Should we take the egg away from her? its unfertilized and she has no Male bird in her cage with her. She is just moving it around a little with her beak she lets me touch it, but i dont know what to do with it, because i dont want her to starve or anything. I dont know what kind of bird she is exactly but i know that she talks and is friendly. I need some HELPFUL Answers please and thanks!
2007-03-14 12:19:36 · 15 answers · asked by Emily :] 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
Hens move their eggs around to help distribute heat. At this point, she's not aware that there are no babies in it, so she's going to try and incubate it anyway. There is a stimuli in the environment that is making her believe it's mating season. Some people may tell you to get a male or get a brooding/nesting box. Do not do this. It only encourages her grumpy mating behaviour which is not pleasant for you, having to deal with it, or for her, having to lay eggs (very stressful on her body) and sit on them only to realize a month later she's wasted her energy on eggs that didn't hatch. And if ever a male does fertilize the eggs and by chance, they do hatch for whatever reason, the parents are absolutely exhausted by caring for the chicks.
The best way to deal with this is cover her cage in darkness for at least 12 hours a night and those 12 hours need to be totally silent. Monitor her food intake. Give her only the amount of food you know she will eat because knowing there's extra will suggest there's enough to feed babies. Re-arrange her cage totally. Even move it to a different room, but change everything within it too. Get new toys and new perches and swap them for every single thing in her cage right now. If her environment is unstable and changing, she won't want to have young living in these conditions in their early hatchlinghood. If you're petting her anywhere but on the head, stop. Petting on the belly, back, tail, and under the wings are especially important places to avoid touching. This stimulates her in the way a mate would and makes her think to lay more eggs again. Don't give her any places to hide or nest in her cage and avoid letting her near nesting material. If she has paper lining the bottom of her cage without a barrier between it and her, get a grate and put down so she can't reach the paper.
If she is consistently laying eggs over a prolonged period of time, her calcium levels will be very low - maybe even dangerously low at one point, but that's for an avian vet to determine. I suggest you take her to see a certified avian vet (not your average cat/dog vet - http://aav.org/vet-lookup ) and see what they can suggest if this ever becomes a problem. The above suggestions I gave are to minimize mating season triggers, and they've worked for my four hens. If she lays more and more eggs, her body becomes more and more exhausted, tapping out many important nutritional resources she needs for herself much more than she needs for some dead eggs.
When she does lay eggs, do NOT take them away. Since they're infertile, wait for her to lay an entire clutch (3-6 eggs) and when she gets up and leaves them to be her friendly self before all of the mating hormones got rushed up, and you can tell that she's tired of sitting on them and no longer interested (natural incubation is about 20 to 30 days, that'll be the approximate time she'll get up and leave for good), throw them out.
To counteract the calcium loss of laying eggs, feed her some leafy greens. Romaine lettuce, broccoli, spinach, and kale are fantastic, but be careful with spinach and kale. They have so much calcium that too much will bind calcium and flip the effects. Also, she should be on a pellet-based diet. The best, high quality pellets that I've seen drastic changes in through my birds are Harrison's, Roudybush, and Zupreem. Pellets are more balanced diets and the biggest change was the brightness in the eyes and softness of plumage. About 80-85% should be pellets, 5-10% seeds, and about 10-15% pasta, fresh fruits and veggies, and grains, give or take a bit from each percentage to your liking.
Other than general care and playing with her when /she/ shows interest and wishes to initiate playtime, leave her be until she's finished being broody. Hormones definitely change birds' typical behaviour, but it wouldn't be something to worry about. I would take her to see an avian vet when she's done sitting on the egg(s) and for now, watch her to make sure she does eat and drink. She'll do it less often now, but she will get up to sneak around at some point because she has to.
Good luck.
2007-03-14 12:27:52 · answer #1 · answered by PinkDagger 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My cocktail layed 6 unfertilized eggs behind my VCR . Every time anyone went near the TV she would come out screeching and flapping her wings, she was protecting them . I called my vet and he said to let her keep them for about a week and then each day take one away until she does not have any more . My guess is she will lay some more eggs over the next day or so . Then she should start eating again . I would let her keep them and then slowly take them away . If she does not start eating in a day or so I would get her to a vet . They can get egg bound and need vet care .I totally disagree with the person that told you to rearrange the cage . I think it would cause to much stress on her . If you are in doubt I would call a vet and get their oppinion . Thats what I did and it worked out fine .
2007-03-14 19:28:20 · answer #2 · answered by darsow@sbcglobal.net 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Call your vet! Or if you don't have a vet find one that has experience with birds.
Since it is an infertile egg, allowing her to incubate it is pointless, but the vet may very well advise you to let her keep it a while so that you don't traumatize your bird, parrots can be awfully emotionally sensitive as I'm sure you know.
Also, if it's only been one day I wouldn't worry that much about her not eating, that may not be uncommon for a bird who has just laid an egg, again, a qualified vet is the only one who can say for sure.
2007-03-14 19:31:51 · answer #3 · answered by Laureling 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Take your Parrot to the vet because I don't think you will get good answers on the page unless there is a vet that answers. Don't take the egg away!
2007-03-14 19:30:39 · answer #4 · answered by Samoyed Lover 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't take it away from her...that's really important. If she's set on laying, and you take them away, she'll continue to lay until she has a full clutch. Since she doesn't have a male to fertilize them, there's no harm in leaving them in there for her to sit on.
She'll eat. She won't starve herself, but just make sure you don't take those eggs away. If she lays and lays and lays, it will deplete her calcium levels and she could get very sick.
2007-03-16 14:23:23 · answer #5 · answered by sdkramer76 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would call a vet for a referrel and he/she could make a suggestion. I would not remove the egg without professional advice as it might be traumatic to the bird. Once again, I would call a vet.
2007-03-14 19:23:00 · answer #6 · answered by AnswerGirl 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
She talks? Whoaaa! Then talk to her and say that she should eat more. Then quietly take away her egg as the two of you discuss headlines on the National Inquirer. Just kidding... Most parrots do not eat when they have eggs. Get rid of it.
2007-03-15 04:38:35 · answer #7 · answered by adonisMD 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Easy! Take the egg out.
We have a bird at work. She lays so many eggs, and she just sits on them and is angry (cuz she thinks she has to raise it and keep it warm and safe)
Take the egg away and she goes back to normal. You take chickens eggs away from them don't you! Do you ever see a chicken moping around?
Dont take her to the vet, your birds fine! trust me.
2007-03-14 19:37:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
give her a day and than if she is the same than I'd take her to the vet. she just needs some rest and a lots of TLC.
2007-03-14 19:30:34 · answer #9 · answered by jon c 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
for her sake and your call a vet, at least to get some professional advice
2007-03-14 19:23:55 · answer #10 · answered by #1Daddie 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