Why are my cockatiel's eggs unfertile despite observed mating?

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.

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.

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.

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, water, dark green leafy vegetables and other soft foods. Attach a cockatiel-size nest box outside of the cage to allow the forthcoming chicks the space they need when they finally fledge the nest and perch inside the cage. Although some pairs act as if their cage is a nest box, especially if it is covered a lot of the time, most cockatiels prefer a natural nest box in which to reproduce. The fact that you allowed your cockatiels freedom to fly outside the cage on a daily basis is important, because it allows them to build up stamina for the breeding season and it improves the hens muscle tone for important egg-laying muscles to successfully lay eggs and prevent egg-binding. Link provided: http://www.birdchannel.com/bird-breeders/bird-experts/linda-rubin/successful-cockatiel-breeding-advice.aspx

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.

Yes, female birds can lay eggs without a male around but they will not be viable so should be removed. Males can mate with males, but if you suspect you have a male, and a female, and they've mated and laid eggs, then you probably have a pair (and at least one female). If the eggs haven't hatched in three weeks they are likely not viable and should be removed.

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.