Male Guinea Pigs Fighting Drawing Blood

Sakina loves birds. She has had pet parrots and budgies. Now she has two lovebirds, one of which is a peach-faced male she hand-raised.

Lulu, my female lovebird, laid her first egg on 6th October 2016.

© Sakina Nasir 2016

Juju, my female lovebird (Mumu's mate) laid an egg.

© 2021 Sakina Nasir

In this article, the following common questions and topics about egg-laying in lovebirds will be addressed in detail.

When Will a Female Lovebird Lay an Egg?
How Many Eggs Will a Female Lovebird Lay?
Signs of a Pregnant Lovebird
Finding a Suitable Nest Box
Nesting Materials for Lovebirds
Egg-Binding in Lovebirds
Calcium Supply for Your Lovebirds (Table)
A Healthy Recipe for Lovebirds
Infertility in Lovebirds
What Are the Causes of Infertility?

When Will a Female Lovebird Lay an Egg?

Many novice breeders have this question in their minds at some point in time. A female lovebird will lay an egg with or without a mate when she is around 9–12 months of age. Of course, without a mate, the eggs laid will be infertile. Sometimes people end up buying two females or two males. Housing them together may lead to a clutch of infertile eggs in the former case, or no eggs in the latter.

When mating occurs between a true lovebird pair (male and female), the eggs laid will be fertile—though infertile eggs are possible too, as in the case of my pets Mumu and Lulu.

Mumu, my male lovebird, went to see the egg laid for the first time. He wagged his tail out of happiness.

© Sakina Nasir 2016

How Many Eggs Will a Female Lovebird Lay?

Eggs will be laid within 7–10 days after mating. In my case, Lulu laid an egg exactly a week later, on October 6th, 2016. Interestingly, we had no idea that she was pregnant! Usually, a hen (female lovebird) lays a clutch of 4–6 eggs, in a gap of 1–2 days. She then broods over the eggs, usually after laying the whole clutch.

The incubation period is between 21–23 days, after which the chicks are hatched. There may be exceptions, too. The chicks may even hatch out by the 24th or 25th day. Make sure you count the days so that you can approximately calculate the hatching date.

Lulu had laid four eggs continuously every alternate day. Then after a gap of 7–10 days, she had laid five more eggs.

Signs of a Pregnant Lovebird

She walks slowly.
She is unable to fly/flies with difficulty.
She shows slight weight gain.
Her body shows a clear "baby bump."
She looks tired.
She sleeps a lot, fluffing her feathers.
The male feeds her rigorously.
She may bob her tail.

We bought a canary nest assuming it to be a lovebird nest before.

Lulu loves sitting on top her nest box.

We bought a canary nest assuming it to be a lovebird nest before.

Finding a Suitable Nest Box

A nest box is an essential component in lovebird breeding. Upon learning that Lulu laid an egg, we immediately bought a nest box. The pet owner had mistakenly given a round nest made out of steel, which was actually meant for canaries. Surfing the net, I realized that lovebirds need wooden nest boxes. The exchange was made, and we bought a small nest box/English budgie nest, which my lovebirds readily accepted. Remember to provide your pets with nesting materials.

Placing the Nest Box

The nest box can be placed outside the cage, attaching it to the cage wall.
Attach the nest box inside (with S-shaped hooks)

Nesting Materials for Lovebirds

Lovebirds require nesting materials to make their nests. These are required to keep humidity in the nest, as it is essential for egg laying. Both males and females make long strips of whatever material is available, carrying them into the nest box. While the female tucks them in her wings and tail, the male tries to do the same, though he often remains unsuccessful. However, there can be exceptions (Mumu has mastered the ability of shredding paper and tucking it in his tail)!

What Can Be Included in Nesting Materials?

You could buy nesting materials from a local pet shop or provide the following:

Palm leaves (Lulu simply adores these)
Paper towels
Dried grass
Lovebird's own feathers (lost ones)
Leaves of non-poisonous plants (lovebird-safe)

Lulu, my female lovebird loves to shred palm leaves and tuck them in her tail. It is the perfect nesting material for her.

Shredding has been an all time favorite activity of my lovebird Lulu. She can do that anytime and every time.

Lulu, my female lovebird loves to shred palm leaves and tuck them in her tail. It is the perfect nesting material for her.

My Male Lovebird Mumu Has Mastered Nesting Behavior!

