Have had a very busy summer with lots of visit from grandchildren and a 2 week vacation in Maine. I had Bitsy and Roscoe separated and Roscoe on long nights prior to vacation but since home and while away they were together again.

Bitsy and Roscoe have been mating daily and I have put up the nestbox. They are in and out of it and both are very protective of it. In fact Roscoe has gotten very protective of the entire cage. The mating has been going on for well over a week, but no eggs. What do you all think?

I have separated Snowflake from Roscoe and Bitsy at night; Roscoe mated with her also but has not for over a week now. She loves to try to et near their cage and get in the nestbox but he gets mean with her and I put her back in her cage.

Sounds like exciting things may start happening!
Good luck.

Sounds like not too long from now you'll probably have some eggs!

They are behaving so different this time. they are mating several times a day plus Roscoe spends time in the nest box and occasionally both of them as if sitting on eggs. I am getting anxious for Bitsy to lay.

How exciting. Good luck!

Another day and no egg. I don't know who is more frustrated or anxious--me or Roscoe. There has been no mating (that I know of) yesterday or today. Yesterday Bitsy was eating some calcium which is what she did when she laid before.

They both spend time in the nestbox and I can't believe how protective and nasty Roscoe is if you even get near the cage.

Will a female dicide not to lay even if she has been mated with and the nestbox is there for her? I am beginning to wonder.

Do you see an egg bum under her vent? She will lay the egg soon. I bet the egg is inside her right now spinning around as her body produces the shell from her body right now. Give her another day or two. "Water will never boil if you wait for it to. " That's just a saying I heard from somewhere. It just means that things will never happen if you counting down the seconds. It will come out when you least expect it. That's what happened every breeding season with me.

about the water, that is so true. This is all new to me. I don't even know what an egg bum would look like. The first time around (the first clutch) was so different. We saw them mating and looking for a place for a nest. Saw Bitsy eating calcium, put up the nestbox and she went in and laid an egg. All happened within a week. And the nestbox really was up for only a matter of hours. This time it has been up for over a week.

Still no egg....however
late yesterday afternoon I was sitting and watching TVwith my feet on the ottomon. Bitsy and Roscoe had joined me as they often do. I heard this soft noise and looked at my legs. There were Bitsy and Roscoe "doing the deed", right on my leg. They were very respectfull in that they were relatively quiet, much more so than usual. LOL

Maybe they were hoping you wouldn't notice what they were up to.