My bird laid eggs, what know ?

[Banana_Bird]

So my cockatiel ponyo laid about 5 eggs , it has been over 3 weeks,my second bird turned out to be a male cockatiel, so I changed his name from peach to bowser,thankfully the eggs are all infertile . My two birds haven’t lost interest in the eggs at all, bowser sits on the eggs all day, until ponyo starts taking care of them threw the night .Can I just start to remove the eggs one by one everyday ? Or is there something I need to keep in mind ?

 

[Deleted member 42416]

So my cockatiel laid about 5 eggs , it has been over 3 weeks, they are all infertile . Can I just start and remove one by one everyday know ? Or is there something I need to keep in mind ?

Hello! If she has lost interest in them (not incubating), then you can remove one daily.

It may also be a good idea to supplement calcium with mineral block. I also added finely powdered bone meal to my conure’s food when she laid eggs. It allows females to catch up on calcium stores and help prevent egg binding in the future.

Many kisses to your little feathered lady!

 

[LaManuka]

So my cockatiel laid about 5 eggs , it has been over 3 weeks, they are all infertile . Can I just start and remove one by one everyday know ? Or is there something I need to keep in mind ?

Welcome to the forums, Banana_Bird, but I'm sorry for the worrying circumstances

The usual incubation period for cockatiel eggs is around 20 days or so, and hens will *generally* lose interest of their own accord if the eggs don't hatch, although that may be for a few more days yet. Some very determined hens however, like my lorikeet Lilly, would sit on eggs indefinitely if it was left up to them!

I would think if its been 3 weeks, so that's 21 days, you should be safe enough to remove them. But you will also need to ensure that all triggers for nesting or laying are removed as well, so your hen should have zero access to anything that even remotely resembles a nesting site or box whether inside or outside her cage, otherwise the process will just start up all over again.

Best of luck to you and your little hen, and thank you for joining!

 

[Banana_Bird]

Welcome to the forums, Banana_Bird, but I'm sorry for the worrying circumstances

The usual incubation period for cockatiel eggs is around 20 days or so, and hens will *generally* lose interest of their own accord if the eggs don't hatch, although that may be for a few more days yet. Some very determined hens however, like my lorikeet Lilly, would sit on eggs indefinitely if it was left up to them!

I would think if its been 3 weeks, so that's 21 days, you should be safe enough to remove them. But you will also need to ensure that all triggers for nesting or laying are removed as well, so your hen should have zero access to anything that even remotely resembles a nesting site or box whether inside or outside her cage, otherwise the process will just start up all over again.

Best of luck to you and your little hen, and thank you for joining!

Thank you for the immediate reply’s , it’s been exactly one month, both of my cockatiels are still very determined to take care of the eggs , there isn’t even one second where the eggs are without one of they’re parents, my birds change shifts every know and then . Can I start to remove the eggs even if they haven’t lost interest yet ?

 

[LaManuka]

Thank you for the immediate reply’s , it’s been exactly one month, both of my cockatiels are still very determined to take care of the eggs , there isn’t even one second where the eggs are without one of they’re parents, my birds change shifts every know and then . Can I start to remove the eggs even if they haven’t lost interest yet ?

Oh, do you have both a hen and a rooster? Do they have a nestbox as well?

 

[Banana_Bird]

Oh, do you have both a hen and a rooster? Do they have a nestbox as well?

They don’t have a nestbox, but it turned out that my small bedside cabinet (I’m German, so I’m not sure if that’s the right word) is hollow at the bottom and you can enter it from behind, perfect for nesting 😅

 

[LaManuka]

They don’t have a nestbox, but it turned out that my small bedside cabinet (I’m German, so I’m not sure if that’s the right word) is hollow at the bottom and you can enter it from behind, perfect for nesting 😅

Oh I see! Opportunistic little buggers, aren't they??! Well in that case, if they're still nesting it may be best to leave them for a bit longer and see if they do lose interest of their own accord. That usually does happen, but it can take a bit longer than the usual incubation period for them to realise the eggs aren't going to hatch, so you might need to leave them for another few days or even a week.

If your birds currently share a cage, you may also want to think about investing in separate cages in order to prevent mating in the future. I once had a male and female cockatiel and they were always housed separately when nobody was home, but had supervised together-time outside their cages to ensure no mating behaviour took place. Well, to ensure it as much as is possible anyway! And you'll need to make sure they don't have any more access to your cabinet or anything resembling it in future too, the little rascals!

