Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 11/3/2006

Question
My husband brought me home a big cage full of birds. Though I am not very experienced with birds I keep the cage clean and they are well fed, fresh water a few times a day and we will be buying a much bigger cage this weekend.  Of the eight birds in the cage, two are male parakeets, 1 female parakeet,& 1 lovebird.  I noticed the female keet and the lovebird very much in love and seen them mating.  Now she has laid eggs and sits on them most of the day.  Is it possible they might hatch?  Does she know when to stop sitting on them if they are not going to hatch?  Or am I going to have to take them from her?  I feel bad for her because she is doing such a good job of taking care of her eggs.

Answer
Hi, Mary.  Thanks for posting!

I'm not an avian veterinarian, however, I do not believe the eggs will develop and hatch.  The keet and lovebird are too genetically different, based on my knowledge, to produce babies.  The female keet is more likely laying infertile eggs as a result of raging hormones.  This is normal in parrots.  Two birds of different species often befriend one another and often "fall in love," but if the pair are different species, fertile eggs usually don't result.  

What I recommend is that you leave the eggs alone and let her abandon them on her own.  If you remove them or any, she will likely continue to lay until she has a full clutch of eggs under her.  This would not be good for her health.  Once she abandons them, you can take them from her and throw them away.  This process will probably take up to a month, so be patient.  Some people recommend removing the eggs and hard boiling them if you want to ensure they don't hatch, letting them cool down, then putting them back under the bird (for her to abandon later).  I've never tried this.  My view is if the eggs are going to hatch, let them.  If they aren't, they aren't.      

If all of these birds are in the same cage, you might run into trouble with other birds raiding/trying to raid the nest where the eggs are.  Others might break open the eggs if they can get to them (if the parent birds allow them to).  Also, female parakeets can be very mean to other birds (I mean, they will kill if provoked), particularly when they are on eggs/have babies.  Be prepared to separate some birds if you start to notice fighting!

If you want some general information on birds, I have a website full of it!  Visit if you like:

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Come back with any questions.

Chrys