Ask Lafeber

Cockatiel breeding

Hi, thank you for this very helpful page.
This is my first time having cockatiel couple , I did the mistake of moving the eggs and they did abandon them. But she laid another 5 eggs. But I am so afraid to touch or move any. But the issue that they are incubating them for almost a month now and still no hatching, and sometimes she leaves the eggs for 10 or 15 minutes , he stays beside the eggs but not worming them, I have a camera on them all time, hahaa.
So what should I do here? And he sometimes is so mean to her and pock her.
Please help. Thank you.

Hi Manal,

Did you rest the pair after they abandoned the first eggs? A pair should be rested for 6 months after each clutch of eggs, whether the eggs hatch or not. Forming and laying eggs is very hard on the hen. It uses up her protein and calcium to form each egg, and it is physically exhausting to pass each egg. So she has already been through a big ordeal before she even sits on the eggs. By resting the pair for 6 months, she can rebuild her reserves and is more likely to lay fertile eggs and hatch healthy chicks.

The eggs take 18-20 days to hatch. This is counted from when it is laid, so since she lays one egg every other day, the last egg might hatch a week or more later than the first. If it has been 30 days from the day the last egg was laid, then these eggs are not going to hatch. You should remove the nest box and discard the eggs, and rest the pair for 6 months. First clutches almost always fail, so give them a change again after their rest. As for picking on her, if he draws blood or pulls out her feathers, then you need to separate the birds.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda