# On the first day of spring my cockatiel gave to me...



## Formlesslight (Dec 16, 2013)

One freshly laid egg... Sigh.

Kind of my fault, I just started working and the birds have been waking up early, and it's spring, and it's just my luck.

Nothing will come from her eggs as her partner is a budgie, but I would still like to discourage this.

I have this cage http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Wrought-F040-31-Inch/dp/B00176F5L0/ref=cm_cmu_pg_t and need a blackout cover, or a few heavy sheets that will work, if anyone has any suggestions please tell.

I do not get paid until the first and will not be able to get a new cage cover or dummy eggs until then. The sun is out later now, it gets dark about 8pm, and I have to wake them up at 7am on weekdays. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to discourage the egg laying until I can buy some stuff?

Sorry if my post seems choppy, I'm a little frazzled right now.


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## dianne (Nov 27, 2013)

You could try 24 hours of light for a couple of days. I have read that it sometimes stops egg laying, because it's so strange that the hen decides it's not a good time for babies.

I haven't used that strategy myself, but have seen it recommended.


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## Nimra (Aug 4, 2014)

Its nice to see that your budgie and cockatiel are friends. I hope the same goes with my birds. Anyways you can put fake eggs in the cage so she can stop laying eggs. It won't really stop her, but she might not give more eggs.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

You can get a bag marbles and try and find one that is a similar size to the cockatiel eggs. Cockatiel eggs are pretty small so you could probably go with a medium sized marble that is more of a solid color for the eggs. Some people like dummy eggs because they retain the heat a little better than marbles so it is more like a real egg. But marbles work as well, my vet used marbles for their bird. The plastic eggs haven't been around too long. 
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Cockatiel_egg.jpg

http://www.avianweb.com/images/cockatieleggs.jpg


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## CosmoBird (Jan 14, 2015)

As for a cover, what I did was go to a thrift store. I thought I had a double sided sheet, but it ended up being a curtain. I must of looked so silly that day because I was in the store holding up sheets to the light to see if I could see light or not through them lol


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## Chipper&Trillie (Sep 1, 2013)

CosmoBird said:


> As for a cover, what I did was go to a thrift store. I thought I had a double sided sheet, but it ended up being a curtain. I must of looked so silly that day because I was in the store holding up sheets to the light to see if I could see light or not through them lol


I hope you put sheets over your head to get them completely freaked out ))


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## Formlesslight (Dec 16, 2013)

Thank you for the advice and a laugh! I made a make shift nest box for Claire, but there is a new problem, she is laying her eggs from high perches and resulting in broken eggs. She was trying to lay an egg at the bottom of the cage but I think she was having problems and decided to sit on a top perch. Jasper sat on her back and she quickly dropped her egg.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

I am confused. Are you trying to encourage or discourage her from laying more eggs? Giving her a nest will only encourage it.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

The best thing to do is to try to find the money and buy a set of dummy eggs. Put them in the nest If she lays another egg , take it off the nest and replace with a dummy . Leave them there until she looses interest.if you leave the nest there without the dummy eggs you will only encourage her to lay more and more .Believe me , it is money well spent , it will save you ending up with a hen with calcium problems and a huge vet bill. All the best X x Teresa


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## Formlesslight (Dec 16, 2013)

CookieTiel, I'm trying to discourage her from laying eggs. I received the dummy eggs yesterday and she seems to be accepting them as her own.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Thats excellent news . It will work X x Teresa


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## Formlesslight (Dec 16, 2013)

When do I know she is bored of the eggs? She stopped sitting on them for three days and figured she was bored of them and took the nest away, a week or so later I find an egg in her food bowl. So I think it may be a decent guess she wasn't bored quite yet. How long should she go with not sitting before I know she is bored?


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