My 6-month-old cockatiel laid an egg. Will she use the nest box?

Thanks for reaching out about your cockatiel. If she has laid eggs in a nest, allowing her to incubate the eggs will most likely result in a favorable result. Incubation is around 16-21 days, after she starts sitting on the eggs. Handrearing new hatches is difficult and should be left to experienced bird handlers, as they easily aspiration, are subjected to chills or overheating. Allow the mother to care for them. If you want to incubate and rear yourself, you will need to purchase an incubator and brooder, suitable for cockatiels. The recommendation is to allow the hen to raise them. After fledging, you can start to handle the babies to allow acclimation to humans. Good luck.

It may be that the egg was actually pushed out of the box as it is not viable. If they will not let you in the box (where there may be other eggs), or the egg is not viable, you can simply remove it. Otherwise, waiting until night when both birds are calmer and quiet may give you a chance to place the egg into the nest.

That can be normal, yes. You can check the eggs when they are not sitting on them to see if they are viable - eggs that are fertile usually start off very translucent and then become more opaque (darker/more solid color) as the embryo develops inside. (12 days should be enough to see this change.) If the eggs don't seem viable, or the parents stop sitting on them, they can be removed. If they aren't hatched after 3-4 weeks, they are likely not viable and should be discarded. Make sure you offer an extra source of calcium for your female in the form of eggfood or a cuttlebone. This can help replenish the calcium that was used in making eggs and prevent egg-binding (an egg getting stuck) if she decides to lay more.

You can remove it or leave it in there for a few days. Some birds may be broody at first and she may not want you to take the egg. It won’t hurt her to lay in it for a couple days. All female birds will lay eggs even if there is not a male present. These eggs are not fertilized so throwing them away is fine. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is normal for captive birds to keep breeding even if they'd already laid a clutch, however if the male is harassing the female to the point where she's unable to lay on the eggs properly, or she seems stressed out, then separating them may be a good idea. If they seem OK, are eating and drinking normally, active, and able to sit on the eggs properly, then I would just keep an eye on them. it is a good idea to have some baby bird food and a syringe on hand in case the parents are unable to care for the babies. Young parents especially may have a harder time caring for their young, so stepping in with help may be needed.

As long as the birds are not fighting to the point of drawing blood it should be OK. Distracting them with toys can also help redirect the behavior. It would be hard to say if they are going to lay eggs, but making sure both birds have a balanced diet and the female has some extra calcium can help ensure any laid eggs are healthy. If they are fighting to the point of drawing blood or not getting along at all, separating them temporarily may help.

One egg is unusual but fine as long as she isn't showing any symptoms of being egg bound. Symptoms include lethargy, loss of appetite, swollen abdomen, sitting at the bottom of the cage, feather puffed out and straining to lay. Be sure she has access to a fortified seed mix, pelleted food and a calcium supplement.