January 26, 2022
Female cocktail
My bird has just layed 3 eggs in the past few days. She has not layed anymore. How long until I take them away or what do I do. I have just got the Bird and don’t know if she has layed before
Question:
Answer:
Hi Kenneth,
You can let her sit on the eggs as long as you do not give her a nest or anything she can sit in. Just let her have the eggs on the cage floor. Most single hens will sit anywhere from a few days to the full incubation period, and then get tired of the eggs and abandon them. It is important to discourage egg laying, because they can become chronic egg layers and end up needing Vet care.
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
