Ask Lafeber

egg laying in cockitails

HOW TO STOP MY BIRD FROM HAVING EGGS.Since march up until now she had 19 eggs. What can I do.

Hi Karen,

That is definitely a dangerous number of eggs for her to be laying, and if you can’t get her to stop soon – as in a few days at the most – you need to take her to an avian vet for a hormone implant or shots. It’s very important that she has a cuttlebone right now, because forming each egg depletes her body of protein and calcium.

You need to do all of these things to discourage egg laying. Keep in mind that to lay eggs, she needs longer daylight, warmer weather, abundant food, and a quiet, private environment. Your goal is to reverse these conditions.

Limit her light to 8-10 hours by covering the cage early each evening

Do not give her anything to use as a nest – no bird huts or tents, no box, bowl, etc. If she decides to sit in a food bowl, remove it and replace with smaller cups.

Do not give her anything to shred such as paper or cardboard.

Rearrange the toys in the cage frequently.

Move the cage to a different place in the room. Move the cage about once a week, or whenever she shows signs of nesting – settling on the cage floor for example.

If she is let out of the cage, do not let her get in any dark cozy places and don’t give her free roam.

When you handle her, limit any petting to her head and neck – do not pet her on the body.

If there is no metal floor grate, then do not use any bedding or paper in the cage tray – leave it bare and clean it daily.

Again, if she continues, take her to the vet as soon as possible.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda