Single Parakeet Laying Eggs?

Question

Hello. I have a single parakeet that is about 6 years old last year she started laying eggs. Sometimes one but most of the time it's two eggs she will lay. She will some times go a month with out laying an egg however this year she has laid eggs every month some times she will lay 5 eggs in a month she has now starting sitting on them and is very protective of her eggs if I even put my hand in her cage she will charge me with her beek open. I'm worried about her calcium because she is laying allot of eggs each month. I did get her high calcium grit and vitamins I just don't know else to do for her she's so sweet and a funny little bird. So If any one out there is having this same problem or has has a parakeet do this I could use all the help I can get for my Blueberry. Thanks so much.

Answer 1

The eggs are infertile. She is laying all year round as she is not affected or aware of the change in the season. It is dangerous for her to lay in a cold winter as because of the temperature the eggs have a soft shell and can become abnormally shaped or too large causing egg binding which is potentially fatal. You can change this by covering her earlier in the evening in winter.

Answer 2

Pet birds of all kinds tend to lay eggs every now and then--it's part of their normal "cycle". Since your 'keet is always indoors, what's going on outside--ie. the time of year--won't affect her very much, instead her hormones will be affected by how often the lights are on in the room she's in, if she's allowed to take baths, etc. Just let her keep them until she loses interest, and then you can take them out of the cage. Make sure you don't take the eggs out while she's still broody, or she'll just lay more to replace the ones you "stole", and that *will* be very bad for her.

As far as being outside, it's good that she's getting sunlight. However, too much light in general will trigger her internal clock and tell her it's breeding season. See if you can arrange your schedule so that she gets a good long night's sleep--even cover her cage so she sleeps in a little later in the mornings. Less light will tell her internal clock that it is winter, aka non-breeding season, and she will be less likely to be hormonal and lay eggs. If you keep her in a room that you are often in at night--such as a living room or office--see if you can move her somewhere else so that she isn't kept awake by noise and lights.