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Question:

February 25, 2019

Lovebirds not laying eggs


My lovebirds mated for the first time 10 days ago and then mated for two more days after that. The female started nesting. During this time I often moved their cage not knowing it would discourage egg laying. It is the tenth day today and it still did not lay eggs but comes to bite me when I touch the nest box. So do you think they will lay or not ?


Answer:

Hi Husain,

You are correct – by moving the cage, you disrupted the breeding cycle. All you can do is leave the cage where you want it and give them time to feel secure and stable again. They probably will breed again and lay eggs once they feel safe. You need to give them plenty of privacy and ideally only go around them when you feed and water them. Make sure they are on a nutritionally complete diet as well as offering dark leafy greens, chopped fruits and veggies, cooked eggs & multi grain bread. Also keep in mind that the first clutch of eggs is almost never successful due to inexperience. The first clutch often is not fertile, or they don’t incubate the eggs correctly, or break them, or they don’t feed the chicks the first time. In that case, remove the box, give them a few months to rest, and then let them try again. You should not allow them to breed all year – they need to be rested in between clutches.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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