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Copyright © Linda S. Rubin | CockatielsPlusParrots.com
Breeding Articles

Disclaimer
Articles on this website are not meant to take the place of proper veterinary and other medical care.
If your bird appears ill or shows symptoms of illness, please contact your avian veterinarian as
quickly as possible. Birds are prey animals and hide their symptoms in order to survive; by the time owners
see symptoms, a bird may have become extremely ill. Owners are advised to seek medical attention immediately.

To find an avian veterinarian in your area, contact the
Association of Avian Veterinarians  at  www.aav.org.
EGGLAYING BEHAVIORS & PROBLEMS
Part 3: HELPING COMPANION HENS
DURING THE EGG LAYING CYCLE

©2003 Linda S. Rubin
CF Genetics Consultant  & Panel Judge
©2000 All Photos and Articles “All Rights Reserved” by Author.
Written permission from author required for reprints.

First published in the December 2000 issue of BIRD TIMES magazine
When a female cockatiel approaches her first birthday, it is not uncommon for her to lay a round of eggs.  This activity can
occur independent of whether the hen has a suitable mate, or whether she has access to an appropriate nesting site or nest
box.  Laying a clutch of eggs is generally prompted by the development of reaching sexual maturity; a stage that triggers
hormones to proceed as nature intended.  However, this stage can often be a nerve-racking experience for many cockatiel
owners, especially for the novice or uninformed.  Yet, there are precautions to take that will help during this difficult period
and even deter hens from laying again in the future.

As discussed in an earlier column, there are several factors that contribute to stimulating a hen to reproduce, or lay a clutch
of eggs.  In the wild, cockatiels nest during the rainy season when food is abundant.  Additional prerequisites include the
correct temperature, humidity, an acceptable bonded mate, and a suitable nesting site.  In captivity, however, these
prerequisites may be provided without the owner being aware.

First, if a suitable diet is offered, and especially if soft foods are given daily, chances are most nutritional needs are being
met. This does not imply that you should stop feeding these foods, since adequate nutrition is paramount to good health.
However, if you are feeding extras on a daily basis that qualify as “soft foods,” such as a corn/rice/bean addition, or egg food
and the like, you may want to cut back and offer such conditioning/breeding foods perhaps only once or twice a week.  Fresh
dark green leafy vegetables, and orange/yellow vegetables high in vitamin A, can still be offered daily in addition to a pelleted
or extruded product, and/or a well-rounded feed mix fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Many breeders who reproduce cockatiels indoors often do so in normal room temperature  (68-72 degrees), or even lower.
Cockatiels certainly do not need hot house conditions to breed and in fact it is healthier to have the environment slightly
cooler, than have it too warm. Humidity can be measured and either increased or decreased if necessary. If the air is too
dry, embryos will adhere to the egg membrane unable to rotate in the shell; if the humidity is too high, it can cause an
embryo to drown.   If your cockatiel lives in an environment with normal room temperatures and satisfactory humidity, then
these two conditions to prepare for egg laying are being met.

Often a broody cockatiel hen ready to lay eggs will tear paper at the bottom of her cage to prepare a bare, hollow impression
for her eggs. Some will instead select an unlikely place - from your point of view - for the perfect nesting site. These nesting
sites can range from an open drawer, to spaces in a bookcase, to tops of furniture, and even under the bed!  What may
seem appropriate to your cockatiel may not always make sense to you, so be aware of prospective nesting sites your hen
may show interest in.

Finally, what about the appropriate mate?  Well, it may surprise you to learn that if you are your cockatiel’s best friend,
constantly picking her up, holding her, and generally interacting with her, it is probably safe to assume that she has bonded
with you as her chosen mate and is now proceeding to do as instinct dictates: complete her biological urge to lay a round of
eggs and preserve her genes.

There are, however, a number of ways you can help your hen get through her egg-laying period successfully, and even to
deter her from laying future clutches.

The most important point to remember is to NEVER remove the eggs once they are laid until the hen is either ready to
abandon them, or it is at least one week beyond hatching date according to when the hen first began to incubate the eggs.
Often times, a cockatiel hen, especially an inexperienced hen, will not begin to sit full time until the second or even the third
egg is laid. Since eggs are laid roughly on an every other day basis, she may not begin to sit completely until several days
after the appearance of the first egg.

The reason you should never remove eggs is that it will only stimulate your hen to lay additional eggs to replace the ones she
lost. This is a survival mechanism of biology since, should an egg become a casualty in the wild, for example, if it is eaten by
a predator, the hen is stimulated to replace that casualty with another egg to make up the difference.  

If you were to remove all the eggs before the full period of incubation has been completed, which can range from 18 to 21
days (depending upon when the hen first begins to sit the eggs full time), the removal will prompt the hen to lay another
round of eggs. This is why some owners unknowingly cause serious calcium depletion in their hens, since it takes
enormous energy reserves, minerals, and especially calcium, to produce new eggs.  This can be especially dangerous if egg
laying occurs continuously.

Always make certain that a fresh cuttlebone is available to supply calcium, supply plenty of calcium-loaded dark green, leafy
vegetables (the lettuce and cabbage family is next to useless in nutritional value), and try to convert your hen to a pelleted or
extruded diet prior to egg-laying activities. Do not attempt a conversion to pellets while going through the egg laying cycle, as
it is not the appropriate time to change the diet or risk food deprivation should the new foods not be accepted. Next:
strategies for dealing with continuous egg laying, or risky egg laying behavior injurious to a hen’s health.

Part IV will continue with "Stimulating Triggers and Birth Control Methods."