• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Chronic Egg Laying

Kat Suleiman

Moving in
Joined
5/8/18
Messages
7
Hello. I know this topic has been discussed many times on this forum. But I'm not sure where else to turn at this point. I have a female cockatiel who is just a year old. I wanted a male, specifically because I know females can have issues with eggs. The store that sold her to me assured me it was a boy. 6 months later, SURPRISE! EGGS! Anyway, it's been 6 months since she first laid an egg and she has been laying eggs almost every week. For 6 months! That's a lot. I've taken her to the vet for Lupron shots. She's had about 6 eggs while on Lupron. I've limited her "daylight" hours. I've pretty much had to stop interacting with her because she has been so aggressive while she's nesting. Her cage has a grate and nothing soft. In fact I removed pretty much everything from her cage except for the perches. I've moved her cage to different spot. At this point, I'm out of options. It's only a matter of time she becomes egg-bound or really sick from depleting her resources. Do any of you have any advice about what to do? It's no life for a bird to be caged and covered most of the time and for me to not be able to play with her. I would be okay with giving her to a breeder or someone with more experience if I had to. I just don't know what else to do because it seems like I'm doing everything right. Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Kat
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/16/13
Messages
28,800
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Michelle
Sorry you're having such problems with egg laying. Here is an article on hormone control. There's a thing called "flooding" that you can try- which is increasing the light. And she probably shouldn't be covered all the time. Limiting the daylight hours is only supposed to be increasing by about 2 hours- not all the time. So from a normal 10-12 to 12-14 and only for a few weeks. If she's covered most of the time, that could be contributing to her thinking her cage is like a nest box. Hopefully this article will give you some more ideas: Little Feathered Buddies hormone control
 

Kat Suleiman

Moving in
Joined
5/8/18
Messages
7
Sorry you're having such problems with egg laying. Here is an article on hormone control. There's a thing called "flooding" that you can try- which is increasing the light. And she probably shouldn't be covered all the time. Limiting the daylight hours is only supposed to be increasing by about 2 hours- not all the time. So from a normal 10-12 to 12-14 and only for a few weeks. If she's covered most of the time, that could be contributing to her thinking her cage is like a nest box. Hopefully this article will give you some more ideas: Little Feathered Buddies hormone control
Thanks for the response. When she first started laying eggs, she had much more daylight time and that didn't really seem to help at all. Neither does covering her. And she's uncovered for about 10 hours a day as it is. I'm wondering if getting her a bigger cage will help or getting another bird to live with her.
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/16/13
Messages
28,800
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Michelle
Thanks for the response. When she first started laying eggs, she had much more daylight time and that didn't really seem to help at all. Neither does covering her. And she's uncovered for about 10 hours a day as it is. I'm wondering if getting her a bigger cage will help or getting another bird to live with her.
The article explains it better but I believe it's giving her basically nonstop light for like 24-28 hours. I don't remember the exact time frame.... What size cage does she have now?
 

Kat Suleiman

Moving in
Joined
5/8/18
Messages
7
The article explains it better but I believe it's giving her basically nonstop light for like 24-28 hours. I don't remember the exact time frame.... What size cage does she have now?
It's pretty big, like 24x20x22. She has plenty of room to flap around in. She's never ever been much of a flier. Even when I used to let her out, she never flew. I don't let her out anymore for the past few months because she's always protecting whatever eggs she has and she becomes aggressive and her poops are foul. I'm thinking maybe a bigger cage will seem less cozy. Her cage now is wider than it is tall.
 

CeciliaZ

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
11/7/11
Messages
9,146
Location
Mentor, Ohio
Real Name
Cecilia
I am also dealing with a chronic egg layer. I make sure my tiel has plenty of exercise - she is fully flighted and is out of her cage everyday for exercise. Also - she would always hold her poops all night and not go in her cage with the eggs. So many threads here on this topic...but often hard to figure out their "egg-laying" triggers. I wish you luck - I know the frustration with this issue.
 

Kat Suleiman

Moving in
Joined
5/8/18
Messages
7
I am also dealing with a chronic egg layer. I make sure my tiel has plenty of exercise - she is fully flighted and is out of her cage everyday for exercise. Also - she would always hold her poops all night and not go in her cage with the eggs. So many threads here on this topic...but often hard to figure out their "egg-laying" triggers. I wish you luck - I know the frustration with this issue.
Yea for sure. My tiel refuses to even come out of her cage anymore. I have no idea what triggers her. I feel like I can't even pet her anymore. I was hoping the vet would do a hysterectomy but I know how risky those can be for birds.
 

CeciliaZ

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
11/7/11
Messages
9,146
Location
Mentor, Ohio
Real Name
Cecilia
have you tried leaving the door open - letting her come out on her own? Maybe offer her some millet or other favorite treat?
 

Kat Suleiman

Moving in
Joined
5/8/18
Messages
7
Yea I leave the door open a bunch and she gets millet too. The problem is that she always has eggs, which means she's always nesting, which means she hardly gets up from her little corner in the cage.
 

CeciliaZ

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
11/7/11
Messages
9,146
Location
Mentor, Ohio
Real Name
Cecilia
Wish I had some more advice...mine is usually very protective of her eggs - but this time - she is laying and showing no interest in them at all. Even my other tiels - all males are very nesty this year. Hoping this hormonal time passes soon.
 

Catherine89

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
5/26/17
Messages
1,510
Location
Gainesville Fl
Real Name
Catherine
I’m sorry your going through this , I know exactly how you feel my cockateil is also a chronic egg layer. I tried everything she laid for about 10 months strait. I changed where her cage was , decreased her daylight and increased it , changed out her toys, and got her dummy eggs . In the end I got a new and much bigger cage and so far it’s worked. She haven’t laid an egg since I changed her cage. It’s definitely worth a shot . You girl is to comfortable where she’s at changing it up should help. Good luck and I hope this helps
 

Kat Suleiman

Moving in
Joined
5/8/18
Messages
7
I’m sorry your going through this , I know exactly how you feel my cockateil is also a chronic egg layer. I tried everything she laid for about 10 months strait. I changed where her cage was , decreased her daylight and increased it , changed out her toys, and got her dummy eggs . In the end I got a new and much bigger cage and so far it’s worked. She haven’t laid an egg since I changed her cage. It’s definitely worth a shot . You girl is to comfortable where she’s at changing it up should help. Good luck and I hope this helps
Well then I guess I'll definitely get her a new bigger cage where she won't feel so safe. But thank you all so much for your concern and your kind words, it's much appreciated :)
 

Tiel Feathers

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/15/14
Messages
20,193
Location
Quincy,CA
Real Name
Deanna
I’m so sorry your having this issue with your tiel. When you say covering her cage and limiting daylight, is your cover just making it dim and more cozy in her cage? Or is it practically complete darkness? I would try complete darkness for 13 hours or so. If she has night frights, a very, very dim, small night light is okay. My Tiels sleep 13 hours in a dark closet. Changing her cage is a good idea too. I hope you can resolve this issue!
:hug8:
 

barry collins

Sprinting down the street
Joined
9/16/16
Messages
313
Real Name
Barry
I do believe a covered cage is like a nest box and once she's in her box then daylight hours won't mean much to her. Getting her out of her "box" would be my first thing to do. A new cage in another room and compulsory time away from it flying in the house and if she does lay more eggs then make sure you leave her to brood either her eggs or preferable some fake eggs. Once in a new bigger uncovered cage then daylight cues should be more effective either short days or 3 days lights on, my birds don't have covered sides to the cages but have a covered roof area to roost under and a good night light at the other end of the room.
 

tielluver

Strolling the yard
Joined
1/16/17
Messages
96
Real Name
pat pritchard
sorry you are having the problem with egg laying. I too had that. my female was laying again. I bought fake eggs from internet. when she lays one egg, I remove it, and replace it with 2 fakes, because I do not want inbreeding (they have 3chicks, 1 girl, 2 boys,) and I do not want more chicks either. she lays about 1 to 3 eggs, they sit on them for a few weeks, and when they both start ignoring the eggs, I remove 1 fake every other day. this has worked pretty well, as she goes at least 6 months or more without laying any. you can also try moving the cage to another room in the house. cockatiels don't like change, she will be afraid to lay them for awhile because she's not sure if it is a safe place to lay eggs. they only lay where they feel it's safe, comfortable for babies. also make sure she has a cuttlebone, calcium is needed to make good eggshells, egg binding happens because shell is soft and she can't pass it.
 

Lady Jane

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
8/25/12
Messages
26,569
Location
Maryland
Real Name
Dianne
Some foods can trigger egg laying such as flax seeds.
 

Monica

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
5/18/10
Messages
11,253
Location
Hell, NV
Real Name
Monica
My cockatiel is also laying eggs, although she's 16 going on 17 years old, doesn't comprehend *HOW* to sit on eggs, and happily comes out of her cage. The first egg she laid this year was kind of big and round. The second one, well, from what little I could tell, it appeared healthy... both laid within 24 hours of each other. I suspect, if this is even possible, that the second egg may have been spooked out of her, and since she was not ready to lay the egg, laid it from a perch where it promptly fell and broke. (I was out of the room when it happened...) Hasn't laid any more since (so far) and it's been a few days now. (nearing a week) She produced the two eggs after changing cages, too... lol

Anyway... if it helps!

This is generally what I recommend for egg-laying hens. (X-post) :)

  1. Remove Eggs
    • Rearrange the cage
    • Move the cage to a new location
    • Use a cage grate
    • Get a new cage/Use a different cage
    • 12-14 hours of complete darkness (may require as much as 16 hrs for 2 weeks - or try providing the opposite, as little as 8 hrs of sleep)
    • Full Spectrum Lighting/Better Lighting
    • Lower the indoor temperature
    • Decrease calcium and protein within the diet (if she is on a high calcium & protein diet prior to laying eggs)
    • Remove anything that could be taken as a nest
    • Remove anything that could be used as nesting material
    • Don't allow her in any dark place or enclosed area
    • IMPORTANT: save the eggs in the fridge
    • If she lays more than 3-4 eggs, put them back in the cage
  2. Leave the Eggs
    • Leave the eggs alone in the cage
    • [Optional] Replace with fake eggs (prevent eggs from breaking)
    • Increase calcium
    • Let hen sit on eggs for 3-4 weeks or until she gets bored of them
    • Once done sitting, toss



Generally speaking, there are triggers to hens laying eggs, and if you can remove the triggers, you may be able to stop the egg laying. Triggers can include toys that she can lay in, a plastic base to a cage, nesting material (i.e. cage bedding), a diet high in protein and fat, too much or not enough light, quality of light, etc. All things that should be considered. Removing the triggers to egg laying should be considered *FIRST* before any drastic measures should be taken. You never know, it could be something simple!



If you can provide a picture of your cage setup, that would be great, too!
 
Top