Good luck! 🙏

 

[LaManuka]

By the way do you know how I can remove the eggs from the nest because my birds on them 24/7

It should be a fairly simple matter to remove them once they lose interest. Any earlier than that however, and you may need to approach them wearing some protective clothing, so probably best if you give them a little more time

 

[Banana_Bird]

Hi so i‘ts been over a week know. My cockatiels are still persistently taking care of the eggs , a couple days ago I found a cracked egg far away from the nest , i have no idea how it got there though. I‘m pretty sure my female cockatiel is acting hormonal again and know I‘m not sure what to do . Should I just take the eggs out ?

 

[Deleted member 42416]

Hi so i‘ts been over a week know. My cockatiels are still persistently taking care of the eggs , a couple days ago I found a cracked egg far away from the nest , i have no idea how it got there though. I‘m pretty sure my female cockatiel is acting hormonal again and know I‘m not sure what to do . Should I just take the eggs out ?

Gosh, been over a month now? I am sure there are so many ways to handle it. I would wait till nighttime, then carefully remove both parents and put them in their cage. Avoid any boxes or paper on the floor (those things will keep her broody). Cover them until morning and do not let them out of the cage for about 2 -3 days. In the meantime, you will need to completely reorganize the nest site so they can’t ever use it again. Do not let them see you remove the eggs or alter the site.

In the future, if they find an area that they like to hide in, you will need to remove access before she gets broody. Also, will need to keep them covered for 12-14 hours at night to inhibit hormonal behavior.

Good luck to you!

 

[Banana_Bird]

It should be a fairly simple matter to remove them once they lose interest. Any earlier than that however, and you may need to approach them wearing some protective clothing, so probably best if you give them a little more time

Gosh, been over a month now? I am sure there are so many ways to handle it. I would wait till nighttime, then carefully remove both parents and put them in their cage. Avoid any boxes or paper on the floor (those things will keep her broody). Cover them until morning and do not let them out of the cage for about 2 -3 days. In the meantime, you will need to completely reorganize the nest site so they can’t ever use it again. Do not let them see you remove the eggs or alter the site.

In the future, if they find an area that they like to hide in, you will need to remove access before she gets broody. Also, will need to keep them covered for 12-14 hours at night to inhibit hormonal behavior.

Good luck to you!

Ok thanks I‘ll try that , will I have to keep them covered that long forever ?

 

[Deleted member 42416]

Ok thanks I‘ll try that , will I have to keep them covered that long forever ?

If they are acting hormonal, then yes. The recommended dark time is 12-14 hrs per day to reduce broody behavior. Increased photoperiod (longer light time) is a trigger for breeding season. I suppose we are trying to trick their brains into thinking it is perpetually winter.

 

[Banana_Bird]

If they are acting hormonal, then yes. The recommended dark time is 12-14 hrs per day to reduce broody behavior. Increased photoperiod (longer light time) is a trigger for breeding season. I suppose we are trying to trick their brains into thinking it is perpetually winter.

Ok where to start, I separated my birds from the eggs, put them in their cage and covered them for two and half a day. In the beginning my birds were hysterically looking for they’re nesting place, which they couldn’t find because I rearranged the room. They kept on screaming for hours until they finally calmed down , but then my female cockatiel went to one of the places , where I put stuff in , because they could be used as a nesting site ,despite that when I went to check on her to see if she had finally given up, what a surprise I found an egg 😅. So what should I do know it hasn’t even been 5 hours since they were let out of they’re cage and she already laid an egg .Ps. I put them out of the room for know . I attached a picture this is where she laid the egg I didn’t think she would go there but she still did.

 

[Deleted member 42416]

Yes, different room and will likely need more cage time.

 

[LaManuka]

Ok where to start, I separated my birds from the eggs, put them in their cage and covered them for two and half a day. In the beginning my birds were hysterically looking for they’re nesting place, which they couldn’t find because I rearranged the room. They kept on screaming for hours until they finally calmed down , but then my female cockatiel went to one of the places , where I put stuff in , because they could be used as a nesting site ,despite that when I went to check on her to see if she had finally given up, what a surprise I found an egg 😅. So what should I do know it hasn’t even been 5 hours since they were let out of they’re cage and she already laid an egg .Ps. I put them out of the room for know . I attached a picture this is where she laid the egg I didn’t think she would go there but she still did.

