Why isn't my cockatiel laying eggs? Is there a health issue?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Bird | Cockatiel | Female
My cockatiel aren't giving eggs
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 29th, 2019
Thanks for reaching out about our cockatiel. First, make sure you have a both sexes. Second, not all birds breed. Have you observed mating? Nutrition has be be adequate to provide calories/nutrients for egg formation. A nest site acceptable to both needs to be provided. Diseases of both male and female can lead to infertility. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a plan. Good luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on April 16th, 2019
Birds will sometimes mate even if the female is not ready to lay eggs. Ensuring she has a balanced diet, enough natural light, and additional calcium sources to produce healthy eggs may help encourage her to start laying.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My 2 coakatials does sex alot but still no eggs their age is 2 years and half ? Is that normal when is she gonna lye eggs
Here is a excerpt from a cockatiel breeding page: To breed successfully however, cockatiels require five breeding prerequisites that include optimum nutrition, temperature and humidity, extended photo-light (daylight) hours, an adequate nesting site and an appropriate mate. From what you have stated, it would appear that the reason your cockatiels have not bred is probably due to insufficient daylight hours, which are needed to stimulate breeding hormone levels adequately. To emulate the breeding season, aviculturists allow their cockatiels to awake at daybreak but typically add a few extra hours of daylight by providing artificial light beyond dusk - for example until 9 or 10 p.m. These extra hours coincide with the natural breeding season, which ensures parent birds have the added time to seek out food and feed hungry chicks for a final good meal to last the night. Provide a nutritious conditioning/breeding diet consisting of a quality cockatiel mix, cockatiel pellets, cuttlebone
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cockatiel laid egg 4 times till now. Each time ther are 10-12 egg but there is no baby in any egg...it is happening regularly. Some breeder said me that they are both female..but i have seen them mating...please give me solution...
This is a complicated question with no simple fix. IT is possible even though they are having mating behavior they are actually both females. Also, the male might not be able to produce appropriate sperm to make fertile eggs. Typically the eggs need certain temperatures and care to grow live birds too. I would recommend taking them to a vet for a good exam and proper sexing. hope that helps
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cockatiels have mated 3 weeks ago but i don't have any eggs in my breeding box
Birds will sometimes mate even if the female is not ready to lay eggs. Ensuring she has a balanced diet, enough natural light, and additional calcium sources to produce healthy eggs may help encourage her to start laying.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Dear sir /Mam I have pair of cocktiel (not sure about gender) But one is highly vocal and dominating.Age2 years and 1and half year approx. They both breed (have sex) daily from last 3 month. They do sex in open playground area only. Even I have put b
If your are unsure of your bird's genders you can have them tested at your local vet (blood test) to determine if you have a male and female or two males/females. Same-sex birds can attempt to mate with each other, especially if it is mating season for them. If one of the birds seems stressed out by this, then separating the two for a period of time is best to avoid increasing stress or causing injury to one of the birds. If you are interested in breeding your birds and have a male and female, adding in more protein and calcium to their diet, as well as increasing the amount of daylight they get may help encourage egg laying and raising a clutch.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have two Cockatiels birds. One is yellow, I thought it was a boy and a gray one, I thought was a girl. However, they’ve only been together in the same cage for about a year now and I think both of them have laid eggs? Can male Cocktiels lay eggs? A
There are ways to determine a cockatiel's gender. The link below outlines several. https://www.cockatiel.com/malefemale.html The definitive method to determine gender is to have them sexed via DNA testing. This is done using blood or feather samples. Male cockatiels do not lay eggs. Female cockatiels may lay eggs even in the absence of a male. If you have 2 females, the eggs will be infertile and will not hatch. Fertilized eggs hatch after about 3 weeks of incubation. She may lay one egg every 24-48 hours until she has a clutch of up to 8 eggs. Do not remove any of the eggs. This will cause her to continue laying which can be dangerous. If you have a confirmed pair, I would suggest getting in touch with an experienced avian veterinarian or breeder to guide you if you plan on keeping the chicks.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My pet female cockatiel has laid one single egg which she is guarding, she has never mated and ive had her over a year. What should I do?
If the egg is not viable, it would be best to remove tit. You can sometimes place in fake eggs to get her to give up the real one, or to give her something to sit on if she wants to be broody, however removing any nesting material can help to discourage her from laying any more as well. (Don't be surprised if she does, however, as many pet birds will lay an egg every 2-3 days as they are making a clutch.) Making sure she is on a balanced diet and giving a few extra supplements such as cuttlebone or eggfood can also help replenish any calcium used to lay the egg and keep her healthy.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I want to get my cockatiel a friend (they'd be caged separately, may get out of cage time together). She's been egg bound before and came to me chronically laying so I REALLY don't want another female. I've had enough egg experiences lol. I'm wonderi
Thanks for reaching out about Gacy. Having a male in the vicinity, vocal, can stimulate the female to lay eggs, so will be a risk. Check and correct diet, manipulation of photoperiod and hormone therapy can help females to stop laying eggs. Also, is possible to spay birds but is more risky than spaying a dog or a cat. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My single female cockatiel which is 11months old laid 2 eggs and after 7 days it laid an new egg today is that normal ?
Thanks for reaching out about Tinku. They can double clutch, especially when young. Any stress can also delay egg production. Maintain a good diet, as a calcium source is needed to replace the calcium lost in egg production. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 2yr old female cockatiel has been laying infertile eggs. She has stopped at 5 but it has been over 21days (a week and a half since last egg) and she's still nesting. She comes out to eat, drink and play but she has been more tired. I am wondering
Hi there, I'm sorry to hear that LemonBerry has been chronically egg laying. When cockatiels get into egg laying cycles, it can be difficult to stop without medical intervention. It can also lead to secondary problems such as depleted calcium stores. I worry this may be occurring with her weakness. I'd recommend getting LemonBerry in to see a veterinarian that treats birds. Sometimes medication or surgery is needed to solve this problem. In the mean time, I would make sure that she is eating a formulated pellet diet and has access to calcium chews like a cuttlebone. I would also recommend continuous bright light exposure for a few days to try to reset her circadian rhythm. I do like this article written by a veterinarian: https://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/chronic-egg-laying-what-you-can-do/ I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck to you and LemonBerry.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cockatiel layed 5 eggs and after 2 weeks, she wants to lay eggs again. When I take away her nest, She starts screaming and looks for other places to lay eggs. Last time she layed eggs 3 times(15 eggs) and she almost died. How can I stop her from l
Thanks for reaching out about Jojo. There are several things that can be done in an attempt to encourage her to lay fewer eggs. A veterinary visit is recommended as soon as possible to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan, especially if she almost died last time. A review of diet and husbandry with an avian veterinarian is recommended at this time. At home, remove all items that she could perceive as a mate (mirrors, toys, etc.). If she is handleable, stop petting her, especially along the back, as this can stimulate reproduction. Photoperiod manipulation, as she needs 14-16 hours of dark, quiet sleep time, undisturbed. Lastly, there are a few hormones that an avian experienced veterinarian can discuss. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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