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How to prevent nesting behavior

RachelIren

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
3/11/22
Messages
18
Hi my almost 6 year old female cockatiel has started getting extra hormonal again. She laid 11 eggs last year and im really trying to prevent her from laying eggs again this year without having to resort to a hormone injection. Ive been making sure she gets 12 to 14 hours of total darkness at night, I switch around her cage every 2 to 3 days and shes on a pellet diet. I also try to give her at least an hour out if cage time but try to do 4-6 if I'm able to (work allowing) to give her mental stimulation.

It seems no matter what I do she always goes to the bottom of her cage and gets all broody. She has a metal grate above the newspaper at the bottom of her cage so she has no access to any nesting material but she still seems to like the bottom of the cage as a nesting area even without nesting materials.

Does anyone have any advice on anything else I can do to prevent this behavior? Should I put something at the bottom of the cage to prevent her from going there? If so what should I put down there?

Also side question she eats harrisons high potency pellet which I discovered are more intended for sick or breeding birds. Im working on switching her to harrisons lifetime pellets. Could the high potency pellets have contributed to her being so hormonal? Has anyone else had experience with that?
 

Parront

Jogging around the block
Vendor
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
8/25/12
Messages
904
Location
Ohio
Real Name
Annrose
It sounds like you are doing everything right. The only thing you might try is moving everything around in her cage. Be sure to offer her some cuttlebone. Good Luck
 
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