Female cockatiel 4 years old but never laid eggs... Should I be concerned?

Question

My female cockatiel is about 4 years old. Is she sexually mature enough to lay eggs?
If not, does anyone know about what year that cockatiels should start laying eggs?

She does have a male in the cage with her by the way.

Yes, she's a female and the male is a male. At least that's what the vet told me.

Answer 1

sounds like a male d00d

Answer 2

Obviously the first thing that you need to do is take it to a vet. And make it an Avian Certified Vet. IF your first vet just sexed it by sight when it was young, it still could have been a male. Young males display female coloration. It is possible that its a male, and therefore will not lay eggs.

If you are still sure its a female, have a vet do a thorough test. A Four year old females is plenty mature to lay eggs. Most birds start when they are 1 year. With or without a male. Another factor is lighting. In order for the female birds to lay eggs, they need to have more than 10 hours of daylight a day.

My gut though is telling me that you have a male cockatiel.

Answer 3

People saying that female cockatiels need a male around to lay eggs are, in fact, dead wrong. I have lived with cockatiels for seventeen years. My previous cockatiel, a female, was a regular egg-layer and there was no male cockatiel in the house -- they lay year round. She died last year from egg-binding, a serious condition that can result from an egg (or eggs, in her case) not being able to be expelled from their bodies.

Your cockatiel may be a male -- are you 100% sure it's a female? Have you done DNA testing? If it's a female, well, it's actually good that she's not laying. Responsible cockatiel owners take a great many precautions to try to keep their birds from laying, since it can be so taxing on their health and occaisionally even fatal.

Answer 4

Let me ask, do you have a male for it?

Are you sure is a male and a female?

If you answer both yes, then follow this.

You need a big cage, then a good nesting or a madding bird house. A bird does not lay eggs if it doesn't have a place where to lay them. So they cannot start sitting in their chest to start developing the sperm that the male has injected the female.

See, female birds without a male can lay eggs if they have a nesting place, but their eggs will be empty cause no sperm is in it.

If you have nesting for them and that is not working, then the bird has a problem, check a vet and they can find the problem on the bird. It could be poor eating, or lack of vitamins.

Answer 5

Most Cockatiels are sexually mature at 6 months of age. However, since laying eggs can deplete calcium levels, it is suggested to wait until the hen is over 12 months of age. I have had Cockatiels lay eggs well before they reach one year. They were not set up for breeding, however were in flight cages of mixed genders. Males were courting them, so the hen's hormones went into laying mode.

Some bloodlines of Cockatiels mature more slowly than others. Those lines typically wait until 2-3 years of age before becoming interested in breeding and/or laying. Some of my hens would not even solicit the males' attention until they passed their second year.

Another thing to realize is that environmental and dietary conditions factor into a Cockatiel's desire to procreate. In their natural habitat, they need the right amount of light, the right amount of rain, and the right amount of freshly sprouting seeds/plants. They also need to feel safe & secure, basically unthreatened in their home, their nesting place.

There are some Cockatiels whose reproductive organs never fully develop. There could be many reasons: malnutrition, genetics, etc. A Vet can do an x-ray to tell you that. If you do not desire to breed your female Cockatiel, I would not put her throught the stress of an x-ray. Anesthesia can be very deadly to birds, especially the smaller species.

Even though housed with a male Cockatiel, your female may be more interested in you than her man. If you have not seen the Cockatiels mating, and have not given them a nestbox, I would not look for eggs. If you do want them to breed, you should take them to your Vet to be sure they are both healthy and ready to breed. If they check out okay and you REALLY want to produce and handfeed baby Cockatiels, you will need to give the pair a nest box, give them more daylight hours, give the hen a cuttle bone for calcium, give them more fresh foods, give them more baths and increase their vitamin E (give them untoasted, 100% whole wheat bread, about a 1 inch square each day).

Be SURE you know how to handfeed babies, even day ones. Be prepared to deal with yeast in the babies. Be sure to have supplies ready and make some GOOD birdie friends who can talk you through trying times.

In the meantime, search the net and find a local Cockatiel Club.

Answer 6

Not all females lay eggs. Going to the nest is a choice they make, and conditions must be right for your female to make her want to lay eggs. Do you have a nesting box? Is the cage large enough. how much time do you spend handling them. The less human contact a bird has the more likely it is to breed with it's mate. If you do want them to breed, make sure the cage is roomy, they have a nesting box, you don't constantly handle them, and they are in a place where you often aren't. If they are just pets, don't worry about it. Some females will never decide to lay eggs becuse the need/desire never arises in her.

If you are waiting for her to go to nest, be patient...only she will decide when she is ready. Make sure they have plently of food and water (they may not have babies if they feel the wont be able to provide the food for it). Patience is the most important thing.

Answer 7

It took my cockatiel 11 years to do so. She's never had a mate. Does yours have a mate? If so, maybe you might want to get your bird checked out by a vet. Egg binding could be a possibility. The only way you can get an answer to your question is by talking to a vet.

Answer 8

At four years of age, your cockatiel is old enough to lay eggs, but she can't do it by herself. Is there a male cockatiel on the horizon?

Answer 9

i dont know about the age limit or when a chicken is mature but i would wait a while onger, plus if she is and laid eggs before than you shourl be worried because chickens can only lay so much eggs

Answer 10

it may take her up to 6 years for her to lay an egg. mine is 2 and a half and no eggs yet.

Answer 11

Beleive it or not the males voice causes her to ovulate. If there is no "boyfriend" around she will never lay an egg.