Ask Lafeber

female cockatiel

she in setting in her food bowl all the time what is going on

Hi Kathy,

She is using the bowl as a nest. The best thing to do is remove that bowl and replace it with some smaller cups that she can’t sit in. If you let her keep sitting in it, she will soon lay eggs. Unless she has a mate and you are trying to breed them, then it’s best that she doesn’t lay eggs. There are changes you can make to discourage egg laying, whether she is single or with a male. She can die from laying too many eggs, so it is best to discourage her from starting.

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.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda