My lovebird keeps laying eggs. Is this normal? What should I do?

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.

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 Peaches is laying eggs frequently and you don't want her to, then simply removing any nesting material can help prevent her from doing so. If she continues to lay eggs, you can just remove any laid eggs and make sure she has an extra calcium supplement in addition to a balanced diet to prevent egg binding. Egg food or cuttlebone can both be used to help supplement calcium. Covering at night greatly depends on your own sleep schedule. I've never hard of a set "hours of sleep" lovebirds need, but covering the cage at night when it gets dark, and removing the cover in the morning when you wake up should be fine and help ensure Peaches gets peaceful rest.

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.

A single female will lay eggs even without a male as you've discovered. It should not harm her. Consider leaving the egg in the cage until she loses interest in it. Removing it too soon may trigger more egglaying. Offer a pelleted diet, fortified seed mix and a cuttlebone or mineral block to ensure she has adequate amounts of calcium in her diet.

Removing the nest and current eggs won't replenish any currently lost calcium, but it may discourage Phoebe from laying more. If she doesn't have a mate, the eggs aren't viable and should be removed anyway. If you suspect she may lay more eggs, adding in a calcium supplement such as oyster shells or a cuttlebone (you can also use cooked eggfood, there are lots of recipes online) can help replenish calcium in addition to feeding her regular diet.

Laying so many clutches of eggs and raising that many chicks can be taxing on a bird. Ideally, a breeding hen should have no more than two clutches per calendar year. Remove the remaining chicks from the cage if they are eating on their own. Remove the nesting box as well. Separate the male and female. Drop room temperature by a few degrees and gradually limit her amount of daylight she is getting. This may get her out of "breeding mode" and stop her egg laying. She should be seen by an experienced avian veterinarian to make sure the inflammation around her vent is not infection.