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ok, so we have 2 females and 1 male. the boy and one girl have "paired up". Now the egg laying has begun. She keeps laying, and laying, and laying. She laid 4 eggs, about 2 days apart each.....then about a week later laid another, then about a week later another, and today, about a week after the last, we are up to 7! (ok, one broke a couple weeks ago)...there was also one found separate from the others (yes, number , but I think that was laid by the other female, to say "see, I can do it too". That egg has been completely ignored by everyone.

So now Smokey and Herbie are trying to sit on 6 eggs, they all don't even fit under them (kinda funny looking)....so does anyone think they will ever stop laying?

Hmmmm..I guess there are questions that need to be addressed first.
1) are they laying in a nest box? Are you planning on having babies?
2) are they just plopping the eggs down on newspapaer?
3) is this the first time they are laying eggs?

Without knwoing anything else what is going on I can say from experience that if the conditions are right they can lay up to 8 eggs within a 2 week period. Usually they will stop unless you keep taking the eggs away which makes them want to lay more and the conditions are right for them to keep on laying (nest like area).
It is hard to get them not to lay eggs once the process in in motion. Linus & Lucille are a mated pair. Lucille would lay continously if I didn't try to curtail it. I found she loves to dig under newspaper to lay. Therefore,Her cage is lined with a pillow case which helps curtail the optimal conditions. I also put them to bed by 7:30-8:00pm the LATEST! I've tried separating her & Linus but that really had no effect except stress for the both of them.The pillow case trick doesn't stop the egg laying completely but it does slow it down quite a bit.

Thanks, I will try to answer your questions:

We are not opposed to them having a brood or so, but not actively breeding them. At first, they laid a couple eggs, they were laid simply on the cage floor (simply the wire floor....newspaper lined tray under that). We actually made a couple attempts to put the eggs someplace "safer", (a small lined basket, etc....actually trying to help make a nest area) the birds kept pushing them off, back onto the wire cage floor in the corner, and continued to sit on them. I then simply placed a small shoe box lid, lined with paper towels in the corner, and put the eggs on it, they seemed to accept that.

(by the way, I suggested sneaking the eggs out while the birds were playing, and boiling then cooling them, and replacing.....this made my wife and daughter cry and call me nasty things...so much for that)

We try to keep them on a 12 hr schedule, keep the toys rotated, get them out and interact frequently, etc.

The only eggs I have removed was one that had broken, and the one that was separated and ignored for several days

This is the first brood of eggs for both females (assuming the one egg was from the bachelorette). They are sisters, coming up on 2 years old. The male (an older brother) is just over 3 yrs old. I was concerned about siblings breeding, but have been told and have read in many places that is not a big deal in the first couple generations. Their parents were not related.

All the birds seem healthy, including mom, I notice she chews on the cuddle bone more lately, I assume to replace some calcium. They eat lots of fresh nuts, veggies, and some fruits, in addition to their pellet food, they also seem to love the leftover scambled eggs from my daughter's breakfast (birds eating eggs, just doesn't seem right, does it?) Not much birdseed, it is kind of a rare special treat.

I guess as long as they remain healthy and happy (and the laying stops eventually), nothing to get too hyped up about?

Thanks,
Denny

older brother or not.....(so the boy is from a different, earlier, clutch but same parents I assume you meant, right?).........they are still related!!!

I wouldn't let them have a clutch.
Sure you can let them mate (try and stop them ) but I personally wouldn't let them breed.
Just my two cents worth.......

but tho I dn't like it, I have 4 pair of siblings who have produced some very beautiful chicks none of which appear to have any problems. You really can't stop them from bonding and breeding, and I've tried boiling eggs, and they know it and will not incubate them. Fortunately, those prolems will soon disappeear with them mostly rehomed, so that will break that. What breaks my heart is separating the bonded pairs of siblings, especially two, Chirp and Suzie, who are two of the best birds anyone could want. Hopefully it will all work out but I am not equipped to handle 28 full grown birds when the plan was for at most maybe a dozen.

Sam