I have 2 male and 2 female cockateels in a big cage outside. The one female laid 3 eggs, today when i went and checked, there was 2. Could it be that the others, or even her, are eating the eggs? The one egg has a small hole in? The cockateels were inside the house in a cage, and are very tame. The love it outside, so I don't think that it could be stress related?
2006-11-30 01:16:33 · 4 answers · asked by shakira 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
Any bird may eat any egg but it isn't common among 'teels. If they are outside, even in a good aviary, I'd first suspect a rodent and guard against that carefully. You may also try to bake some egg shell from a chicken egg and put that in with their food in case one of them is calcium deficient and an egg eater. You may also want to remove those that aren't laying. The hen will prduse fertile eggs for over a week without the male present. Good luck.
2006-11-30 01:42:55 · answer #1 · answered by Nightstalker1967 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you know who is doing it? Find out who it is, and separate them. If it turns out to be the mother then take the eggs away and incubate them yourself. Where are they laying them? In a nest box or on the cage floor? I've had them peck and destroy eggs on the cage bottom but in a nest box the female will sit until all hope is gone, they can tell if the egg is no good and both will get rid of it, throw it out of the box. Have they ever hatched any before? I've had more than one pair in cage and the dominate or wanna be female would attack and break the others eggs? Good Luck with this!~:>=
2006-11-30 12:15:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes birds know when thier eggs are not fertile and will eat them to dispose of them. Maybe that was the case with that particular egg?
2006-11-30 09:20:35 · answer #3 · answered by lunar_flame 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, my birds eat their eggs all the time. I was told by the vet that they do this because they instinctively know the eggs weren't fertile.
2006-11-30 13:33:21 · answer #4 · answered by Lilly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