Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Catherine Tobsing

Cindy W. wrote:

HI. Our female parakeet lays eggs constantly.

She is next to our male parakeet in a separate cage.

We don’t want to lose her. We don’t know how to prevent her from laying unfertilized eggs. Help, please.

Catherine responded,

As you have found out, having a male and a female bird separated do not keep eggs from being produced.

Hormone levels rise due to many factors, having a male nearby to flirt with the female, an abundance of food 24 hours a day, and not enough quality lighting daily.

How is the lighting over your budgie’s cages?

A bright daylight or full spectrum bulb mounted directly over the top of EACH cage set on a timer 12 hours on and 12 hours off will help keep the birds feeling like it is summer in Australia and has no thoughts of mating or egg laying.

Also, at this point, the hen needs to stop laying and her brain has to be reset.

To do this a Light Treatment should help. The lights that need to be over the bird’s cages will now be left on for a solid 72 hours (3 days and nights).

This will reset the circadian rhythm that is set by the pineal gland in the brain and it is affected by light through the eyes.

After 72 hours, it is reset.

In severe cases, treatment up to a week (7 days) can be done.

And yes, you can treat both budgies at the same time.

 

Thank you so much. I have been giving her extra calcium.

I am so afraid we are going to lose her. We tried separating them into different rooms, but they both freaked out.

To recap

No reason to separate them into different rooms, they will not be happy.

But do the lighting and light treatment so she stops the egg laying.

You can aquire an Economy Clamp on lamp and bulb set with timer here.

I Want My Freakin Bird Back but She’s Held Hostage by Her Eggs

Also, if you have not yet, you need to get calcium into the female. A cuttlebone is good, but not enough. Nekton Calcium Plus or another calcium product needs to be added to the water and sprinkled on all soft foods. 

Please get back to me if you have more questions.

Catherine