Since the first week of each month is when I rock my little Lovie Mama's world to discourage her egg laying, I thought I would post the things I do that somewhat delay her egg laying. Chronic egg laying is not healthy for any bird as it can deplete them of calcium and even have the potential for egg binding. It also turns them into blood thirsty feathered monsters...in my opinion LOL! Remember, once they mature, there is no way to stop Mother Nature, but you can possibly make the clutches come fewer and farther between. Here is what I do once a month...
* I keep 2 cages for Peaches, my love bird, and change them out often.
* Each month her cage is scrubbed well in the tub
* I move each and every perch and toy to a different place, and change
out her toys and other "stuff"
* NO enclosed area such as happy huts, coconut cups, etc.
* NO paper to shred! Not even on the cage bottom on top of the grate.
* Do give extra shredding type toys to keep them occupied
* Make sure she has a cuttle bone, mineral block, or Manu Clay block
* 12 hours of darkness is a must since longer daylight hours give the
signal to breed.
* If you have a female that you handle, avoid touching her on the tail or
lower back area, and remove any "love toys" she may have in her cage.
All of these things are intentionally meant to make her feel "not comfortable" enough to try to start a family. It's a bit upsetting to Peaches each time I do this for just a day, then she seems to enjoy the new arrangement! If anyone has more advice, please share!!

Great post! I think that decreasing their food, especially their protein levels, is also supposed to help. When food is very abundant and rich, it signifies to them that it would be a good time to raise a clutch.

Also I know you said moving around their perches and toys but also their food cups. Goes with the idea of having to search for food rather than having it always be abundant. I know some bird owners who do this every week with their very nesty birds.

Thank you Lotus, I did not think of either of those 2 things!

Wish I'd known you years ago when I had a little cockatiel that kept laying eggs. I never could get her to quit. Finally I had to rehome her and then she never laid another one. Poor little dear! I sure hope Ruby never lays one, because I don't think I'd want to risk life and limb taking it from her! ha!

Actually, birds should not be discouraged to lay eggs. It's a natural function and it makes them happy and fulfilled. What people should do is keep them to a strict natural daylight schedule and decrease protein during the winter so they will only go into breeding mode when they are supposed to: during breeding season. Then, when they do lay, just remove the eggs and replace them with plastic ones. Much easier than doing all those steps every single monthy, and much, much, much healthier for the bird. Because it's not only the off-season laying that is unhealthy, it's the fact that they are producing sexual hormones all year round, something 100% unnatural and very dangerous in the long run.

I care for over 100 birds and I don't have a single off-season layer. Not a single one.

Good post with wonderful ideas I am going to pass on to a friend who has a chronic layer.

What you are saying certainly makes sense to me! However, in my Lovie's case, she is a much happier and more social bird when she is not laying, and believe me, it was way too much for her own good. I have had her from 2 1/2 months old and she started laying at about 1 1/2 years. When she lost her mate she mourned so much, and actually started laying even more, one clutch after another. She had only laid 3 clutches before that with him around. I want to add that I do not breed, and having a male and female Lovebird was entirely accidental. ALL my other birds are male, but I was given this handicapped baby at a bird fair when she was not wanted by anyone else...she is 4 years old now. I raised and hand fed 2 of her babies, who are both wonderful birds! I should have added to my first post of "tips""that if she does have a clutch, I let her keep them for at least 21 days, or until she gives them up herself. It's sad to see her isolate herself in vain like that, and I don't mind taking the steps I need to to help prevent it. Thanks for your reply!

I somewhat agree with Bea. I have cockatiels, notorious for "chronic egg layin." That said, I don't have that issue. I have one hen that usually lays one clutch per year, which I discourage by means of removing anything she deems as a suitable nesting site. This once included underneath a cage, so I had to remove the entire cage out of the room...

I have another hen that came to me as a chronic egg layer. She was kept in a tiny cage, constantly covered, and when she layed eggs, occasionally they'd be removed and she'd lay more. I removed her eggs, completely changed her environment, and no eggs!

And a third hen who also lays, about 1 clutch per year. I can't discourage her as I haven't figured out a way to, since she lays her eggs off of perches. That said, I should probably buy some fake eggs and let her nest. Don't know if it would help or make things worse, so long as she was the only one using the nest...


IMO, birds don't need 12 hours of sleep per night. This may actually lead to an increase in hormones, especially if the temperature is the same throughout the entire year. My birds in the bird room get 9-14 hours of sleep, depending on the time of year (we are at about 12 hours right now, give or take), and the temperature in their room ranges from the low 50° F to the 80° F range, also depending on the time of year, as well as time of day. This was done unintentionally, but it keeps the hormones to the spring/summer time only.

More or less, 12 hours of sleep year-round with constant temperatures *can* (not will) be counter-productive.


Also, feeding warm foods... the only way birds get warm food is from their mates... so feeding warm food can potentially result in hormonal behavior.

I have found that reorganizing the whole cage works very well. Adding or taking away toys helps too. It makes their life a bit stressed but not in a bad way. They have new things to check out.