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I’ve had my bird for 4 years now and she never has laid eggs

SpotTiel

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I got my cockatiel in 2017. I’ve had her 3 years, starting to turn into 4 years in a few months. I’m not too well informed about female cockatiel breeding knowledge since I’ve never experienced any of that kind of behaviour from my bird. I just thought that I didn’t need it. I noticed since the pandemic hit, my bird kind of had a change of behaviour. She’s not aggressive or anything. I just find her being really unactive lately. So I’ve been trying to interact with her so much more then I was before. It’s nice because I can see the parts of herself from before coming back. I think she’ll be way happier now that I’ve tried to strengthen our relationship. But all of this is leading to a question I have. I’ve noticed that my bird has NEVER laid eggs in the time I’ve had her. I’ve never have let her around a male cockatiel, or gave her stuff in her cage to encourage egg laying behaviour. So, I can understand why she hasn’t laid eggs. But, I’ll be scrolling through my phone looking at these pages of birds, and owners will mention their female cockatiels having eggs. So I’ll look at my baby and I realized she has never laid eggs. But in the time I’ve had her, isn’t it normal for bird to lay around 2 years old? I’m not sure if that is accurate, but I have read that online. I’ve had her for almost 3 1/2 years. When I got her I didn’t know her actual age. I don’t even know how old she is now. I took her a vet and they told me she could be around 2-4, but I’ve only had her for 3 1/2 years. That means she has to be older then 3 1/2 years. So I went to research this a few times, “why has my female cockatiel never laid eggs?”. I’ve never got the answers from any of the articles I’ve read online. But I found this site and read a few forums but still not really finding why my bird has never laid eggs. That’s why I am here now posting this forum. I’m mostly just concerned that since she has never laid eggs, is that normal? Like, if she never lays eggs is that okay for her health-wise? Or should she be laying eggs and I should be concerned that she’s not? I’m just genuinely curious because I love my bird so much and I want her to have the best life I can give her. I never want to put my bird at a health risk. I know this forum sounds weird and all over the place but I’m kind of special needs so I ask very detailed interactive questions to learn more about stuff. I’m not super “slow” (I hate that term but It’s a good
term to make people best recognize) so for me, I use communication from other’s people knowledge to make myself learn by memorizing what they’ve told me and pushing that knowledge into the activities in context itself. But if you could answer my questions, it would help me better understand if I know my bird’s behaviour is normal and she is physically healthy. Like I said, I love her and I want her to be happy and healthy. Thanks! :)
 

SpotTiel

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I would like to add that when I say interact with my bird more often. That just means I’ll spend more time hanging out, loving, and playing with her. She is very well loved by me. I’m just trying to get her more active to hopefully make her more happy since I’ve noticed the behaviour change. Also, I have taken her to the vet multiple times already. They say she is perfectly healthy and there’s nothing to worry about beside doing the normal care and interaction with her. So that’s why I’ve never been concerned about egg laying before. The vet said it’s good she doesn’t lay. But I never asked if it was actually okay for her to have never laid eggs. If that makes sense.
 

Shezbug

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First thing to ask is if you’re positive your bird is female?

Some birds never lay. If she’s healthy and happy and also doesn’t lay eggs then that’s a bonus.


There are a few reasons birds do and don’t lay eggs so as long as she’s healthy that’s the main thing.
 

SpotTiel

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I can’t afford DNA testing for my bird right now. Also I would be scared to do it on her because she gets very stressed when other people handle her that isn’t me or my father. But everything about my bird’s behaviour and physical appearance makes it out to be a female. My bird’s colours are very light and are mostly grey. I’ve been told that my bird has a high breast. My bird doesn’t talk, just squawks when they want something. Doesn’t mimic anything. Not very interested with other animals or even their own kind. My bird hates looking at them-self in the mirror. The vet said that he thinks that my bird is most likely a female. So I guess I never know if they are truly female, but I just go by that for
now just to take extra health measures like regular vet visits to make sure they’re okay. Because I don’t want complications with egg laying, even though it hasn’t been a concern yet.
For the second paragraph, she has never laid eggs for me though. So is that okay that she hasn’t? I just need to know because I get stressed because I can’t tell if I’m actually doing something wrong unless I’m made
aware of it. Also I don’t answer to that question.
 

JLcribber

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You are doing a fantastic because your bird IS NOT laying eggs. Egg laying is nothing but a problem and introduces all kinds of complications for captive birds and should be discouraged.


Count yourself lucky she doesn’t lay eggs.
 

Hankmacaw

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My Jasper was 26 before she ever laid an egg - and that egg darned near killed her. Count your bird's and your lucky stars that there have been no eggs.
 

sunnysmom

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Not laying eggs is a good thing. Do you know what mutation she is? Can you post a picture of her?
 

camelotshadow

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I don't want eh=ggs. Nothing but potential trouble & problems for the bird.

Lucky for you as some have trouble & literally lay eggs to death.

They will lay male or not around. Some say a bird has to be really happy & content to lay eggs like my Penny who had not laid one in about 20 years since her early years where she laid once & I think had trouble. She laid 2 or 3 eggs abput 2 years ago & luckily no more. Penny is about 22-23 years old now. I forget but she was born either March 97 or 98.
 

BirdG1rl

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Eggs are not something you want! It sounds like your birb is adorable, btw :heart:
 

sunnysmom

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She's very pretty. I thought I might be able to tell her sex with a pic but I am not sure. I am thinking girl. @Tiel Feathers ?
 

Tiel Feathers

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She’s so cute! She looks like a little cinnamon girl to me. She looks very similar to my Sunset and Niko. I have three female tiels. One is 10, one is 7 and one is 5. Only the 10 year old lays eggs.
 

finchly

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Your bird is healthy! If they lay eggs, they deplete their calcium and stuff - cockatiels especially are prone to "chronic" egg laying, and it is bad. I have a chronic egg layer, she will lay like 8 or 9 at a time. And she's not friendly during that time! She's about 6. My other 6 year old has never laid an egg. And my 3rd one, also a girl, has just laid her 2nd or 3rd egg. Not sure which cause there is an egg in a plant basket that no one is claiming. :D
IMG_8761.jpg
 
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