Egg problems

[melinda.g]

I recently inheritated a pair of cockatiels. And to be completely honest i dont know to much about them. I have been trying to do some reading up on them but its not really doing any good. Just the first day i brought them home within the first 2 hours they were at my house the female laid an egg (from the perch which caused the egg to crack at the bottom of the cage). I took the egg out immediately and went and bought a bigger cage for them and put in a nesting box for the birds. I got some of the paper nesting material for them and put a little layer of that in the box for them. After about 4 days she has laid another one (in the box this time) but neither of the birds are laying on it. I found the egg last night in the box while both birds were out sitting on their pirch. What should i do?

[mick may]

do nothing they will sit on the eggs when there ready ...they dont sit on the first one ..not sure how many with the tiels...but with budgies its about 3 eggs then they start to sit on them ....
i hope this helps ...
regards ..mick..

[sammit]

are you sure they are not related? related birds breeding can cause some serious issues with the chicks development. sounds to me like she was 'with egg' before you got her. female cockatiels can lay eggs with or without the box. if you are unsure on the relations of the birds or of hand raising (things do go wrong and you might have to learn real fast) then i suggest getting rid of the box right away. great to hear that you got them a bigger cage though! good on you for that!! if you are absolutely sure that they arent related, then do some serious reading up on hand raising and feeding because she will need extra calcium and green foods during the laying periodand it may come to pass that you might have to intervene (ie parents plucking bub, chewing toes off etc). the eggs may even be clear. ive know tiels to go for several eggs before sitting, most of the time they dont sit until 2 or 3.