Ask Lafeber

3 yr. Old cockatiel has laid 4 eggs.

Mate is 11 yrs +. What do I need to provide for proper nutrition and nesting materials?

Hi,

If the eggs are in a nest box, leave them alone and don’t try to add any nesting material or she will abandon the eggs. If the eggs are just on the cage floor or in a food bowl, it’s best to discard these. If they do hatch, chicks rarely survive without being in a proper nest box. If there is a metal grate on the cage floor, the eggs won’t stay warm enough to grow. You can get a nest box and add the eggs to it. The parents aren’t likely to sit on them this time, but it helps give them an idea of what the box is for. Generally cockatiels do not use nesting material. You need to be feeding them a nutritionally balanced food like pellets – a loose seed mix will not provide the nutrition they need. You should also offer leafy greens, chopped veggies and some fruit. If they bond and start mating, offer an egg food daily. This can be a commercial dry diet or you can cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda