Male Cockatiel laying eggs
Upon leaving the eggs, my male cockatiel appeared to be pushing the eggs of the female cockatiel away. He had been sitting on the eggs. Why is this?.
If both birds have laid eggs, then you definitely have two females. It is impossible for a male cockatiel to lay eggs. Removing the nest box and discouraging the birds from laying more eggs is the best course of action. They will literally lay eggs until it kills them. In order to avoid getting more females, I advise DNA testing to confirm the gender of any males you decide to get for these females. Males must be old enough, at least two years old. Additionally, you are limited to breeding one pair of birds per cage. In essence, this female has taken the other’s nest and is trying to clear the eggs to make room for her own. She might break and start eating the eggs if you don’t take the box away, which is a bad habit that could spread to her own eggs. When a hen acquires this behavior, it typically ends her chances of ever being a successful breeder. I recommend making the following adjustments to stop the egg laying until you get males and split the pairs.
All of these actions are necessary to deter egg laying. Remember that in order for her to lay eggs, she requires longer days, warmer temperatures, an abundance of food supply, and a peaceful, private space. Your goal is to reverse these conditions.
Cover the cage early every evening to limit her light exposure to 8 or 10 hours.
Give her nothing to use as a nest, such as boxes, bowls, bird huts, or tents. Take out the food bowl if she chooses to sit in it and replace it with smaller cups.
Give her nothing to shred, like cardboard or paper.
Rearrange the toys in the cage frequently.
Move the cage to a different place in the room. Once a week or whenever she exhibits nesting behavior, such as settling on the cage floor, move the cage. Her vision of having a secure location to lay eggs and raise chicks is upset by this.
If you feed a lot of fresh foods, give them up for a few weeks, and then only give them in moderation, perhaps twice or three times a week. Normal feeding can be resumed later, once the birds have stopped acting hormonally.
When she is released from the cage, keep her out of any cozy, dark areas and restrict her freedom of movement.
When interacting with her, refrain from petting her anywhere other than her head and neck. Only a bonded mate is allowed to groom the body. Please refrain from touching my body; we are not a couple.
If the cage tray isn’t covered with a metal floor grate, leave it bare and give it a daily cleaning instead of using any bedding or paper.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
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Birds do not get pregnant. Mating does not have to result in eggs. The female can lay eggs in the absence of a male, but they will only be fertile if she mates with him. Some pairs, though, mate repeatedly with the female never laying eggs. Should she decide to lay eggs, it takes 48 hours for each egg to develop and hatch. She will never have an abundance of eggs because after she lays one that has formed, another one begins to form. She would deposit four to six eggs, one day apart. The couple may carry on mating even when no eggs are laid. Because both birds assist in sitting on the eggs and providing care for the chicks, the pair must stay together. It is your duty to prevent her from procreating excessively throughout the year. Whenever the chicks depart the nest box or if the eggs don’t hatch, the nest box needs to be taken down. After that, you give the pair a 6-month break before giving them back the box. Remember not to get your hopes up too high if she lays eggs this time. Most first clutches will fail. Due to their inexperience, the parents frequently make mistakes during incubation or fail to feed the chicks. You stated that they had been together for a year, but before you give them a nest box and allow them to breed, they must be two years old. Younger birds are less likely to sit on the eggs and to form undesirable habits that will prevent them from ever being successful breeders. Young girls under the age of two are far more likely to experience egg binding or other problems associated with egg laying. A seed diet will not give breeding birds the nutrition they require; instead, they require a nutritious diet such as pellets. Leafy greens and chopped vegetables are also recommended, and they require a cuttlebone. Start giving the female egg food every day if she begins to enter and exit the nest box. Simply wash, crush, and cook an egg with its shell on top.
After a year, my two cockatiels have finally grown to like one another, and my female is now carrying eggs. I don’t want the birds to keep mating and laying eggs all year round, so should I put them in separate cages now or wait until the eggs are laid? I’m afraid that if they stay together, the female will lay eggs all year round, but I’ve read that you can’t separate them because they will just call for each other, which can also cause them a lot of stress and depression. Do female birds only lay eggs twice a year, or can they lay eggs anytime of the year?
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