Having a budgie in your home is exciting and full of love, but it also involves learning about their needs and behaviors. One common concern for many people with pet budgies is the phenomenon of egg-laying. While this behavior can be natural, unfortunately, it isn’t always needed or wanted, and if left unchecked, it can become dangerous to both you and the bird. So how do you stop budgies from from laying eggs?
You can stop your budgies from laying eggs using the following tips:
1. A Change of Diet
Food low in calories and fats should be given to the budgie, not warm or soft. Seeds have low levels of calcium and proteins, which are essential for egg formation. Giving your budgie a lot of seeds will help stop them from laying.
2. Limit the Food
Plenty of food induces egg laying as budgies think they have more food to feed babies. Hence, stop offering fresh food frequently, which is not readily available.
3. Limit Petting
Are you fond of petting your budgie? Do you ever wonder why my budgie keep laying eggs? It’s time you limit petting.
Touching your budgie below the neck or on the back can trigger a hormonal response, which can result in laying eggs. This is because petting makes your budgie see you as a mate.
4. Changing the Layout of the Cage
Rearranging toys and perches in the cage will give it a new look. Your budgie will get stressed because of the change in environment and be discouraged from laying eggs.
5. Reduce the Amount of Light
Limiting the budgie’s exposure to light daily to 8-10 hours will help stop egg laying. This is because budgies breed in the spring when the days are longer than the nights.
Covering the cage early in the evening will provide a quieter sleep time and reduce the period the budgie gets exposed to light.
6. Disruption of Routine
Not letting your budgie have a nest box or access to dark enclosed spaces when they start exhibiting budgie egg laying signs will help. Also, move the cage to a busy place in the room to discourage breeding.
7. Place Fake Budgie Eggs in the Cage
A female budgie will lay six eggs on average in a clutch, and she can feel and know that she has laid all the eggs. Adding fake eggs will stimulate the feeling that she has finished laying.
8. Giving Your Budgie a Hormone Shot
A hormone shot or an implant by your veterinarian will help switch off the hormones that drive the reproductive cycle.
Why is My Budgie Constantly Laying Eggs?
A budgie will likely lay eggs constantly when the environmental factors are favorable.
The following are some of the causes of constant laying of eggs in budgies:
1. Exposing your budgie to longer daylight hours leads to laying eggs.
2. Plenty of food will trigger egg laying as there is enough to feed young ones
3. Availability of nests
4. Removing the already laid eggs induces more laying.
5. Sexual stimulation resulting from contact can also increase the reproductive drive.
Can a Budgie Lay Too Many Eggs?
Yes, a budgie can lay too many eggs due to hormonal imbalances or if you keep removing the eggs from the nest.
Constant egg laying can lead to health problems due to its vast metabolic demands. A budgie can be depleted of vital nutrients, be malnourished, develop conditions such as seizures, be egg-bound, and even die.
So, is it normal for a budgie to lay 7 eggs?
Yes, it’s normal for a budgie to lay seven eggs. A female budgie can lay 4-8 eggs in a clutch. The number also applies to budgies laying for the first time.
How Often Should a Budgie Lay Eggs?
Budgies should be allowed two clutches a year with six months in between. This enables the budgie to regain the nutrients used in egg formation and heal from the strain of laying the eggs.
Do Budgies Lay Eggs Hurt?
Yes, laying eggs can hurt if the eggs are large. The budgie will have to strain to pass the egg, which sometimes results in blood stains on the egg, an indication that they have hurt themselves.
Why Does My Budgie Keep Laying Infertile Eggs?
Infertile eggs are not viable and cannot hatch into a chick. It is common to get an infertile egg in the nest, whether there is a male or not.
So, can a female budgie lay eggs without male? Yes, a female budgie can lay eggs without mating with a male. This is because egg production occurs regardless of mating.
However, if a male is present and your budgies are unable to get young ones, you will be frustrated if you want your pair to breed.
Why Does My Budgie Keep Laying Unfertilized Eggs?
Your budgie is laying unfertilized eggs due to the following reasons:
1. The absence of a male budgie renders female budgies incapable of asexual reproduction; hence, they cannot fertilize their eggs.
2. Your male budgie could be infertile, and his sperm cannot fertilize the eggs.
3. Sperm may fail to reach or fertilize the egg due to lack of experience if the budgies are young.
Therefore, since not every mating will result in a fertilized egg, how many times do budgies mate before laying eggs?
Budgies often repeat the mating behavior to increase the chances of successful breeding and can mate several times daily. After mating, a female budgie takes ten days to start laying eggs.
My Budgie Laid an Egg What Do I Do
If your budgie starts laying eggs, whether desirable or not, you must ensure that she has a conducive environment to lay her eggs.
You can do the following to help the bird:
1. Improve Her Diet
Egg formation can be taxing on your budgie. Providing nutritious food rich in vitamins and other minerals can be helpful. You should also provide plenty of fresh water for hydration.
2. Examine the Egg
When an egg has been laid, it should be examined to establish the general health of your budgie. An egg with a thin and soft shell indicates your budgie suffers from nutritional deficiency.
3. Do Not Remove the Eggs
The eggs should not be removed immediately after laying, as that will give the budgie the sense that she has not finished laying. Which can lead to chronic egg laying.
4. Monitoring Your Budgie For Illness
You should monitor your budgie for illnesses such as egg binding or chronic egg laying. These conditions are usually accompanied by health issues, which should receive immediate medical attention.
What to Do With Unwanted Budgie Eggs
1. You can break them and throw them away.
2. Put them in a freezer for 24 hours, boil them, and then return them to the budgie.
3. Substitute the eggs with fake budgie eggs to stop her from laying more.
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