Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Catherine Tobsing

Mary J. is concerned about her cockatiel,

 

Hi,

I was wondering if I could ask your advice? My cockatiel has laid 9 eggs in the past two months–no mate.   Do I need to be concerned enough to take her to the vet? It’s $185 a visit….thank you. She is healthy and happy and energetic as always.  

Thanks,

Mary and Kukla

 

Dear Mary

Is your bird’s cage in a dimly lit area? If so, that is likely encouraging her to lay eggs. If your bird is in a Playtop cage with a tray instructed above, remove it, forever.

 

We control our bird’s hormones with strong lighting placed on top of the cages. A strong daylight bulb mounted directly on top or within 6 inches on a timer set 12 hours on and 12 hours off daily, all year long makes a bird feel like it is in the summer in Australia. Birds don’t mate, build nests or lay eggs in the summer.

 

How Pet Bird Keepers Get the Lighting Thing Wrong

 

You may need to give your bird a light treatment to stop this egg-laying. If you are not already, you should get your bird on some Calcium daily too.

 

You would set the light up over the bird’s cage and leave the light on for 72 hours straight (3 days and nights) with the bird in the cage under the light. This will reset the Circadium Rythem in the bird’s brain and after 72 hours, the bird should abandon all interest in egg-laying.

 

 

Full Spectrum Economy Daylight Bulb with Clamp Light & Timer

 

We did this ourselves with our own prolific egg-laying cockatiel.

 

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

 

You also need to remove all eggs, nesting material, bedding, huts, and anything that the bird can use to nest on or hide under.

 

Especially when the light treatment is going on. 

 

Please take a look at the article and the Lighting Category then let me know if you have more questions.

Find All Our Bird Lighting Here

 

Thank you for this info.  She does sit by a window with light and she is rarely in a cage. I will review all this….thank you so much!!

 

Dear Mary

 

If you rely on a window for the light for her, it isn’t enough to keep hormones at bay. If you put up a light for her over her cage or her play area, you may find her start to spend more time there.

 

Of course, cockatiels LOVE windows. Ours does and we have to shoo him back to his cage or he would never eat.

 

Ok. I will def look into it! Can you recommend one for her? 

 

There are numerous options to check out in the bird cage lighting category.

 

Below are just a couple

• Economy Bulb One simple bulb to put in your own fixture (aiming down, no shade between the bulb and the bird)
• Bulb, fixture and timer combo
• Floor lamp
• Featherbrite swag lamp

 

Hello,

Thanks for the helpful info you sent. 

I would like to order the Full Spectrum floor lamp so that I will put it over her cage for three straight days in hopes she will stop laying eggs.  Do I need to purchase anything else?  Do I need to buy fake eggs as well?  (I threw out her eggs because she never paid them any attention.)

 

I did have her by a window about four hours a day and maybe that is what started the egg assembly line?  Lol. I don’t know but that’s my only thought. I have stopped the little massages I gave her but I can’t think of anything else. 

 

When I set up the lamp how much above the top of the cage should it be?  I don’t want to “burn” her.

 

Thanks so much. You are the best. Thanks!  

Mary and Kukla