Hi my question today is my female cockatiel laid an egg it is her first time ever laying them I bought them as babies and we didn’t know if they were male or female we’ve had him for about three years now and I’m wondering on how many eggs she can hatch so far she’s only late one but she’s been picking at the egg and now has a hole in the egg what shall I do and is she still going to be laying eggs
Hi Nicholas,
A female cockatiel can lay eggs even if there isn’t another bird around. (Be aware that laying eggs is not the same as having babies. Eggs must be fertilized by a male before laying in order for there to be babies.) And the other bird could also be a female. If these birds are caged together, and you have seen them mating, then the other bird is likely a male and the eggs might be fertile. However, the egg with the hole definitely will not hatch. She will probably lay an egg every other day, with a total of up to 6. But without a proper nest box, there isn’t much chance that the eggs will hatch. Sometimes they can keep them warm enough on a cage floor, but this is not ideal and the eggs or chicks can get scattered. If she keeps breaking the eggs, she will never hatch any.
In order to breed cockatiels successfully, they need to be on a nutritionally balanced diet – not a loose seed mix – and their cage should be in a quiet area of the house. They need a nest box which attaches to the outside of the cage, as high as possible. Both the male and female will incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. In addition to a balanced diet, they should also have chopped veggies, fruit, multi grain bread and cooked eggs, with the shell crushed and cooked with the eggs – always wash the shell before breaking and cooking the eggs. You should leave them alone as much as possible so they feel they have a safe nesting spot. If you disturb them too much they may abandon the eggs or chicks.
It’s too late to add a box now. See what she does with these eggs and meanwhile do as much research as possible on breeding cockatiels. Just because she lays eggs, doesn’t mean you have to set them up as breeders. If the eggs are on a metal cage grate, they definitely won’t stay warm enough to develop. And most of the time, the first clutch fails anyway. If you decide not to breed these birds, do not give them a nest box. There are other things you may need to do to keep her from laying too many eggs. Let us know if you decide not to breed and need help to try to prevent her from laying eggs again in the future.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
