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When do lovebirds start laying eggs?

cheekypie

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At around what time of year are eggs getting laid, also how old does a lovebird have to be to lay eggs? My female is approximately 1 3/4 year old can she start laying eggs? Also a more disturbing question but if the egg is unfertilized can you cook it and eat it? Has anyone every tried that? If so, is it good?
 

SumitaSinh

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Destiny

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In captivity, lovebirds could lay eggs at any time of year, if conditions are favorable for breeding. From what I've read, many breeders favor breeding during cooler months and will only allow one clutch annually so the birds have time to recover from the stress of egg-laying and raising young. If given free reign, the birds might breed too often and suffer ill health or even die from complications, like egg-binding or malnutrition. In the wild, seasonal weather changes and other environmental signals interrupt breeding behavior by triggering hormonal changes, so over-breeding is rare. Many of these triggers are absent in captivity, so it is important to practice good husbandry and take steps to discourage breeding when it is not appropriate.

Regarding age, a female lovebird could potentially start laying eggs as young as 9 months, but early egg-laying can be hazardous to a young bird's health, so it should not be encouraged. It is advisable to wait until a lovebird is over a year old before attempting to breed. A female can lay eggs in the absence of a male partner. If there is no male bird, the eggs will be infertile and cannot hatch. If you don't plan on breeding your birds, it is best to avoid stimulating hormonal behavior, like nesting and laying eggs, by not providing suitable nesting locations (no nest boxes or other cavities) and providing ample time for sleep (long nights, like during winter) and changing the diet, if necessary. Under these conditions, the bird is less likely to lay eggs and also will be less likely to display territorial aggression, excessive chewing, cavity-seeking and other undesirable hormonal behaviors.

If you are thinking about breeding, be sure to do lots of research before you start. It is a complex and time-consuming hobby. You will want to arm yourself with lots of knowledge so you are prepared for common problems and can avoid costly mistakes.

As for your last question, I have never tried a lovebird egg, but I assume they don't taste that different from a quail egg.
 
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Pat H

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That's so funny-- I had thought about seeing what the eggs tasted like to, but never had the guts to try them!
Instead I saved them, and after they were dried up inside-- made a nice decorative Easter nest-- they were so cute!
 

cheekypie

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although I’m not planning on breeding my birds, I was just wondering about what time of year and what age and what not, because I do have a female lovebird, and they do lay eggs even without a male, so I was just wondering for her safety. She hasn’t ever laid one yet, although I have had her for a year now, so she may not ever lay one?
 

Destiny

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Yeah, it is possible she might never lay. At her age, she is old enough to try but it would depend on if/when she goes into season. Sometimes it can take years, especially if conditions aren't quite right. Some females will wait until they find a suitable mate. Others might fixate on a person or toy as their "mate" and start getting hormonal even though they are alone. It depends on the bird.

I think it is smart to ask these questions so you are prepared. Knowledge is power! :D

Since she doesn't have a mate, any eggs will be infertile. So you don't need to worry about replacing them with dummy eggs or boiling them to prevent hatching. One thing to be aware of is chronic egg-laying. This is a medical condition that sometimes affects pet birds, where the female lays eggs too frequently or won't stop laying when she normally should.

Normally, a lovebird will lay a single clutch of four to six eggs, with a new egg laid every day or every other day. She starts incubating right away and will sit on the nest for three or four weeks. Sometimes, she might lay a larger clutch of eight eggs, but this is uncommon. Rarely, the lovebird might keep laying instead of stopping when the nest is "full". This is more likely to occur if the eggs are removed too quickly as she will lay additional eggs to replace the lost eggs. So it is important to leave infertile eggs in the nest until she loses interest or provide dummy eggs to discourage excessive laying. Sometimes a hormonal imbalance might lead to excessive laying even with eggs present in the nest.

