Ask Lafeber

Eggs from conure

my green cheek has 12 eggs already
only 3 in cage should I take all out

Hi Cathy,

This is too many eggs! If you do not take steps to stop her from laying more eggs, she will die from laying too many eggs. It is very hard on her system and she will end up suffering from low calcium and other deficiencies. It is probably best to throw the eggs away unless she is with a mate and they are sitting on the eggs.

If this is a breeding pair, then you need to remove the nest box and make the pair rest for a minimum of 6 months. It may even be necessary to separate them. There are other actions to take which I will explain below.

If this is a single bird, she should not have a nest, nest box, bird hut, box or anything she can get inside of and use as a nest – this includes a food bowl. I’m not sure where she is laying the eggs, but if she is doing this inside of something, remove it or block the area off if it is outside of the cage. Adult birds do not need a nest for any reason other than during nesting season, and only if you have a breeding pair. Single birds should never be given a nest. Birds do not use nests for sleeping in – a nest is strictly a tool used for eggs and chicks.

You need to remove anything she can shred – such as paper, cardboard, rope, fabric – anything she might view as a nesting material. If she is tame, you need to limit any petting to her head. Only a mate is allowed to touch the body, so when we pet a bird all over, we are triggering hormones. Thus, petting for any bird needs to be limited to the head. You should try limiting her exposure to light – cover her cage early in the evening and do not let her have more than 8-10 hours of light each day. Rearrange the toys and perches in her cage. Move her cage to another place in the room – the busier, the better. Birds need abundant food, long days, warm temperatures and a quiet, secure place to nest in order to breed. You need to do the opposite. If she eats fresh foods, stop giving her any for now – just her daily diet is all she should have for now. Also no table foods right now.

If she doesn’t stop laying eggs, you will need to take her to an Avian Vet. The Vet will probably suggest a hormone injection or implant to stop her from laying eggs for a while. In some cases, this has to be repeated each breeding season or even year round.

We have a two part webinar on dealing with parrots and hormones that you may want to view. I’ll post the links below. Hopefully making some changes and understanding why she does this will help and you can stop her from doing this again, or at least not as much.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda