breedingcockatiels

Question
My cockatiel keepss laying eggs. How do I know if they are fertile?  she will sit on them for a week then leaves the nesting box. There are now five eggs in the box. Should I leave them or take the eggs out.

Answer
Hi April,
First, the obvious question is if she's housed with a male. Then there is a possibility that the eggs would be fertile. A 'tiel will lay a clutch of approx. 5 to 7 eggs. Give or take. They will lay one egg every other day. This staggers the hatching, which proves to be Mother Nature being kind on them having to care for so many hatchlings at once. *smiles* You can find out if the eggs are fertile or not by a process called 'candling'. Remove an egg, making sure you wash your hands VERY WELL, so that any bacteria present on your hands isnt transfered to the egg. Egg shells being pourous can be affected by bacteria. In a darkened room, you can hold a bright flashlight to the egg, and if it is fertile, you will see veins, and eventually an actual pulsating of a heart. It's pretty cool to see if you've never witnessed it. If the eggs are not fertile, I would let her sit on them for awhile. If you remove them, she will only lay again, to replace the ones removed. Some 'tiels have a problem of egg laying even when there is no male present. It has to do with being SO in love with it's owner, and the owner somehow stimulating breeding, either through touch, patting, or too many hours in darkness. You can rearrange things in her cage, give her many more hours of daylight, and that may help if she is laying without a male present. It's a common problem with 'tiels. They are very prolific birds.
Good luck and best regards,
Linnie :)