Egg-Binding in Lovebirds

The most common egg-laying problem in lovebirds is egg-binding. This means that your bird is unable to pass an egg easily. This can be fatal to your bird. A vet must be consulted immediately when this occurs. If a vet cannot be consulted, you could do a few things to help your bird expel the egg.

In my case, Lulu had passed 9 eggs easily. The 10th, 11th, and 12th egg had been passed with difficulty, in a gap of 5–7 days. She didn't keep well, started vomiting, and slept a lot. She stayed like this for one day. The next day her egg would be passed, and she would be normal and active again.

Signs of Egg-Binding

Straining
Fluffed feathers
Sitting at the bottom of the cage
Tail bobbing
Difficulty in breathing
Weakness
Loss of appetite
Large droppings/Minimal droppings
Sleeping a lot (in Lulu's case)
Vomiting (in Lulu's case)
Fever (in Lulu's case)

Remedying Egg-Binding at Home

Place the bird on a warm towel (heat allows the dilation of muscles, thus helping in passing the egg.)
Place the bird in a bowl of warm water. Your bird is likely to pass the egg in water.
Giving calcium supply (crushed egg shells and small pieces of egg-white).
If your female bird is not eating, feed the male with the calcium supply mentioned above.
Give plenty of rest without any disturbance.
Keep the cage covered in a blanket for warmth.
Keep the cage clean. Your bird is likely to pass large droppings which may wet the cage floor, making it colder.

How to Use Egg as a Quick Calcium Supply for Lovebirds: Photo Tutorial

Boil an egg. Crush egg shell and egg white into small pieces. Provide this to your lovebirds as it is a rich source of calcium. This helps a lot for egg-bound females too.

Foods With Calcium for Your Lovebirds

The following table shows the different sources of calcium , which can be provided to your pets. Calcium is essential for healthy bones, proper feather growth and overall health of birds.
Vegetables	Fruits	Others
Broccoli	Kiwi	Egg shell
Cabbage	Dried fig	Egg white
Celery	Orange	Sunlight
Collard greens	Apricot	UV light
Chinese cabbage		Cuttle bone
Kale		Mineral block
Arugula
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Spinach

A Healthy Recipe for Lovebirds

Ingredients

4–5 fresh spinach leaves
1 whole egg (shell, yolk, and white will be used)
Fresh corn kernels

Instructions

Boil 4–5 spinach leaves and an egg.
Dry the spinach leaves in the sun and crush them.
Crush some of the egg shell into tiny pieces/powdery form and add to it.
Take some egg yolk and egg white, too.
Take fresh corn and dry them till they are hardened. Mash them into tiny bits and add to the mixture.
Toss all of them and serve it fresh to your pet/pets. Either sprinkle it over their food bowl or give it separately. It alleviates weakness and strengthens your bird.

Infertility in Lovebirds

Infertility may be caused in a lovebird hen, leaving the eggs empty/without chicks. This is in the case of my bird Lulu. Till now she has laid 12 eggs in total, but there aren't any chicks hatched. She sat on all of them for a while, but her brooding wasn't continuous. It is very saddening yes, I had always wished to see what color would be inherited by their chicks. My male lovebird Mumu is a medium-green heavy pied peach-faced while the female Lulu is a white-faced violet roseicollis peach-faced lovebird.

We had placed Lulu's eggs in this small wooden square box, removing all of them from her nest box. This was done to check if Lulu sits on her eggs or not. I believe that a mother knows her eggs are not fertile, so she didn't even sit on them.

Take an egg after it has been laid for a week and put it under flashlight. If the egg shows red veins, it means the chick is growing. If the eggs appear translucent or "empty" it means it is infertile. Sadly, all eggs were infertile.

What Are the Causes of Infertility?

Nutritional Factor: If the hen lacks minerals and calcium, her eggs will remain infertile. A healthy diet with all the essential minerals and calcium may help in reducing infertility.
Loose Perches: Ensure that the perches are fixed firmly. The hen needs support to carry the male on her back. If the perches are loose, mating won't happen properly.
Mutation: If your bird is a mutation, she may or may not be infertile.
Age: If your bird is too young or too old, the eggs may remain infertile.
Environmental Factors: There should be enough humidity for successful mating. Heaters and humidifiers may aid in creating such an atmosphere. A nest box is also very essential for mating.

Egg-Laying Is a Wonder

Lovebirds are a beautiful species and their reproduction and egg-laying process a wonder of nature. Unfortunately, I am not lucky enough to see the hatching of my pets' chicks. Nevertheless, I still hope that one day I might see their babies, hopefully.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Questions & Answers

Question: I have a female lovebird who lays eggs. The eggs are fertile but the chicks are not able to break the eggs and die inside. Why is this?

