Ask Lafeber

Egg laying

I have a 15 year old sun conure who laid an egg for the first time a couple years ago. (I was very surprised – I thought she was male!) She doesn’t do it often, she lays two or three eggs a year and no more than two at a time. Why would she start laying eggs at this age? Is it safe? How do I know if she needs hormone therapy?

Hi,

It isn’t unusual at all for an older bird to lay eggs for the first time. As long as the frequency does not increase, I wouldn’t worry about the small amount she is laying. She would need to be laying monthly or more than that to be at a risk, as long as she is on a good diet.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda