Lucy lays eggs every 2 or 3 months. She eventually gives up sitting on them but they are always unfurtile. I have never saw her even let Sergei get close to her. I always use a strong Tech lite to check the eggs a couple weeks after she lays them and then again after she's given up before I get rid of them. I do have an incubator just in case because I could never destroy a live baby.
Ekkies are difficult to breed in captivity. In the wild, the pair use their large beaks to hollow out a hole in a tree. Once the female lays the eggs, she NEVER leaves the nest. The male regurgitates to feed her and guards the entrance to their nest. She is in a fairly dark quiet place with no one but her mate for company. In captivity there's distractions, lights, noise and yummy food right there. The male isn't as attentive, the female doesn't want to sit 24/7 alone when other things are going on, plus they are most likely bonded to their owners as well as each other. Replicating the ekkie reproduction environment would be considered mistreatment in a home setting... IMHO
Lucy is very diligent about sitting on her eggs and protecting her cage. But she still wants attention from me and will leave her eggs for a few minutes as soon as she sees me. Once an ekkie is a true "pet" breeding is extremely difficult. Males seem to be there for the "fun" part, but aren't willing to give up their lifestyle of playing and running around with their friends (other birdies or human) to feed his mate properly and sit with her all the time so she feels safe and protected.
Ekkies seem to be either breeders that are NEVER touched or interact with humans, or very loving members of our families. Crossing back and forth between these two realities is rare for them. If your ekkies are "pets", please don't force breeding on them. I'm still having problems with Lucy because this is exactly what her previous owner tried to do to her. Being all lovey to her for weeks, then ignoring her for weeks when she laid eggs only confused Lucy and made her mistrust humans as well as other birds. So depending on her mood, she'll either be very friendly and call "Mama, Step Up" meaning she wants to hang out with me, or she's so mean I can't get anywhere near her. It's not her fault, it was the inhumane attempts at breeding. Lucy may come around some day, Lord knows I keep trying, but she may always act like this. I'd like to see her happy and playing every day, so I will never give up on her. Besides, even with her unpredictable behavior, I love her!