Answer: This is a common issue in lovebirds. Survival is difficult, so the probability of hatching is less in most cases.

Question: It's almost a month why are my lovebirds' eggs not hatching?

Answer: Your bird might be younger than one year of age, might not be mated well, or may be infertile. Please throw those eggs away. The hatching period is 21-25 days.

Question: After laying eggs, my lovebirds just sat on them only for fifteen days. Now, they are not sitting constantly anymore. What's the problem with them?

Answer: The eggs might be infertile (and the lovebirds know about it, mine did the same thing) or "contaminated" according to the lovebird.

Question: Do most female lovebirds have eggs without a mate? If so, how old?

Answer: Females, generally, over a year old lay eggs. They lay more when they have a mate.

Question: I have a pair of lutino (male) and cherry-faced (female) lovebirds. The female started laying eggs on 22 March 2020. She laid 6 eggs within a week then 10 to 12 days later, she started laying again while already sitting on the eggs. Till now she has laid 10 eggs total. What can be the reason for my lovebird to lay eggs? And if all the eggs are fertile then, will all of them hatch or not? If hatched, will the chicks survive?

Answer: The birds must have mated again (in the 10-12 days you have mentioned). Your lovebird may be sitting on all the eggs, but it's not necessary that all will be fertile. If the chicks hatch, they can survive, but extra care must be given.

Question: I have 1 male and 2 female lovebirds. How can I know which bird loves the other?

Answer: Notice the closeness between them. Do you find the male close to one of the females? Does he try to feed any one of them? If that's the case, he may develop a bond with one of them. Please buy another male lovebird so that the other female (if one pair is formed) doesn't feel lonely.

Question: How will I know that I have been answered?

Answer: You will receive an email from HubPages.

Question: Why is my lovebird is not laying eggs?

Answer: A lovebird is unable to lay eggs due to many reasons. The most common are:

1. Either she is not a year old, or she is older than five years of age

2. Malnutrition, infertility, and loose perches (the male can't balance himself) may be possible

3. Poor diet is another cause. Feed your lovebirds fruits like apple, banana, grapes; give them corn, spinach leaves, and incorporate crushed eggshells into their seed bowl.

Question: What should I do right when my lovebirds eggs hatch?

Answer: Please make sure the chicks are being fed by the parent lovebird.

Question: If both the lovebirds are green peachfaced, can their babies be of different colours?

Answer: Yes, it's possible if one of the lovebirds has a rare gene in them.

Question: My lovebird laid three eggs almost a month ago. Initially, she sat on them, but now she refuses to sit on them. Is this normal behaviour? If not, then what should I do?

Answer: This is because she knows the eggs are infertile (my lovebird has done the same thing countless times). You can remove the eggs and discard them. If there were a chick in any one of them, they would have hatched within 25 days.

Question: I have 2 lovebirds, their colors are the same as yours. The bird had laid 3 eggs, but after a few days, only 2 eggs are in the nest. Both the birds play well, but now I'm having doubts as to if both are females or are they a pair. Can we identify the gender of our lovebirds? The eggs are there, a lot of material is there in the nest box and the 2 eggs are covered.

Answer: A male lovebird tends to regurgitate (bring up food in his mouth) to feed the female. Is this happening? How long has it been since the eggs were laid? If they don't hatch after 25 days, it means they are infertile, but we can't say both of them are females because of that. Females are slightly heavier than males, they sit with their feet perched wide apart. If the female is pregnant, you will see a bulge in the abdomen area. Please check for these signs.

Question: After how many days do the baby lovebirds come out of the box after hatching?

Answer: That totally depends on the parent lovebirds. Once they feel the babies are old enough, they themselves will kick them out of the nest box.

Question: How can I tell if my lovebird is a male or female?

Answer: It's really difficult to distinguish between them. However, these signs may tell them apart:

1. The most obvious sign is that the female lays eggs. If you have two females, then you will have two clutches of eggs. If there are no eggs, it means both are males.

2. Female lovebirds are a little heavier than males. They perch with a wider stance.

3. Female display nesting behavior--they love shredding paper, leaves and whatever they think might make a nest. So, the next time you let your lovebirds out, give them a sheet of paper each. See who tears it in shreds and places it in their back first.

Do remember that there can be exceptions.

