Rainbow, Myrtle & Cockatiels

[liz]

Though Myrtle has many toys and plays with them she is rounding off the corners in my kitchen. Since I don't want to cage her I may have to cage my kitchen.

There is unrest in my cockatiel room. I did not understand until I found an egg while changing papers. There are 4 eggs now and I still don't know who did it. They take turns sitting on them. I found 4 birds under the paper one time so I still don't know who did it.

I have the UV light on a schedule of 10 am to 6 pm. Their seed is limited to the evening only.
What caused a bird to lay eggs and why is it doing it while the others are still on schedule and diet.

[Wolf]

Don't know for certain, Liz, but cockatiels are somewhat of opportunistic breeders so even when you do everything right you may still have a hen who lays out of the normal season. In your case, it could be that it is one of the newer hens who has not completely adjusted to the diet and lighting schedule or perhaps the stresses from your recent move to Fla. may have thrown them off. This is my best guess, but lets see what Pajarita has to say.

[liz]

I checked the eggs and they are not viable. Since they will never hatch I left them there until they get board with them.

Rescues don't come with back round info so I did not know but a few ages. There must be quite a few young ones in the group. They are so fascinated with the eggs that they take turns or multiple sit on them.

[Pajarita]

You are keeping the lights on too long and the fact that they are UV is making it worse because high UV means middle of the day which you are 'extending' to 6 pm. They are also dangerous. These days I am turning on my bird's lights at 8 am and off at 5pm - and serving dinner at 6pm.

[liz]

The sun comes up on the other side of the house. I turn their light on at 10 am then feed them.
I turn it off at 6 pm and feed them. That is one hour less than you.

In the spring Lola laid eggs and was the only one.

I have seen a whole flock take care of baby birds but never help sit on the eggs.

[Pajarita]

It's not so much the amount of hours in between the turning on and off of the lights, Liz, it's what the seasonal sun schedule is and at what time dawn and dusk happens. If you turn them off at 6 pm, as far as they are concerned, mid-day sun lasted until then. My lights are not UV, they are full spectrum with low UV output so when I turn them off at 5pm, they have an entire whole hour of dusk before they even get fed.

[liz]

I am considering a dimmer switch.

It is so funny that quite a few take their turn sitting on these eggs. Sometimes there is a squabble over who sits next. They are all singles.

[Wolf]

Wishful thinking ? Wanting to be parrot parents or part of the baby boom.

[liz]

Because they are all singles they must think that is the only way they are going to get a chance to be involved with a baby. Right now I am thinking it is a shame that they won't hatch. I don't want to bring any more into the world but they are trying so hard.

[liz]

I found a cracked wild bird egg on my porch. I thought it was dead but as I carried I realized it had just been cold. I gave it to Sweetie who sat on it and hatched it. The little thing was injured by the crack and did not live long. But Sweetie's maternal instinct was strong.