Ask Lafeber

Cockateil eggs infertile

I saw them mating together so I’m sure they make and female
They lay four eggs and Stop
We took them so they played another four and so on

Hi Malik,

Actually mating does not necessarily mean one bird is a male. Two females or two males will often bond and behave like a male & female pair in captivity. Assuming your birds are male and female, the first clutch usually does fail. But you can’t take the eggs and let them lay again and again like you are doing. Your hen is going to die from laying too many eggs. In the wild, they only lay eggs once a year. They are not intended to keep laying eggs, but in captivity, they do not receive the environmental signals that end breeding season, so it is your responsibility to make the pair rest in between clutches. For now, remove the box, and if you have to, split the pair up so the hen will stop laying eggs right now. She needs to be rested for at least 6 months. The pair should be at least 2 years old, so if they are younger than 2, then that is your other problem. In 6 months, if the pair is 2 years old, give them the nest box again and let them try again. Whether they eggs hatch or not, remove the nest box when the chicks leave it, or when the eggs fail to hatch, and again rest the pair for 6 months. You should only allow them to breed twice a year. If they fail once again, then most likely they pair is not fit for breeding for some reason. Not all pairs will produce fertile eggs.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda