What Do You Do When a Cockatiel Ignores Her Eggs?

Female cockatiels have a tendency to lay eggs, regardless of whether or not they have a mate. A mother hen who abandons unfertilized eggs is nothing to worry about. If, however, your hen appears to be ignoring her fertile eggs, you should watch her closely to be certain. Some parental behaviors are normal and can appear as rejection at first glance. If your cockatiel has truly abandoned her eggs, you'll need to take action to prevent the embryos from dying.

  1. Nest Box

    • Breeding cockatiels should be provided with a nest box in which the hen can lay her eggs and tend to them. Without a nest box, your female cockatiel might lay her eggs on the floor of the cage, where it's easy for her to forget them. If this happens, introduce a nest box into the cage and gently move the eggs into it. If she won't accept it readily, hang a strip of millet seed inside the entrance to coax her into the nest.

    Egg Turning

    • It's normal for cockatiels to ignore the first of their eggs until they are finished laying a whole clutch, which usually consists of anywhere from two to eight eggs. This allows them to start warming all the eggs together so that they all hatch at around the same time. Fertilized eggs can stay viable for up to a week if they're turned regularly to help regulate temperature and prevent the embryo from attaching to one side of the shell. If the parents aren't turning the eggs, you'll need to do it for them by turning the eggs once every hour during the day.

    Rejected Eggs

    • If it's clear that the mother has abandoned her eggs, they'll need alternative incubation. If you have another cockatiel hen, you can attempt to get her to foster them; otherwise they'll need to be placed in an incubator. You can tell whether or not an egg has a viable embryo by candling them beginning five days after the start of nesting or incubation. Hold a bright light over the eggs and examine the shell and contents. A fertilized egg should have a red, spider-like appearance, with a dark spot in the center. You'll also be able to see veins developing.

    Unfertilized Eggs

    • If your cockatiel has laid unfertilized eggs, it's important that you don't remove them until the nesting period ends, or she has clearly abandoned them. Removing eggs from a nesting cockatiel, even if there's no chance that they'll hatch, will cause her to lay new eggs to replace the ones she lost, which can lead to chronic egg laying. Once your cockatiel stops showing interest in her unfertilized eggs, they can be safely removed and discarded.