I'm assuming that you have separate cages for your birds - if not you will have to make arrangements to house them separately from here on in. I had a male and female cockatiel years ago and there is no way I ever could have had them in the same cage, otherwise I'd have been up to my neck in baby birds! They had their own separate cages which were placed side by side - of course they had LOTS of out-of-cage time to be together but it was strictly supervised to ensure no mating activity took place. Even so, sometimes with very chronic egg laying hens this is not enough, they can and do often continue to lay eggs even if they have not mated, that urge to reproduce is so very strong in some and it can be very difficult to persuade them otherwise!

If you have not already done so, I would urge you to invest in some dummy cockatiel eggs. Bear in mind that as she's laid one, there may well already be another on the way, but giving her fake eggs to sit on might help to convince her that she's already laid a clutch and doesn't need to produce any more. Not guaranteed, but it may help.

It might also be time for you to have her assessed by a certified avian veterinarian who may be able to recommend some management practices for you, and even some hormonal treatment for your hen if it seems that the egg laying has the potential to become chronic. It's very important to consult an avian specialist in a case like this as it's not something that should be handled by a vet who mainly sees dogs, cats or other mammalian type patients. I'm not sure exactly where in the world you are located, but the following list may hopefully help you find an avian specialist near you if you are not already familiar with one ...

Avian Vet Resources

After a suggestion by a member, @Abu Colo, the Mod Team decided to create a list of veterinarians around the world who see birds. This was something we had discussed a few years ago, but the task seemed so large that we didn't get very far. However, the need is there and we decided that the time...

www.parrotforums.com

I wish you the very best of luck with your wayward little hen! 🙏

 

[Banana_Bird]

I'm assuming that you have separate cages for your birds - if not you will have to make arrangements to house them separately from here on in. I had a male and female cockatiel years ago and there is no way I ever could have had them in the same cage, otherwise I'd have been up to my neck in baby birds! They had their own separate cages which were placed side by side - of course they had LOTS of out-of-cage time to be together but it was strictly supervised to ensure no mating activity took place. Even so, sometimes with very chronic egg laying hens this is not enough, they can and do often continue to lay eggs even if they have not mated, that urge to reproduce is so very strong in some and it can be very difficult to persuade them otherwise!

If you have not already done so, I would urge you to invest in some dummy cockatiel eggs. Bear in mind that as she's laid one, there may well already be another on the way, but giving her fake eggs to sit on might help to convince her that she's already laid a clutch and doesn't need to produce any more. Not guaranteed, but it may help.

It might also be time for you to have her assessed by a certified avian veterinarian who may be able to recommend some management practices for you, and even some hormonal treatment for your hen if it seems that the egg laying has the potential to become chronic. It's very important to consult an avian specialist in a case like this as it's not something that should be handled by a vet who mainly sees dogs, cats or other mammalian type patients. I'm not sure exactly where in the world you are located, but the following list may hopefully help you find an avian specialist near you if you are not already familiar with one ...

Avian Vet Resources

After a suggestion by a member, @Abu Colo, the Mod Team decided to create a list of veterinarians around the world who see birds. This was something we had discussed a few years ago, but the task seemed so large that we didn't get very far. However, the need is there and we decided that the time...

www.parrotforums.com

I wish you the very best of luck with your wayward little hen!

I live in Germany 😅, after I’ve bought the dummy eggs where should I place them ?

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

I live in Germany 😅, after I’ve bought the dummy eggs where should I place them ?

The resource has vets for most countries, including Germany

 

[LaManuka]

I live in Germany 😅, after I’ve bought the dummy eggs where should I place them ?

The dummy eggs will need to be placed under your hen and her own eggs removed. Do not remove any of her own eggs until you've already obtained the fake ones to replace them with. Cockatiels generally lay 4 or 5 eggs per clutch, but sometimes more, so it would be a good idea for you to have maybe 8 or 10 on stand by just in case. I sincerely hope you won't need that many, but some hens can get VERY carried away with laying. Some hens are also more picky about the number of eggs than others - my Lilly was perfectly happy sitting on one dummy egg even though she had laid two or three of her own. You should also give a calcium supplement too, one of the simplest way to do this is by obtaining some cuttlebone for her to chew on, or if she won't chew it by herself you can scrape some over her food, or that of the male if he is feeding her, to have her ingest it that way.

Again though, if your hen is continuing to lay, I strongly suggest that you have her seen by an avian vet. It may be that her hormonal activity is unable to "switch off" or regulate itself, and if she continues to lay it may lead to some very dangerous health concerns for her. It would therefore be best to see an avian specialist before any of these conditions begin to affect your hen more seriously.

There are several avian specialists in that index for Germany, I hope that one is close by you