July 8, 2024, 2:28 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Budgerigars, canaries, and parrots are known for their colorful feathers and distinctive social behavior. However, there is another characteristic that surprises pet bird owners and sets them apart from other pets: they lay eggs. PETBOOK explains when and why female pet birds lay unfertilized eggs.
The laying of eggs is a fascinating biological process that is influenced by various factors. To prevent uncontrolled reproduction and offspring (which may be difficult to care for), many bird lovers only keep birds of one sex together. So the surprise is even greater when you find an egg in the cage or aviary! Chickens have been bred to lay an unfertilized egg almost every day. Even in pet keeping, there is a wide variety of situations where a female lays unfertilized eggs. This can happen, especially with female parakeets and canaries that are kept alone. However, female pet birds that live in a partnership can also lay unfertilized eggs.
Overview
What is the normal breeding behavior of pet birds?
If males and females are kept together, the female begins to lay an egg every one to two weeks after mating. This is followed by others. In songbirds and budgerigars, there are usually four to six eggs. In parrots such as cockatoos, there are two to four. Loris, on the other hand, only have one or two eggs in their clutch. They need a temperature of 37 to 39 degrees Celsius (98,6 to 102,2 Fahrenheit) to develop an embryo.
When the eggs are x-rayed, red threads can be seen after just a few days. The inside of the egg also becomes darker and darker as it develops. If the egg remains clear, it is unfertilized. Has the embryo died, the egg becomes discolored. If the egg is fertilized, the incubation period lasts between 11 and 30 days, depending on the size, order, and family of the bird. If the air pressure is low, the time until hatching can also be longer.
What conditions promote egg production in pet birds?
To lay eggs, some ornamental birds require a dark cave. This is the case with budgerigars, which are cavity breeders and therefore always need a dark cavity or nesting box to produce eggs. This is necessary so that their hormone balance can adjust to their offspring. Canaries, on the other hand, are nest-breeders and build suitable nests on high perches. But even if there is no nesting box or brood cave available, they sometimes look for other places to lay their eggs.
A niche in a shelf, a spot behind a cupboard or a long cork tube in the aviary can encourage the hen to lay eggs. Too much daylight or light from special lamps can also encourage the hen to breed. High-protein feed such as millet, egg and germ feed, cocksfoot mixtures and treats from specialist pet stores can also encourage the hen to breed.
Should owners prevent their pet birds from laying eggs?
Even if you don’t want budgerigars to have offspring, you can keep pairs together. The important thing is to prevent breeding. Blogger and budgie expert Wencke Sabrina Schacht points this out. That’s what matters: Bird owners should not put up nesting boxes and prevent the birds from looking for alternatives in bookshelves, cupboards or dark corners in the room.
If the birds do manage to lay eggs somewhere, in open drawers, for example, Lea Schmitz, spokesperson for the German Animal Welfare Association, advises replacing them with artificial eggs.
This is because frequent egg-laying leads to a severe depletion of the mineral balance or calcium deficiency in the long term. It is therefore important to prevent birds from laying eggs. However, veterinarians consider sterilization, castration or hormonal treatments to be very risky for birds. If you discover an egg in a cage, aviary, or corner of your home, you may want to remove it immediately. However, this may only encourage the female bird to lay more eggs.
How to reduce laying pressure
However, there are a few strategies, that when implemented, can cause birds to lay fewer or no eggs. One option is that you keep the birds in same-sex partnerships, in which case they will generally not lay any eggs. However, you should make sure you find out which bird species this is possible with. You should also remove any nesting material from the birds’ reach.
Artificial eggs in the clutch can also reduce the laying pressure once an egg has been laid. The ornamental bird can incubate the clutch and is not bothered if no chicks hatch from the eggs. You should therefore always replace a removed egg with an artificial egg, using the size of the original egg as a guide. However, if you know for sure that it is an unfertilized egg, you can leave it for 18 to 21 days until the hen loses interest.
Boil or replace ornamental bird eggs
“Leave the replacement eggs in the nest for as long as the hen is incubating”, advises the Animal Welfare Association. It does not matter to the bird if no young hatch. This happens also in nature. If the mother bird stops breeding, the fake clutch should be removed.
However, as the bird embryo develops quickly, the replacement should take place as soon as possible. Eggs that bird owners wish to replace with artificial eggs should not be older than 24 hours. Instead of artificial eggs, budgerigar eggs that have been removed and boiled immediately after laying, can also be used.
With material from dpa
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