Question: Our female laid an egg, but isn't sitting on it, why?

Answer: The egg might be infertile.

Question: I was given a pair of lovebirds at the beginning of the year. About two months later, I had three birds, the baby was fully feathered and out of the nest. I just noticed there are three more baby birds in the nest. How do I keep them from hatching more eggs?

Answer: To prevent hatching, the couple must be separated, but I'm against that. What you can do is, remove the eggs from the nest just after the female lovebird lays it. That way, they won't be warmed up by her and chicks won't form.

Question: My lovebird's egg is out of the nest box. Can I put the egg back? Will the lovebird accept this egg?

Answer: First place the egg back in the nest box and see if the mother lovebird accepts it or not.

Question: Why are my lovebird's eggs not fertilized? This pair had bred successfully three times previously.

Answer: Fertility isn't guaranteed in each case in lovebirds. Maybe, they will have chicks later on.

Question: Will the lovebird's eggs hatch during the rainy season?

Answer: I don't think rainy season affects the hatching of eggs.

Question: My budgies has laid 8 eggs without a nesting box, right below the food cup. Is it possible to have baby budgies in this condition? She does sit on them.

Answer: It is possible, but not safe. Please buy a nesting box or keep them in one corner of the cage where the birds might not come and go.

Question: How do you know if a lovebird is male or female?

Answer: It is difficult to distinguish them without a DNA test, but there are subtle signs:

1. Females are slightly heavier than males and are perched with legs wide apart.

2. Females lay eggs and display nesting behavior (cutting paper into strips and putting them in their backs, there can be exceptions).

3. Females don't regurgitate food like males.

Question: There are 2 birds. One of them laid 2 eggs. Now, they both are fighting, so I separated them in 2 nests. Now, will the eggs hatch or not?

Answer: Keep the eggs in both nests and see which bird sits on them. Keep them there then.

Question: My lovebird has no mate, but has laid 3 eggs and she hasn't left them. How long should I leave these eggs or should I just take them away?

Answer: These eggs will be infertile since she has laid them without a mate. See what your bird does, if she sits on them or not. If she is ignoring them, please discard them.

Question: I have a male and female conure. The female laid 4 eggs in a nesting box and this morning I found her dead and stiff at the bottom of the cage. Why was it so?

Answer: I'm so sorry to hear this. Did she have difficulty in laying eggs?

Question: My lovebird has only laid 2 eggs. This is her first time, is that normal? She is sitting on the eggs though.

Answer: Yes, it's okay, give her time. She may lay more eggs. If not, it's okay.

Question: Is it bad to take my lovebird's eggs if I'm not able to take care of more babies?

Answer: It would be bad if your lovebird is too attached to the eggs. Do you find her sitting on them just after they are laid?

Question: I know that lovebirds feed their chicks the first two weeks, but what food do they need to feed them?

Answer: The mother lovebird secretes a clear fluid during the first days. Later on, she feeds the chick what she eats. So, do make sure she is eating healthy foods like seeds, apple, banana, corn, and spinach leaves. Crushed egg shells do help in building calcium levels.

Question: I have four lovebirds. The pairs laid eggs one and two respectively. Now I am observing the 1st pair is not going to the nest and sitting in the other box. What should I do?

Answer: Do you mean to say that the female lovebird is not sitting on the egg? Maybe it's infertile, that's why she isn't.

Question: After the first egg hatches, could I take it out of the nest box and hand-feed the chick? Also, what will the hen eat to feed her babies?

Answer: You can hand-feed the chick once it is three weeks old. It is easier to handle them then. The hen will eat whatever you provide her with. Give her healthy foods like corn, banana, apple, spinach leaves, and crushed eggshells (sprinkle the bits on their food).

Question: Should we separate the male and female Lovebirds after laying eggs?

Answer: No, the male and female lovebirds shouldn't be separated. The male lovebird will feed the female, and inturn the female feeds the newborn chick.

Question: I thought we were not supposed to touch the eggs of a lovebird or she will kick them out the nest?

Answer: Yes, please don't touch the eggs.

Question: My lovebird is laying eggs and her feathers from the belly have fallen. Can you please tell me why has this happened?

Answer: My lovebird has lost a few feathers from the belly region as well. This can happen due to the strain of keeping and laying eggs. The feathers will grow back with time. You can include vitamin supplements to your lovebird's diet and crushed eggshells (calcium source). Please don't worry.

Question: If we cannot touch the eggs, how can we tell if they are going to be born?

