Why Does My Cockatiel Keep Laying Eggs? (How to Stop Chronic Egg Laying) 


A cockatiel is a small bird capable of mimicking sounds and talking some of the words it usually hears from people who are near or friendly. A cockatiel is friendly, loving, and social with the people living with them and can spend time hanging outside with them. You can become friends with your cockatiel by providing a portion of food and caring for it. You must also show love, spend time with it, and communicate with it for it to trust you.

It is normal for cockatiels to lay so many eggs, so you should not be stressed. A cockatiel can lay a maximum of four eggs daily until all eggs have been laid. Even if a cockatiel lays too many eggs, the probability of hatching is around 85-90%. You will not be required to candle the eggs since the cockatiel sits on them.

There are many reasons why your cockatiel keeps laying eggs. Below are the seven reasons you should consider:

1. Availability of a Male

The female cockatiel will keep laying eggs when there is a male cockatiel since they will mate every time, encouraging her to keep laying other eggs.

To avoid this, keep her away from the male cockatiel when she lays the eggs.

2. Source of Light

Sunlight is another factor contributing to the egg production of your female cockatiel. When your cockatiel nest receives direct sunlight for more than 12 hours, it will make her remain in the nest box and lay more eggs.

Keeping her cage away and decreasing the time of sunlight will discourage your cockatiel from laying many eggs.

3. Collection of Eggs

When you keep removing the eggs once they’ve been laid, you encourage your cockatiel to continue laying more eggs.

The eggs that have been removed must be kept warm and returned when the cockatiel is ready to hatch.

Removing eggs while the cockatiel is still spreading will make the cockatiel have more feelings of having eggs, so it will reproduce more until it feels okay.

To avoid this, never remove the eggs as the cockatiel lays them

4. Diet

Overfeeding your cockatiel with a balanced diet will increase the cockatiel’s productivity, leading her to keep on laying eggs.

When you provide food containing more nutrients, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals, your cockatiel will keep laying more eggs. These will also support your cockatiel’s body function and health.

To avoid this, give your cockatiel little food to discourage her from laying many eggs.

5. Water

A regular supply of fresh water will lead to an increase in the egg production of your cockatiel. You will decrease her egg production when you fail to provide enough clean water.

6. Environmental

The environment is an essential factor to be considered. When you provide an excellent-condition nesting box, it will encourage the cockatiel to keep on laying more eggs than usual.

When you keep cleaning the nest or laying box and avoid overcrowding if there is more than one egg, she will feel comfortable and keep laying eggs.

7. Breeding Your Cockatiel

There are many breeds of cockatiels, including cockatiels for egg production, meat production, and petting at home. For egg production breeding, it will keep laying eggs until it reaches maturity. It will keep laying eggs even without mating unless you discourage it by meeting different factors, such as removing the nest, among others.

Can a Cockatiel Lay 9 Eggs? 

Yes. A cockatiel can lay nine eggs or even more. Normally, a cockatiel can lay a maximum of 9-25 eggs. Some cockatiels can hatch all the eggs they lay, while others can only hatch about 80% of the eggs they lay.

Some eggs may not be hatched because the cockatiel laid many eggs, making it impossible to sit on them all. As a result the eggs will become so cool, leading to unhatched eggs. 

My Cockatiel Laid An Egg. What Do I Do? 

Are you wondering what to do when your cockatiel lays eggs? When your cockatiel laid an egg, the best thing to do is to just leave the egg in the nest or the cage. When the cockatiel continue laying more eggs, prepare a good place where the eggs will be safe, and where the cockatiel will not be interfered with during the laying process.

The nest should be big enough for the cockatiel to be comfortable while laying and to avoid the eggs being intact to one another or falling out of the nest.

What to Do If Cockatiel Will Not Stop Laying Eggs

You can use many methods to discourage your cockatiel from laying eggs. Below are the best five methods:

1. Remove the nest

2. Reduce the amount of food

3. Keep your bird too busy.

4. Plucking of the back feathers

5. Increasing the number of hours of darkness at the nest.

How Long Do Cockatiels Sit on Eggs? 

Once your cockatiel is done laying eggs, the next thing is to hatch the eggs. At this stage, many cockatiels owners are having a lot of questions for instance, How long should I let my cockatiel sit on her eggs? 

You should let your cockatiel sits on eggs for approximately three weeks after the laying process ends.

When the mating is successful, the male sperm lasts about 15 days for fertilization. The hatching process will begin after the 21st day of sitting on eggs and will last about five days, depending on the number of eggs laid.

How Many Eggs Can a Cockatiel Lay in a Day?

A cockatiel can lay around two to four eggs in a day, depending on the breed, the type of food, and the amount of food you provide. When fed a balanced diet and enough food, your cockatiel may lay up to four eggs daily.

How many times can a female cockatiel lay eggs?

Female cockatiels can lay eggs 2-4 times per day. It usually lays eggs one after another; it can’t lay two eggs simultaneously.

Can My Cockatiel Lay Eggs Without Mating? 

Yes. A cockatiel can lay eggs without mating, mainly after she reaches maturity. When a cockatiel lays eggs without a male, it will lay unfertilized eggs, so they will not hatch into young ones even when incubated.

The egg-laying behavior should only be encouraged when there is a male cockatiel for mating.

So, what do you do when a cockatiel lays an unfertilized egg? When your cockatiel is laying unfertile eggs, you need to look for a male cockatiel for mating.

You will also need to remove all unfertile eggs from the cage or nest because when you leave them, they will lay other eggs, which can cause a mineral deficiency.

When should I remove my infertile cockatiel eggs?

You should remove the infertile eggs before the cockatiel lays the other egg. Removing the egg will cause your cockatiel to stop laying eggs while you look for a male cockatiel to breed with. Keeping the eggs away from the female cockatiel discourages her from laying eggs.

Does It Hurt Cockatiels to Lay Eggs? 

Yes. When a cockatiel lays an egg, it hurts and she feels pain. You will know it hurts because of some signs she shows, including a gasping voice, wheezing, and the availability of blood from the vent.

These symptoms are most common in small cockatiels; larger ones feel pain but do not exhibit physical symptoms.

Additionally, check for any signs of egg binding in your cockatiels

What Do Cockatiels Eat After Laying Eggs?

There are numerous types of the best food to feed your cockatiel after it has laid eggs. The foods include chopped vegetables, grains, chopped fruits, cooked leafy greens, and multi-grain bread. These will provide your cockatiel with proteins and calcium.

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