Ask Lafeber

Breeding cockatiels

Sooo I have a female who is getting ready to lay eggs, but her male mate just died, will her eggs be fertile? Even though he has died ? They mated several times before he died too

Hi,

The eggs might be fertile, but you should not let her try to incubate them or she could end up dying, too. It’s too much work for one bird. Generally the male and female split the incubation duties equally. Just because they mated doesn’t mean she will lay eggs. But regardless, you should remove her nest box, and if she does lay eggs on the cage floor, remove them as she lays them so she doesn’t try to sit on them. It takes several days of incubation for eggs to begin any development so it’s fine to remove them within the first day or two.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda