Ask Lafeber

Surprise egg

I was given three beautiful budgies and told by the breeder they were all female. They did great together. No issues. Surprise egg found this morning in the food dish – and it did not make it. The corner was crushed. I had no idea, so there was no nesting box available.

Is it too late for any other eggs coming? If I get a nesting box will she use it? I’m guessing that I should remove the third bird, but I honestly was completely surprised! I don’t see one pair as more bonded than the other. There doesn’t seem to be a third whee situation so I don’t know which one to take out! So much so that I’m wondering if it was even a mated pair or if it’s an unfertilized egg. All three of my birds have very clear brown ceres.

Hi Kristy,

It sounds like all three are females since all three have brown ceres. Which of course means the eggs wouldn’t be fertile. It is best to throw the eggs away. Do not give them a nest box or anything they can use as a nest. This will not only encourage unnecessary egg laying, but you will find out very quickly how vicious female budgies can be when they get territorial. If one of them claims the nest, she is likely to attack or even kill one or both of the other birds. It’s just instinctive to protect the nest from intruders. I would recommend making some changes to discourage nesting and egg laying. If these birds were young when you got them, and just now getting mature, then you are also likely to see why three birds rarely works out. So watch for any pair bonding, and two picking on the third. If this happens, separate the odd bird immediately. Female budgies can attack with no warning and their attacks are often deadly.

You need to do all of these things to discourage egg laying, and of course this applies to all three females.  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