Ask Lafeber

Breeding parakeets

My male keeps going in the nesting box but my female hasn’t is this normal?

Hi Laura,

If this is a new breeding pair, this is normal. It’s important that both birds are old enough to breed. Ideally they should be closer to two years old before pairing them and giving them a nest box. While they are capable of breeding at a younger age, they still have some physical and mental development to go through. Younger pairs make more mistakes and aren’t as likely to settle down and take care of the eggs and chicks. And younger females don’t always have fully developed muscles needed to move each egg through her system and then lay it. It is also important that the pair has formed a pair bond before you give them the nest box. Are they spending most of their time together, grooming and feeding each other and mating? If not, then I would take the box down and give them time to bond. Are they on a nutritionally balanced diet like pellets, and not a seed diet? Are you feeding them dark leafy greens, chopped veggies and some fruit? All of these things are necessary for them to have healthy chicks. They also need a cuttle bone. Once the hen is going into the box and showing signs that she might lay eggs, start feeding her an egg food daily. This can be a dry commercial egg food, or you can cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. You should offer egg food until the chicks are weaned. They cage should also be in a private, quiet place without a lot of human contact. They need to feel safe and secure or they won’t breed and lay eggs. Once you have done everything right on your end, all you can do is wait and hope they do their job. Not all pairs will make good breeders, so all you can do it make sure they have what they need and then wait.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda