A Cockatiel Egg Omelet?
By Sue H.
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
Santa Fe, New Mexico
September 20, 2016 8:37am CST
Last night there was a slight tragedy. When I went to cover the cockatiel cage, I knocked a big pineapple foraging toy down in the cage and it fell right on Annie's five eggs. They broke.
Let me explain a little. I am not breeding Annie and her eggs are infertile of course, she has no mate. She has gotten to laying too many clutches of eggs, which I'm trying to discourage. Nothing I've tried, like using the phony craft eggs has discouraged her. So I was going to let her finish laying this clutch before removing the eggs. It's not long till winter, so hopefully she'll stop laying for awhile.
My question to you is: what interesting things can you think of to do with cockatiel eggs?
For those of you who have had lone cockatiel or parrot females, do you have tips for discouraging the egg laying?
15 people like this
18 responses
@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
20 Sep 16
I sent you a link with some information that may be of help, if you haven't already tried them.
4 people like this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
Thanks so much. I'll try anything. I know I'm supposed to be making her less comfortable, lol. But I hate that
3 people like this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
@Happy2BeMe Now it's drawing close to winter, so she won't be so driven to do this. But for next spring, I'm going to move her to another room and cover her longer at night. Try to spend more time training and less cuddling. It's hard because she's so sweet and loves to cuddle. The trouble is they begin to think of you as a mate.
3 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
20 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl So must be so difficult. I hope that you can figure out a way soon to make things easier for both you and you her.
3 people like this
@skysnap (20154)
•
20 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl oh no lol.. the i have two parakeets and one of them lays eggs but often doesn't plan on hatching it.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
@skysnap I figured you didn't mean that LOL. Annie has no mate, I don't want to deal with cockatiel babies.
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
Come back if you think of something, heh heh
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
I was joking, I wouldn't eat them. I bet some people would, though.
3 people like this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
@LadyDuck maybe we all would if we were really hungry lol
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (458006)
• Switzerland
20 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl I am sure that some people would, but thought you were joking.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
She did have a mate and some babies before I owned her. She probably has that stored in her little birdie brain somewhere.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
@5thHouse I got her from a really nice lady, a teacher who'd had her in her classroom. But the teacher was moving to China and was having a very busy life. She didn't feel she was the right person for pets any longer. So I was very lucky to get such a sweet bird.
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl My parakeet lived by himself. So I never had to deal with mating, eggs, etc.
1 person likes this
@5thHouse (1678)
• Sheffield, England
20 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl That makes sense. I can see why you need to prevent it now. I had heard of egg binding actually in the context of budgies! Sounds like Annie is lucky to have such a responsible, caring owner
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
20 Sep 16
I suppose it is her hormones. No harm done, one way or another.
2 people like this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
She has calcium sources, and I am giving her birdie vitamins. The harm can be done if they have trouble passing the eggs or if too many of their nutrients are sucked.
2 people like this
@marguicha (215389)
• Chile
20 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl I thought it was easier to have a bird pet
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
Apparently you are not alone. I thought people might want to blow out the centers and paint them or something. Seems a shame for eggs to go to waste, lol
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79699)
• United States
20 Sep 16
I didn't realize that a cockatiel would lay eggs without a mate. Interesting little tidbit of info you shared
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Sep 16
My friends have three cockatiels. I'll ask them if anything has worked. Romeo is my music buddy, and my friends used to raise his wife's babies (you can guess her name) to a certain point and then then donate them to a local pet store in exchange for credit. But they stopped for some reason. Their other cockatiel, Nemo, was declared male until he started laying unfertilized eggs (he lives in his own cage). We've often joked abut more omelettes, but I think they just toss them. Poor Nemo.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
21 Sep 16
Yep I'd had my first cockatiel three years and called it "he" until "he" laid an egg. She only had three in the eleven years she lived with me.But cockatiels are so affectionate, and they begin to think you are their mate. Annie probably thinks she's presenting her husband (me) with a great gift, lol
2 people like this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
21 Sep 16
@TheHorse a BUNNY? I got small birds and lizards, no kitty ever brought me a wabbit
@TheHorse (205696)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl Reminds me of when the barn kitties (I fed them all the time and petted them 'till they purred) presented me with a baby bunny they'd caught.
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
21 Sep 16
She didn't seem to be. I was afraid she'd turn around and want to replace them right away, that's the instinct in a mama bird. But she wasn't restless today like she usually is if she's about to lay. I was sad when it happened though, which is funny considering they were not living things lol. She was just sitting on them so sweetly and some pineapple comes crashing down to harsh her mellow. I'm glad she wasn't hurt.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
21 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl I'm glad she wasn't hurt, too. I know how you felt. I would have felt a bit sad, too, even though. Well as long as she's not hurt and not sad, I'm sure things will be just fine!
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
20 Sep 16
I didn't know that bird pets lay eggs...silly of me I suppose.
2 people like this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
21 Sep 16
It's just not something you thought about because you don't have one
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (58134)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
20 Sep 16
I would think once the weather starts to cool down that will help a lot in discouraging her.
1 person likes this
@CinnamonGrl (7083)
• Santa Fe, New Mexico
20 Sep 16
Right. I got her in October and she didn't lay any till spring.
@thislittlepennyearns (58134)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
20 Sep 16
@CinnamonGrl well then hopefully you only have a couple of weeks of this left and then won't have to deal with it. How often does she lay a clutch?
@shaggin (71664)
• United States
28 Nov 17
Oh goodness I guess I am glad I have a male parrot so I don't have to worry over these eggs. I didn't realize they lay them like chickens do without a mate.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
21 Sep 16
Sorry, I am a dog woman not a bird woman!! No eggs here. lol
1 person likes this
