Ask Lafeber

Pacific Parrotlet not laying eggs

So, I’ve had to pacific parrotlets for over 2 years now and have had success a year or so ago with breeding and egg laying. My female had three clutches, the first one were all duds, the second had one fertile egg but it never went to full term, and the third made it all the way but the baby broke its egg yolk trying to break out and died in the shell.

I’ve waited a long while, nearly a year before offering them a nesting box. My female just sits and is protective of the box but will not lay eggs. They mate all the time and are given a proper pellet diet with fruits and veggies and cuttle bone and eggs but she won’t lay. I can feel her pelvic bones open now and then but still nothing. She isn’t getting that fat booty like she had when she had an egg inside her.

Idk if she is sick or has lost the ability to lay after having several eggs already or what.

Hi Cece,

If the three clutches were back to back, this would have been very exhausting for her. It’s best to always rest a pair for 6 months in between each clutch whether the eggs hatch or not. Forming and laying the eggs is what take a toll on the hen. Feeding chicks is also hard, but not the same drain on her health as the actual egg laying.

As for why, it could be something physical or something with the environment. She may simply not feel like her cage is in a safe place, or the environment overall is suitable in her mind for nesting. All you can do is wait and see what she does. They do best with a lot of privacy, so if she feels like you are hovering or checking on her too much, this can make her nervous.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda