Hello, i have a pair of Golden Mantel Rosellas, they are over 2 years old , they have laid 6 eggs in total so far this year , but every time the hen lays, they either both get in the box and break the egg, or the cock breaks the egg, not sure which , but all 6 eggs have been broken, and then eaten, as there is nothing left in the box. The hen is laying every other day, not sure if she will do this for any more.
Hi,
Your birds are too young to be set up for breeding. Also, you can’t allow a hen to lay eggs over and over. Rosellas should be at least 3 for breeding. It can take that long just for them to fully develop their adult colors. Young birds may be capable of breeding, but they are still developing physically and emotionally. They are not ready to settle down and care for eggs and chicks. Young males are the worst – they are far more interested in mating than caring for eggs and chicks. A young pair tends to develop bad habits that can ruin them for ever being good breeders. Breaking and eating eggs is probably the worst habit a potential breeder can develop. Most birds will never stop this, even once they are mature enough to reproduce.
I would take down the nest box and split these birds up for another year. They can be in side by side cages, but you should not try to breed them again for about a year. Your hen needs to recover from laying all of these eggs, and both birds need more time to grow up. When they are old enough to try again, if the male continues this bad egg habit, you may as well give up on him as a breeder.
When you have a breeding pair, the pair should be rested after every clutch, whether the eggs hatch or not. Forming and laying eggs is very hard on a hen, and then going on to raise chicks adds to the toll on her body. In the wild, laying eggs over and over doesn’t happen. Breeding season is once a year, for a limited time. Generally a pair only has time to raise and wean one clutch of chicks. Then the nest is abandoned until the next breeding season. In captivity, once the chicks have left the nest box, or after something happens to the eggs, the nest box needs to be removed, and the pair rested for at least 6 months.
You should be feeding the pair a nutritionally balanced diet such as pellets. If you are feeding an all seed diet, this is also part of the problem. Some birds eat eggs because they need the nutrients from them. Your pair should also be eating dark leafy greens and veggies. When you do have them set up for breeding, you also offer an egg food. This can be a commercial dry egg food, or you can cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. Egg food should be offered daily from when you set them back up to breed, until all chicks are weaned. A cuttlebone and/or mineral block is also something they should have access to.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
