Female not laying eggs

Question
QUESTION: I have a male parakeet about 2 years old and a female about 5 years old.  They have been together since the male was about 6 months old.  They have started mating but the female does not produce eggs..... They have mated many, many times and still no eggs ???  They have a nesting box and big cage.  They are great friends and get along.  The female was hand fed and is very tame but the male is not.  What do you think the problem could be ?? Thanks for your time !!!
ANSWER: Hi, Lisa.

You haven't provide much information...I'd need more details in order to help much.

Did you put anything inside the nesting box, such as pine shavings, etc.?  If so, remove it and see if they go in the box.  It can take 10-14 days after mating before you see the first egg.  Has it been this long yet?  

What type of diet are these birds on?  If all-seed, perhaps they aren't healthy enough.  Seed is high in fat, low in nutritional value.  Your female at 5 years of age might be too old.  Although 5 years doesn't seem old to us, a keet 5 years old is approaching old age, depending on how well the bird has been cared for during her lifetime (and genetics).

If you can provide more details, I might be able to help more.

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: There is not anything in the nesting box.  I have provided material in the cage if she wanted it...They are on all seed with dried greens mixed... I have tried and tried to get them to eat fresh veggies and no luck !!!  They will not eat it at all !!
They have mated and mated everytime her beak turns brown and nothing ever happens... I have put the extra vitamins in the drinking water and everything.  I guess they are just going to be buddies and not parents... That is fine with me - I just do not want anything to happen to this little female...Should I worry about them mating and not producing eggs ???  Can they just continue to have "fun" and me know she is alright... I have tried to seperate them and they freak out !!!  They love each other lots !!!

Thanks again for your time !!
Lisa

Answer
Hi again, Lisa.

If you don't want these birds to breed, take the nesting box down.  They don't need a nesting box unless you want them to mate and breed.  A nesting box is a que to birds to go to nest.  Why this female isn't laying eggs I don't know exactly without more information.

Putting anything in the drinking water is not good.  Putting stuff in the water dilutes the stuff too much to begin with and it also creates bacteria in the drinking water.  Your birds drink the bacteria water and can make them sick.  

It's not really anything to worry about if they mate and she doesn't lay eggs, but then I'd have to wonder why she isn't laying eggs if they've mated successfully.  Perhaps the mating isn't successful, but this would be unusual.    

An all-seed diet is a poor diet.  Seed is high in fat, low in nutrition.  Perhaps your female isn't very healthy since she isn't laying eggs.  Birds won't eat food they don't recognize as food so you have to be persistent and offer them food every day.  Sometimes it can take a month or longer of doing this every day for them to make the switch.  Try cooked brown rice and mix in some scrambled eggs and/or shredded veggies.  Birds won't eat foods that are in too big of pieces for them to eat...try offering shredded veggies or diced...try offering the foods in different forms, etc.  Keets also like corn bread, whole wheat/whole grains breads, spray millet, dry sugarless healthy cereals, etc.

Chrys