Need experenced advice on cocketeal's

[jungeljill]

I was wondering how old is to old to lay eggs.my femail is about 9 years old.
she lays egg ferteled but they never make it to hatching. she use to hach them out but not the last year are so. the mail is younger and he set's
very well but steel nothing. could it be the food i give her. whats a good sorce of food for her.

[krazy4birds]

Hi Junglejill... I highly recommend that you get a book about Cockatiels. There are several out there that are wonderfully educational and it will have all your questions answered there. If you do not have access to anyplace to buy one then go to your library and they will have tons of books for you to pick from. Good luck to you! Keep us posted

[crazeemama]

I am not sure,but most birds are fertile approximately 1/3 of their lifespan. So your hen is getting up there. What type of diet do you feed? do you use anything for calcium/mineral supplementation? How old is the male? Is he proven? how many clutches do you allow her to have a year? How many eggs does she normally lay in a clutch? How many actually hatch? How many clutches has she had that have failed to hatch?
THere are many reasons eggs don't hatch. everything from calcium deficiency to bacterial infections to lack of humidity to unsteady perches..... etc.
It does help to know if the chicks were dead in shell, or the eggs were never fertilized. If she has a new partner and the partner is not *proven* that could be a problem to. he might be a *dud stud* or just not getting things right. The only way for an *equipment check* is to have him and/or her surgically sexed. THat requires a vet and is actually a surgery.
If she has been fed a seed based diet, no calcium supplementation and clutching 2-4 times a year, she is probably *clutched out*.
At any rate, I would take down the nest box immediately. She probably can use the rest. Then I would get both of them on the best diet possible. A vet check is a very very good idea to rule out infections etc. The very best cockatiel breeders I know ,allow their pairs one clutch a year. Some breed 1 clutch a year AND the next year don't breed that pair at all. So in essence 1 clutch every other year.