator will do it for the eggs.