Nesting Infertile Eggs- Help Please

Hello there,

I would really appreciate some advice from experienced Cockatiel handlers.

Our hen currently has a clutch of 6 infertile (as we have no male) eggs which we haven't touched (one is broken but hard inside). She has previously laid eggs (but not sat on them) over the past few months, however, we had been removing them as this was before we researched and found out that it's best to leave any eggs until the bird gives up on them. We also read that it's best to let her get through the nesting stage and allow her a comfortable bed for her eggs, so my parter put in a little shelter, which she is happy to sit on them in.

She has now been on this clutch for about 2 weeks and I am getting a little worried as she still hasn't given up; she is looking very sleepy and excretes watery droppings whenever we let her out to fly- I figured this was perhaps because she has been active and allowed any internal movements to occur???

Should she have given up by now and how will we know when is best to take the eggs away??

I have read that chronic egg laying can be harmful for the hen and the last thing we want to do is to disturb her natural cycle.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

I'm not as experienced as you'd probably like, but I work with a local breeder, his birds stay on infertile eggs for about 3-4 weeks. Hope that helps.

As for watery droppings, has she been eating normally? You may want to take her to a vet, although if she hasn't giving up on the eggs, moving her will stress her.

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Thank you for responding. Yes, I thought I'd ask for advice online rather than move her unnecessarily as you are right, it would probably stress her. But knowing 3/4 weeks is normal has helped. Thank you.

I guess she has not been eating normally as she has been just sitting on eggs and only gets up, asking to come out, when I go up to the cage- I guess when we are out, she isn't eating. I have tried putting food on the ground next to the "nest" for her but she's being really picky. When she comes out she is her normal self.

Thank you.

Her droppings should not be watery. In fact I would expect the exact opposite of my sitting hens. Please take her to a qualified Avian Vet (not just a vet who sees birds) right away. And then yes, allow her at least 4 weeks to sit on the eggs before you consider taking them.


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Watery droppings are NOT GOOD! I am dealing with that right now with my male cockatiel. He is on antibiotics for a bacterial infection. I'd take your girl to a CAV ASAP just my two cents here





Jim

When my cockatiel hen was laying, her poops were huge, stinky and gross, LOL. So watery poops don't sound that healthy for a laying hen. Hope she can get taken care of from your avian vet. As for how long, I agree with the at least 3-4 weeks, as the eggs usually hatch at 21 days. Good luck with your hen and keep us updated! Be sure to supplement her with a cuttlebone to replace the calcium she's needing from laying all those eggs.

itzjbean said:

When my cockatiel hen was laying, her poops were huge, stinky and gross, LOL

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Yes, that's what she's been doing, exactly! It really is gross- smelly too! I will give her another week or so and then take her to a vet. She has been out nearly all day today and normal poop. Only seems to be sloppy when she's been sitting for long periods.

Is there anything other than cuttlebone I could give her to help? Any particular veggies?

Thanks for all the comments, guys!

Do not wait a week; please take her NOW! If they are watery something is almost certainly wrong. Birds hide their illness really well and by waiting instead of taking her you could literally be signing her death sentence.


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I understand Kale is good. I don't recommend waiting. things can co bad quickly with birds.
hope everything works out

1. Vet.

2. Get a calcium supplement from your vet and give it to her. Her calcium is depleted.

3. Look online and buy some dummy eggs. Remove her eggs and replace with the dummies.

I had a tiel that was a layer. I moved her cage to a safe but lower spot so she could see my dog. Right now your tiel feels safe and has plenty of food so she wants to lay. By moving my tiel where could see the dog better she didn't feel as safe and stopped laying. I got this from a tiel breeder online.

Now I have an eclectus that keeps laying. She doesn't care about the dogs so like you are doing I let her sit on them as my vet recommended. I have dummy eggs for her and place them in her cage when she lays.

Good Luck!


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I'm curious why you suggest dummies? If there is no chance they are fertile I never see the the point in replacing. I actually save infertile eggs to use as dummies when I need them.


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SilverSage said:

I'm curious why you suggest dummies? If there is no chance they are fertile I never see the the point in replacing. I actually save infertile eggs to use as dummies when I need them.


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Is this for me? If so, it was recommended by many on this forum as well as my vet. Regardless it works, keeps my hen from continuos laying and helps to keep her from depleting herself so much.





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the best thin I have seen/heard with eggs is to just leave them until the bird is bored. At most leave dishes with food and water nearby so the bird can eat and drink easily. After a while they give up and know there's no babies that time

No, don't wait. I had a wonderful little tiel who kept laying eggs until one got stuck and she died. The main thing she showed was watery poop. It's because her poo was above the egg and couldn't properly drop.