How many eggs is she going to lay? The cockatiel that just won't stop!

[Not_Giving_Up]

Sydney, recently discovered as a girl, is now sitting on four, count 'em, FOUR eggs. She's so protective of them that feeding her has become hazardous to the fingers. Wings spread, she chases and hisses, and bites to protect the non-fertile eggs. I'm worried that she's depleting her calcium, I bought a new cuttlebone for her today, as well as a fruit stick that should last a while, hence saving us all from trauma for a while.

[Not_Giving_Up]

1. Come on, you guys!

I'd post pics of the eggs if she'd ever get off of them!

[Darth_Kitten]

7. heh heh, try gently nudging her.....

every protective little Mom deserves a break from the eggs. :)

[Shakespeare]

2. Four sounds about right for a cockatiel's clutch....

She may be finished with laying. How are you going to handle the non-hatching of the eggs? Sounds like she's VERY motivated to be a mother, so I'm really curious to find out how she deals with no real babies in her future.

[Not_Giving_Up]

3. Well, according to what I've read recently...

She should know by week three that the eggs are no good. MrNGU is all for getting her a male, but so far, I've kept that from happening.

[Darth_Kitten]

8. Trust me, they grow bored of them, but let them sit on them.....

if you take them away, she may want to lay more. anywhere from 3-6 in a clutch is apparently normal. :)

I'm getting to be an old veteran at this. :)

[bigwillq]

4. That's cool!

Our chicken laid a few eggs but we had to get rid of it. It was getting too big.

[Not_Giving_Up]

5. It was truly amazing for us

We got Sydney as a baby, and thought she was a boy, based on markings and such...We were quite shocked to find an egg. She seems to add a new one nightly.

[Darth_Kitten]

9. usually a new egg comes every 48 hours.....

if she has any particular problems, check with a vet. :) Sometimes the little ones have trouble with egg binding.
Make sure she gets plenty of calcium and protein. When they don't get enough in their diet, it comes out of their bones, which are fragile.

Best to you guys and Sydney. I know, the first eggs are always a surprise!! :)

[Darth_Kitten]

6. sounds like normal....

that's what Murphee my Tiel usually has. A few times a year.

I feed her broccoli and hard boiled eggs, shells and all, for extra protein and calcium.

Yes, they will get protective of them, but just let her sit on them for a week or so and she'll then get bored of them.
They like to hold onto their poops. Make sure they get "to go" regularly. ;)