Ask Lafeber

Question:

June 24, 2022

nesting material


What is, if any, a good material for parakeets to use to construct a nest? I hvae a breeding box which she uses to go in and rest, and she is young and laid her first eggs, and we suspect she is getting ready to ovulate again. But, whatever material (e.g. pine shavings) we try to put in the box to be used for nesting she promptly throws it out of the box. She chooses to lay the eggs on the bare bottom of the box. Is a material necessary and if so what.


Answer:

Hi Robert,

I’m a little concerned when you say she is young. While she is capable of laying eggs at a young age, it isn’t good for her. She should not have a nest box or a mate until she is 2 years old.

You didn’t mention a mate? Does she have a mate, and are they both 2 years old? Again, if not, they should not have a best box yet and really should not be together.

It helps to understand why this is not good to allow. In the wild, a young bird would not have a mate yet. And without a mate, she would not lay eggs yet. In the wild a parakeet pair only nests one time a year. The rest of the year, they do not use a nest. In captivity, we provide such a good environment, that birds will breed or lay eggs over and over to the point that the hen dies. She doesn’t receive the environmental signals to stop laying eggs. So as the owner, you have to take steps to prevent a bird from breeding when she is still too young, and then to limit breeding once she is old enough.

After a pair lays a clutch of eggs, and hopefully raises chicks, you must remove the nest box as soon as the chicks leave it. Even if the eggs do not hatch, the nest box should be removed and the pair should be rested for at least 6 months before returning the nest box. They should not be allowed to have more than 2 clutches per year, which is more than the one they have in the wild each year. Each egg drains the hen of calcium and protein and is physically difficult to lay. Unlike the domestic chicken, parakeets and other parrots are not intended to lay eggs more than once a year. We say twice is OK, if the birds get a good diet and are rested 6 months between clutches.

As for nesting materials, the only safe material is all natural Aspen shavings. Never use pine, cedar or other shaving as they have aromatic oils that can be toxic to the birds. However, most parakeets still kick all the shavings out and prefer the bare wood. They may line it with some feathers.

Make sure your birds are on a nutritionally balanced diet like pellets or our foraging diets, leafy greens, chopped veggies and some fruit. When nesting, they also need egg food – either a commercial dry egg food or cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg.

If you do only have the female, she should never have a nest or nest box. You can follow these rules to discourage egg laying for her – or even if it is a pair, you can do this in between clutches to make sure they rest.

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. This disrupts her idea of having a stable place to lay eggs and raise chicks.

If you feed a lot of fresh foods, stop offering any for a couple of weeks, and then only offer them in small amounts about 2 or 3 times a week. You can resume normal feeding later when the birds aren’t being hormonal.

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. Only a bonded mate is allowed to groom the body. We can’t be a mate, so touching the body is off limits.

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

Subscribe to our newsletter

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter

×

Join our Lafeber Flock

Enjoy our Pet Birds' weekly newsletter, featuring captivating stories, care tips, and more.
Opt for Small Mammals' monthly edition for delightful facts about rabbits, guinea pigs, and more.
Choose our monthly Backyard Chickens newsletter for insightful information to keep your flock happy.
*