Ask Lafeber

Question:

March 18, 2022

Breeding doubt


My female cockatiel layed 3 eggs ,one hatched and other 2 dint and after the chick came out of the egg both of My birds are outside the breeding box why so


Answer:

Hi Gagan,

If this is their first clutch, they just don’t know what to do. They should at least be keeping the chick warm. They won’t feed it for several hours after hatching. If they do not care for the chick and it dies, this happens a lot with the first clutch. It is heartbreaking, but if you want to breed the pair again, you have to give them a chance to learn. If the chick dies, or if it lives and fledges from the box in a few weeks, you need to remove the nest box and not let them parents breed again for 6 months. The female needs this time to rest and recover from the strain of forming and laying eggs. A pair should be rested for 6 months between every clutch, whether the eggs hatch or not. They should be limited to 2 clutches per year.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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