*HELP* My Cockatiel won't stop laying!

[Rht123]

Hi everyone,

I have two gorgeous cockatiels that I bought in December 2015. A girl who is now about a year old and a boy who is about 2 and a half.

We bought them thinking they were both boys but that did not turn out to be the case haha.

Since December she has laid eggs 3 times with atleast 5 eggs in each lay.
Up until now none of the eggs have hatched until Sunday when one of them finally did The other eggs are not going to hatch but the chick is doing great and they are looking after it well. However, when I have came in today to check on the chick she has laid another egg in the box with the chick not even a week old.

I am really conscious because I know it is not good for her health to lay so much and they are only supposed to lay once or twice a year.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I might be able to get her to stop laying?

Thanks
Rob

 

[sunnysmom]

Welcome to the forum! You may find this article helpful: Little Feathered Buddies hormone control @rocky'smom recently shared it with us.

 

[Rht123]

Welcome to the forum! You may find this article helpful: Little Feathered Buddies hormone control @rocky'smom recently shared it with us.

Thank you very much. I will have a look at this now

 

[blewin]

It's possible that having the chick might end the laying cycle, but hmmmm. I'd be careful about disrupting things too much while you've got a chick. Any other thoughts?

 

[jerseybella]

Have you tried lupron shots?

 

[sunnysmom]

@karen256 ?

 

[Rht123]

Have you tried lupron shots?

I've not tried the Lupron shots yet. I'm hoping that giving them less day light will help first of all

 

[Rht123]

It's possible that having the chick might end the laying cycle, but hmmmm. I'd be careful about disrupting things too much while you've got a chick. Any other thoughts?

I was hoping this too! But she ha's gone straight back in to laying. There is actually another egg here today too

 

[sunnysmom]

If you try increasing the darkness- which I believe has to be done for several week to start to work, and it doesn't work. I've also read about doing the opposite and doing 24 hours of light. I don't remember for how long though. I'll have to look for where I read it. But with the chick there, I think you have to be careful what you do right now.

 

[Rht123]

I believe it takes several weeks of increasing darkness before it starts to work. It's doesn't happen right away. If that fails, but I think you have to try if for awhile, I've also read of doing the opposite- doing 24 hours of light- but I don't remember for how long. I'll have to see if I can find where I read about it. But I too agree about being careful what you do right now with the chick there.

Thanks I really appreciate your help. Im so pleased that they finally have a chick and I really hoped It would stop her laying for a while. But I think she might be a cronic layer!

I still love her all the same though ha

 

[sunnysmom]

They're beautiful tiels.

 

[Rht123]

They're beautiful tiels.

Thank you. They are both no bother at all. Completely tame too

 

[rocky'smom]

remove anything that she can rub her lower back on also; that means toys, swings. Sweet Pea was using the rubbing to her 'happy' on.

 

[Tyrion]

Beautiful birds

 

[Rht123]

remove anything that she can rub her lower back on also; that means toys, swings. Sweet Pea was using the rubbing to her 'happy' on.

She literally will sit on the perch where they normally "do it" and lower her back making little chirping noises trying to get his attention!
There isn't a toy or anything she can rub her back off of there. But do you think I should move the others?

 

[blewin]

You didn't remove any eggs at any point did you? I was just thinking about this. If you remove eggs before she's done with them, she'll just replace them. We did that when Buddy first laid a clutch, and it took over a year to get her to stop laying chronically.

I still wouldn't do much to the cage until the chick is independent, but you might not have much choice. The light shifting thing shouldn't affect the chick, though.

 

[Rht123]

You didn't remove any eggs at any point did you? I was just thinking about this. If you remove eggs before she's done with them, she'll just replace them. We did that when Buddy first laid a clutch, and it took over a year to get her to stop laying chronically.

I still wouldn't do much to the cage until the chick is independent, but you might not have much choice. The light shifting thing shouldn't affect the chick, though.

I have moved some eggs today but they have been in their ages. The ones I moved she has actually stopped sitting on and pushed them to the other side of the next box. I think she knows they were no good

 

[rocky'smom]

is the male in with her in the cage ?

 

[Rht123]

is the male in with her in the cage ?

Yeah they share a really big cage together

 

[rocky'smom]

I saw that they have chick also, until that baby has fledged you can't do anything. it takes both parents to raise the chick to fledgling. please be ready to buy a second cage so that you can separate them once that baby/ies fledge.