Ask Lafeber

Don’t want to breed my cockatiels

How do I prevent my female cockatiel from laying eggs besides separating her from the male?

Hi Jane,

It’s hard to keep a female cockatiel from ever laying eggs – even single females who have never seen a male will often lay eggs. And unfortunately, even the call from a male cockatiel can trigger egg laying in some hens. One way that is likely to prevent any egg laying is hormone therapy, where your Avian Vet gives the female a hormone shot or implant. This is safe but it can be expensive and effects of long term treatment has not been studied. You can do things with their cage, diet and environment that can discourage egg laying. And if she does lay eggs anyway, you can simply throw them away. A fertile egg does not begin any type of development until it has been incubated for at least 48 hours.

Cockatiels breed in the wild when the days are longer, weather is warmer, food is abundant and they have a safe place to nest. In captivity, we provide these conditions year round, so we have had to learn methods to keep them from breeding year round. Even if you want them to breed, it is not healthy for them to have multiple clutches year round – 2 clutches per year with a 6 month rest in between is the most they should be allowed. You can reduce their daily light to 8-10 hours by covering the cage early each evening. Rearrange toys and perches in the cage regularly, and move the cage to another place in the room regularly. A busy, high traffic area can keep them from feeling like they have a safe nesting place. Don’t give them anything they can use as a nest – no bird huts or tents, boxes or even large food dishes. If she starts to sit in a dish, remove it and replace it with small dishes. If she starts to sit in one corner of the cage, hang some toys there to keep her from doing this. Don’t give them anything to shred – no paper or cardboard. If their cage does not have a floor grate, then don’t use anything in the tray and just clean it daily. When they are out of the cage, don’t let her get in cozy or dark places, and don’t let her wander around the house. Don’t let them come and go from their cage as they please – this much freedom can actually trigger hormones and nesting. If you give them fresh foods, limit those to small amounts 2 or 3 times a week. All of these things can help, but again, she still may lay eggs at some point.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda