Is my lovebird a chronic egg layer? When should I cover her cage?

That is a lot of eggs and very spread out for a viable clutch. If none of the early ones have hatched they are likely not viable and should be removed from the nest. If you are not looking to breed or raise babies, removing the nest can help prevent additional egg laying. Make sure you are also providing a calcium supplement in addition to Peaches' regular food to help replenish the nutrients from laying so many eggs!

Thanks for reaching out about Peaches. Most parrots lay eggs every 2 days to a certain clutch size (which can vary). So if laying an egg every other day for 4 eggs, that can be normal. If you removed the eggs after each one is posited, that can stimulate more egg laying. Laying this many eggs can be a problems if nutrition is poor as eggs require large amounts of calcium and other nutrients to form, and need to be replaced in the diet. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Peaches. Does the diet normally include any calcium sources, such as green vegetables? Calcium supplements do need to be kept within reason, as oversupplementation can lead to calcification of kidneys. Are the eggs soft? Photoperiod manipulation, removing nests, separating from mates, can all help to reduce egg laying. A veterinary visit is recommended as some hormones might help. Good luck.

It is possible the stress of chronic egg laying may be affecting her appearance and feathers. Remove any nesting boxes in the cage. If she's laying in the seed bowl, use a smaller container that she cannot sit in. Limit Camille's exposure to daylight to 8 hours or less. Use a dark cage cover or sheet to block light if necessary. Use a calcium fortified seed mix. Leave the fake eggs in the cage for at least 4 weeks.

Cuttlebone should be fine to give as most birds will self-limit when chewing on it, and if she is actively laying eggs it will help ensure she has enough calcium to form and safely lay them. She should be fine with only the cuttlebone and a balanced lovebird diet without needing to add additional calcium supplements. A lot of the controversy comes with grit style calcium supplements, which can sometimes cause obstructions in the crop. If you do not wish to have her lay eggs, removing any nesting material can help stop this behavior. Otherwise, just removing any eggs that are laid is fine. Respiratory disease usually will present with signs and symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, discharge from the nose, lethargy, heavy breathing, etc. If you suspect this is a problem, first ensuring the cage is kept clean, well-ventilated and that any bedding isn't kicking up dust is best, as well as scheduling a veterinary exam to rule out any other health issues.

Typical clutch size for lovebirds is 4 to 6 eggs. The hen will lay one egg every 48 hours until the full clutch is laid. The incubation period is 21 to 24 days. If you don't have a male lovebird, the eggs will be infertile. Remove them after 3-4 weeks or when the hen abandons the nest. Feed a fortified diet with extra calcium which can be depleted from egg laying.

If the eggs are infertile, allow her to sit on them until she loses interest. This could take 3-4 weeks. Taking them out any sooner may cause her to lay more. Most birds are naturally protective of their nests and eggs. Limit her exposure to sunlight. Use a cage cover if necessary. You can make the room her cage is in a few degrees cooler if possible also. Do not rub her beak, back or around her tail for a few weeks. This can mimic mating behavior. When she bites, stop interaction immediately and wait until she settles down. Prise and reward good behavior.