Answer: You can lift the egg(s) with a spoon and view them under light. If red veins are visible (posterior 10 days of laying), it means a chick is growing inside. If it's infertile, the egg will appear empty.

Question: My lovebird has laid four eggs and in that, one egg has hatched. How do I increase the hatching rate? Why are many of the eggs not hatching?

Answer: There is no way to increase the hatching rate. The natural process works on its on way.

Question: My female lovebird's last egg hatched. She fed her chicks well, but a few days later the youngest chick died. Why did it die? The older chicks are still alive.

Answer: Survival is difficult in nature, especially in smaller birds and animals. I have faced the same.

Question: My birds have mated over month ago, but no eggs were laid. Why is this?

Answer: Your female lovebird might not be old enough to breed yet.

Question: How can we identify hatched eggs in African lovebirds?

Answer: The hatched eggs will have chicks in them.

Question: My budgie laid an egg for the first time on August 7th in the nest box. She laid another one on August 9th, but on the cage floor. It cracked, so I got rid of it but she didn't lay a third egg. She is also not sitting on the first egg that's in the nest. What should I do?

Answer: She might be upset about the cracked egg. It doesn't matter how many eggs she lays at a time. They can be one, two or more. Give her time. If she doesn't sit on it, it means she knows it's infertile. My female lovebird used to do the same. If 21-25 days pass and the egg doesn't hatch or she doesn't sit on it, please throw it.

Question: My lovebird has laid eggs outside the nest box... What should I do?

Answer: You can use a spoon and place the eggs in the nest box.

Question: What happens if I touch a lovebirds' egg?

Answer: If you touch a female lovebird's eggs, she will think they are contaminated and won't sit on them.

Question: What if my bird doesn't like water? How can I put her in warm water?

Answer: Place a bowl of water near her, if she jumps in, you will know she is okay with it. If not, you have to hold her and place her in water.

Question: My African Lutino lovebird laid four eggs, but they are not hatching after 30 days. This is first time she has laid eggs. Is there any problem?

Answer: It's common in lovebirds to lay infertile eggs. There's nothing to worry about.

Question: Can I check my lovebirds' eggs? I have heard that people try to touch their eggs, they can break?

Answer: No, you can't touch their eggs with your fingers, but you can definitely look at them.

Question: Ruby, my lovebird, has just laid her first egg, we don't want her to have babies. At the same time, I would feel so horrible just taking them out and trashing them. Plus, I have heard that if you do this, it could cause her to hold it in any other eggs. What do I do? I don't want the eggs to hatch, but I don't want to hurt her feelings either.

Answer: I understand your feelings. You can replace the freshly hatched eggs with dummy eggs. Ruby might sit on the fake eggs or might not, but once the eggs are laid, remove them immediately. Eggs start forming into chicks at least 10 days posterior incubation.

Question: When will a lovebird lay eggs?

Answer: A lovebird lays eggs with or without a mate. With a mate, she can lay fertile eggs.

Question: I have 2 pairs in the same cage. Two of them are paired, the other two are in the preadult stage. Will there be any problem for the paired ones to mate?

Answer: No, the paired lovebirds won't have any problem while mating.

Question: My lovebird laid an egg. It's been two full days, and she has not laid another one. Should I worried, and if so what can I do?

Answer: Egg laying may get delayed if the lovebird is tired or feeling weak. Please give her crushed egg shells (which will help her calcium levels rise). You can also place her in a bowl of warm water. This will relax her muscles, and she may lay the egg.

Question: I have 9 lovebird pairs and all of them have stopped laying eggs, but previously there was no problem, what is the cause?

Answer: I think it must not be the breeding season for them now. How long has the egg-laying not happening?

Question: My lovebirds laid their eggs but my male lovebird flew away. I haven't been able to catch him. Will the female be able to care for the egg alone?

Answer: Please get your bird a new mate. A male lovebird is needed as he feeds the female lovebird, supports her and later feeds the chicks as well.

Question: What can we do so that lovebirds mate?

Answer: Lovebirds mate if they feel comfortable with each other. We can't do anything other than wait.

Sakina Nasir (author) from Kuwait on August 26, 2020:

They know at times and sometimes they think the eggs are spoilt. Let the eggs be there with her for at least 21-23 days and see what happens.

Sabreena Campbell on August 21, 2020:

I have a lovebird that later three eggs and didn't even sit on them. What if she knows that the eggs are fertilize or not . Cause I'm worried