Hi, and welcome back to the community. I am so sorry you lost the male. Do not lose heart. I think it was fine she attracted another mate, and that you put them in their own cage. Quite honestly, it takes awhile for a pair to get to know each other, so even though they have mated, I do not expect her to lay eggs right away. I do think, if you are hoping for babies, you should remove the dummy egg. Allow the two to explore the box, and to get to know each other. A hen has to be in hormonal condition to lay an egg. You will notice, that here cere which is the light colored spot above her beak will turn a darker color, and be a toasty brownish color, when her hormones have kicked in. Then, when they mate, she will lay eggs, if he is in good condition. The nest box will encourage her hormones, but only mother nature will dictate when she is ready to lay. Having the male will also encourage her.
I think if you remove the dummy egg, ASAP, that will help to get them to know each other better, because, it is normal hen behavior to be nesting, and you want her to have real eggs. Be sure to feed plenty of cuttlebone, the seed mix, and fresh veggies and fruits to them. I do not think you did anything wrong at all. In fact yiu helped fill the void she had in her life losing her mate. Consider the info I have given you, and take a day at a time. Budgies are different species than tiels and the male stays out of the nest when she is laying eggs and setting on them. But as soon as the first one hatches, he will be in the box helping with the babies. At least, that was the behavior of a pair I bred. So, do not be concerned if he is not in the box. Let her prepare her nest without any additional nesting material. Just the box. It sounds like you knoiw that from your post.
I think at this sad time, you totally helped her move on by introducing the male. We will welcome your updates anytime. Good luck!
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