Ask Lafeber

Quakers

Should the cage be covered if she is laying eggs

Hi Betty,

It depends on if this is a single bird or a breeding pair. If this is a breeding pair, then no, it is best to not make any changes or it can cause them to abandon the nest. Unless there are distractions in the room that seem to be bothering the pair. In that case, you can cover part of the cage to provide a visual barrier for them.

If this is a single bird, then also no, because you do not want to encourage egg laying or nesting. Covering part or all of the cage will make it more cozy as a nest and this is not what you want. Quakers are a species that can become a chronic egg layer if you aren’t careful about hormone and nesting trigger. If she won’t stop laying eggs, then she might need a hormone implant or shots from the Vet. So don’t ever give a single female bird anything she can use as a nest such as bird huts or tents, boxes, etc. And do not provide anything she can shred for nesting material. You can rearrange toys in the cage and move the cage to a different spot in the room if she keeps trying to nest.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda