Cockatiel Laying Eggs

[Leisha]

Ok, so here's my concern....My Pied has laid three eggs this last week. (FYI we've always been were told that "she" was a HE) Almost 6 years later, and SURPRISE! Anyway, she is attending to the eggs, and being very maternal and very protective...fine. My concern, is that if none hatch (they may not even be fertile), that she will get depressed. It happened to one of my Mom's chickens! Poor sweetie, was a mess until finally after months she had one egg hatch! (She was then A-Ok, and a proud mama!)
So, back to our Cockatiel...is there a place to get a couple fertile eggs, so that she can hatch at least one baby? It's not that I want babies, but I don't want my sweet girl, to be depressed! Help. Suggestions???

 

[Birdie Onions]

I just want to say I love your title (family planning)... brilliant and so appropriate

 

[Monica]

Ok, so here's my concern....My Pied has laid three eggs this last week. (FYI we've always been were told that "she" was a HE) Almost 6 years later, and SURPRISE! Anyway, she is attending to the eggs, and being very maternal and very protective...fine. My concern, is that if none hatch (they may not even be fertile), that she will get depressed. It happened to one of my Mom's chickens! Poor sweetie, was a mess until finally after months she had one egg hatch! (She was then A-Ok, and a proud mama!)
So, back to our Cockatiel...is there a place to get a couple fertile eggs, so that she can hatch at least one baby? It's not that I want babies, but I don't want my sweet girl, to be depressed! Help. Suggestions???

Welcome to the forum!

Easier to create your own thread....


I've had female cockatiels lay eggs and never hatch their eggs and they've generally done just fine. I believe they would feel more depressed if the eggs hatched, then the chick 'disappeared' than eggs not hatching at all... that said, each hen may be different.

There is no place on the internet to buy fertile parrot eggs. Any place selling fertile eggs are scammers. Just because she lays eggs there is no guarantee that she'll be able to raise the chicks as first time parents often make *terrible* parents! And hand raising day one chicks is *exhausting*! They need to be fed every 2 hours around the clock for the first few days of their lives, if being raised by humans.


So it's better for your hen to not be able to produce offspring if you aren't interested in breeding her.