Why do keets lay eggs even when they are not with a male?

Question

My keet lays eggs all of the time but she never incubates them, or pay them any attention. Even when she was in the cage with my male, her eggs were still duds!!

Answer 1

There is a stimuli in the environment that is making her believe it's mating season. Some people may tell you to get a male (again) or get a brooding/nesting box. Do not do this. It only encourages her grumpy mating behaviour which is not pleasant for you, having to deal with it, or for her, having to lay eggs (very stressful on her body) and sit on them only to realize a month later she's wasted her energy on eggs that didn't hatch. And if ever a male does fertilize the eggs and by chance, they do hatch for whatever reason, the parents are absolutely exhausted by caring for the chicks.

The best way to deal with this is cover her cage in darkness for at least 12 hours a night and those 12 hours need to be totally silent. Monitor her food intake. Give her only the amount of food you know she will eat because knowing there's extra will suggest there's enough to feed babies. If she still appears hungry, you'll know she eats a bit more. If there's some left over, you'll know she eats a bit less. Re-arrange her cage totally. Even move it to a different room, but change everything within it too. Get new toys and new perches and swap them for every single thing in her cage right now. If her environment is unstable and changing, she won't want to have young living in these conditions in their early hatchlinghood. If you're petting her anywhere but on the head, stop. Petting on the belly, back, tail, and under the wings are especially important places to avoid touching. This stimulates her in the way a mate would and makes her think to lay more eggs again. Don't give her any places to hide or nest in her cage and avoid letting her near nesting material. If she has paper lining the bottom of her cage without a barrier between it and her, get a grate and put down so she can't reach the paper.

If she is consistently laying eggs over a prolonged period of time, her calcium levels will be very low - maybe even dangerously low at one point, but that's for an avian vet to determine. I suggest you take her to see a certified avian vet (not your average cat/dog vet - http://aav.org/vet-lookup ) and see what they can suggest if this ever becomes a problem. The above suggestions I gave are to minimize mating season triggers, and they've worked for my four hens. If she lays more and more eggs, her body becomes more and more exhausted, tapping out many important nutritional resources she needs for herself much more than she needs for some dead eggs.

To counteract the calcium loss of laying eggs, feed her some leafy greens. Romaine lettuce, broccoli, spinach, and kale are fantastic, but be careful with spinach and kale. They have so much calcium that too much will bind calcium and flip the effects. Also, she should be on a pellet-based diet. The best, high quality pellets that I've seen drastic changes in through my birds are Harrison's, Roudybush, and Zupreem. Pellets are more balanced diets and the biggest change was the brightness in the eyes and softness of plumage. About 80% should be pellets, 10% seeds, and about 10% pasta, fresh fruits and veggies, and grains, give or take a bit from each percentage to your liking.

Answer 2

Keets are NOT the only birds that females lay egg without a male!

Where do you think your breakfast eggs come from...hens with NO male! That's why they are not fertile eggs.

I raise Cockatiel birds, and YES, even Tiel hens lay eggs without a male...but, I HAVE males, so most eggs are fertile.

I don't know WHY they do it, but I do know that if *allowed* to continue, it will depleat their calcium, and it could create serious health problems. Such hens need cuttlebone or mineral block in the cage at ALL times, especially if they are laying...male present or not present! It does NOT hurt the male either, IF they are present. Calcium is what makes the egg shell, and is also good for the beaks & bones. Without it, can lead to egg binding, which can KILL the hen, as well as MANY other *risky* illnesses & problems! PLEASE get the cuttlebone AND Mineral block if possible! You can GET them at Walmart or any pet store that sells bird supplies!

To help deter the egg laying, decrease *daylight* hours to 10 hours a day, and increase *nightime* hours by covering the cage for 14 hours our of 24.

Hope this *explains* some of your question, if not the main subject.

The Fid Lady

Answer 3

For the same reason that humans lay an egg every month. She will incubate them, when she is ready. Does she have a nest? Do you take them out? The hen has no way of knowing if they are fertile or not. Birds will sit on anything that resembles an egg.Chickens will sit on plastic eggs or even golf balls.

Answer 4

For the same reason chickens lay eggs. Birds will not usually incubate sterile eggs unless they are very broody.

Answer 5

I believe it's has to do with a calcium build up in their system. All domestic birds do it? >:<

Answer 6

some birds do that