Ask Lafeber

Eggs

I had to move the nesting box, the mother parakeet will not go back in nesting box and sit on her eggs now. What do I do?

Hi,

Unfortunately, she is unlikely to go back to the eggs. The cage should never be moved while a pair is nesting, and nothing should be changed in the immediate area of the cage. Breeding pairs need a quiet, stable environment. Any changes make them feel like their nesting site has been compromised and is no longer safe. Most pairs will abandon eggs or even chicks if the cage is moved or the environment is disrupted in any way. I’m sorry you are learning this the hard way. It is one of the basics of breeding birds. For now, unless she went back, remove the nest box and rest the pair for 6 months. This should be done between every clutch whether the eggs hatch or not. Forming and laying eggs is hard on the female, and in the wild they only nest one time a year. In captivity, it is the owner’s responsibility to limit the number of clutches and force the pair to rest. While they are in this rest period, you could take this time to do additional research on breeding so things will go more smoothly next time. Decide where you want the cage and do not move it again once they are nesting again. Moving a cage is actually one method that owners use to discourage more breeding & nesting.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda