Hi Connie,
This is actually a very common surprise for some bird owners! 🙂 You didn’t mention what species you have? I am guessing a cockatiel, budgie or lovebird. Any single bird can lay eggs. But it is very hard on them and ideally you do not want them to do this. She is likely to lay a clutch of 4-8 eggs, depending on what type of bird she is. There will be a day in between each egg – they can’t lay several eggs at a time. You can leave the eggs on the cage floor if you want, but you do not want to encourage nesting so do not give her a nest. She may sit on them for up to 3 weeks, and by then she is likely to lose interest. Some single birds can become chronic egg layers and if you can’t get her to stop, you have to take her to an Avian Vet for a hormone implant or shot.
There are things you can do to prevent or discourage egg laying. You mentioned petting her – when you pet her, you need to limit it to her head and neck. If you pet her on the body, this will trigger her hormones and she will lay eggs again. Do not give her a nest or anything she can get inside of – no bird hut or tent, box, bowl. She does not need anything to sleep in. A nest is only something birds use during breeding season, once a year. Do not let her get into dark or cozy places when she is out of the cage. If she tries to nest in a corner of the cage, you can hang some toys there to block the area – this is after she is done with these eggs. You can rearrange her toys and move her cage to another place in the room about once a week. Limit her light to 8-10 hours by covering her cage early each evening. Don’t give her anything to shred like paper or cardboard. If you give her fresh fruits and veggies, limit these to small amounts 2 or 3 times a week. In most cases, these changes will work. But again, if she turns around and lays eggs again, then you need to consult with an Avian Vet about hormone treatments.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