Egg production is hard work, since it requires a lot of calcium and energy to produce an egg. Similar to molting, the bird needs to be provided with good nutrition and a balanced diet, along with extra protien and calcium to replenish what is lost during egg-making. Without enough calcium, the hen is at risk of egg-binding and other issues.

Egg-binding is when an egg takes longer than usual to pass out of the reproductive tract. This most commonly occurs in smaller birds such as parakeets, cockatiels, lovebirds, canaries, and finches. Young birds reproducing for the first time and older hens are the most vulnerable to egg-binding.

This article talks about this condition in more detail, if you are curious:

 

Destiny

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That's so funny-- I had thought about seeing what the eggs tasted like to, but never had the guts to try them!
Instead I saved them, and after they were dried up inside-- made a nice decorative Easter nest-- they were so cute!
I have tried quite a few kinds of eggs, since I raise a variety of poultry. I don't have lovebirds but I was tempted to try parakeet eggs, since I was removing them anyways to prevent breeding ... but it felt wrong and I couldn't bring myself to do it!

And in all honest, the eggs are so tiny, it would probably not be worth the effort. Imagine trying to peel a hardboiled parakeet egg. They are so small!

That being said, I have tried chicken, duck, turkey, button quail, chukar partridge, and even one peacock egg. All of them tasted pretty similar, except for the duck eggs. They had a bit of an odd taste to them which I didn't much like when eaten scrambled, but they are amazing in baked goods. Duck eggs have a higher fat content that provides extra moisture and richness. Turkey eggs are my favorite for fresh eating - they taste identical to a chicken egg but they are enormous and covered in cute speckles. The partridge and quail eggs are super cute as tiny hard-boiled eggs in salads or as a garnish, but a lot of work for not much egg. Not that different from a really small chicken egg. They are fun from a presentation standpoint, if you want to feel fancy, but I would never use them in baking. Much easier to just use a bigger egg or two.

The peacock egg was interesting. It had a VERY thick shell and was even bigger than a turkey egg. It was a real effort to crack, but tasted like a normal omelette. I usually allow my peahen to keep her eggs, since she is good at hiding her nesting sites and baby peafowl are adorable, but when she first started laying, she was leaving random eggs all over the place ... and I got curious. :laugh:


Fresh peacock egg:

20160526_093943.jpg

As you can see - tough shell:

20160529_100509.jpg

Oyster mushroom and peacock omelette with italian prunes, all home-grown.

20150920_102923.jpg

And here are some hard-boiled quail eggs and fresh figs, also home-grown. One of the perks of farm-living. Look how tiny they are!

20200809_192114.jpg
 
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Pat H

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I didn't think I wanted the extreme effort to peel the hardboiled LB egg-- I thought to scramble them... but they were so darned cute clustered in a Hummingbirds nest I found in the yard.
Have you ever poked a hole in the peacock egg to blow it out?

My former employment had Ostriches-- one of my jobs to search for and gather any eggs-- they provide a Quart! And such an ornament when blown out! Except for the one I found in a back corner and black inside--- :eek:
 

Zara

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I don't have lovebirds but I was tempted to try parakeet eggs, since I was removing them anyways to prevent breeding ... but it felt wrong and I couldn't bring myself to do it!
Unpopular opinion but I would eat our eggs, but I don´t eat any eggs. I just never liked scrambled or fried eggs, and they´re so small what else could I do with them? I suppose they´d be perfect for making eggwash.
We know what our bird eats, pellets veggies and little seed. I bet they woukd be better eggs than something that´s had a more basic diet.
My boyfriend says no when I offer them to him, even though he eats chicken eggs. :shrug:

, I was just wondering about what time of year and what age and what not, because I do have a female lovebird
My average here was about a year old / 14 months old. But they had partners.
@DoubleTake ´s girl is 3 and no eggs.
All birds seem to be different. Worth keeping n mind, but I wouldn´t worry too much about it :) Just be sure she´s always got a steady supply of calcium (daily pellets for eg)
 

Zara

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