Help! I found eggs in my cage!

[Maeume]

I have two Quaker parrots, and I was told they were both boys. (Clover and Rocky). Clover has become a little aggressive lately, needing more time outs for biting, etc. Today I looked in the bottom of the cage and found not one, but TWO eggs. I felt both bird's pelvic bones, and Clovers are spread apart to about the width of my pointer finger. Rocky's doesn't feel spread at all...more or less "touching". I know I need to get both DNA sex'ed, and will in the upcoming months (I'm moving at the end of this week).

First and formost, what do I do with the eggs? Naturally just...keep them warm and see what happens? should I keep the eggs in the bottom of the cage where I found the others, in hopes that if one of them lays more, it won't get cracked?

Secondly, I've never seen this happen int he 6+ months I've had these guys...or...girl and guy. Should I be worried?

[Monica]

Do you plan on breeding if they are a male/female pair? Are they unrelated? (guessing they might be f/f or you didn't notice an egg before?)

If it's not something your interested, and being that you are moving shortly, I'd recommend to discourage it. The stress of moving upsets many parents enough that they may abandon their nest/offspring (not that we know if these eggs are even fertile). Therefore, I'd just recommend putting the eggs in the fridge, rearranging the cage, and perhaps moving it to a new location. Possibly even separating the pair. If she/they continue to lay eggs (particularly after the move) then you can give the eggs back to them to sit on.

Whatever you do, it sounds like a difficult situation.

[Maeume]

It would be something we're interested in after the move. My parents, when I was a kid, bred Cockatiels, and I know the basics of bird breeding. There has never been eggs before, but from what I understand they're both around 2-3 years old. They weren't related. One was a "pet smart bird" and the other was from a breeder the previous owner bought it from.

It was shocking, to say the least. But after the shock, we were extremely excited... Not about just the eggs, but the fact that Clover (I would suspect is the girl because of the pelvic bones..) laid the eggs is amazing.

I do have one concern though. She/he is very attached to my boyfriend, and recently he's been giving time outs in the cage when she/he bites Rocky. The way she/he acts would be described as a child having a tantrum. Could something like this have sparked egg laying?

[sodakat]

Originally Posted by Maeume

She/he is very attached to my boyfriend, and recently he's been giving time outs in the cage when she/he bites Rocky. The way she/he acts would be described as a child having a tantrum. Could something like this have sparked egg laying?

No. Giving her a timeout would in no way result in her laying eggs. The biting of the other bird probably was related to the egg laying though, especially if they are both females. Do they have their own cages?

[Maeume]

Well..see...I'm not sure. When we bought the birds from a previous owner, she said specifically "These are both DNA sex'ed boys". If Rocky is also a girl, that would be pretty interesting now wouldn't it O_o

Clover has always been dominant, and has always had a biting problem. We've just recently started putting Clover in the cage for a time out, because anything else we've tried hasn't worked. Clover is actually being more aggressive to myself and our cat, than Rocky. The only thing in Clover's behavior that has changed, is that he/she bobs their head, so much that it worries me. It's progressed to a point where his/her wings are bobbing as well. Reminds me of when a baby cockatiel was hungry, and "bobbing" when we were hand feeding them. Rocky will actually play the "parent role", stand over Clover, and "feed", but there is no substinence coming out of Rocky. O_o

The both DO have their own cages, but Rocky will fight tooth and nail to be in the cage with Clover, and we allow it. Why not, like I said, Clover is just "nippy" at Rocky, but much more worse with myself and Saint.

This is a big joy if it turns out that they are a breeding pair. It was a wonderful time when my parents hand reared 'tiel chicks, and I think it would be wonderful to do with Rocky and Clover as well. I'm just very confused as to why this started, and how? I keep thinking "could something just have...triggered it?'

[brdfvr]

Originally Posted by Maeume

Well..see...I'm not sure. When we bought the birds from a previous owner, she said specifically "These are both DNA sex'ed boys". If Rocky is also a girl, that would be pretty interesting now wouldn't it O_o

Clover has always been dominant, and has always had a biting problem. We've just recently started putting Clover in the cage for a time out, because anything else we've tried hasn't worked. Clover is actually being more aggressive to myself and our cat, than Rocky. The only thing in Clover's behavior that has changed, is that he/she bobs their head, so much that it worries me. It's progressed to a point where his/her wings are bobbing as well. Reminds me of when a baby cockatiel was hungry, and "bobbing" when we were hand feeding them. Rocky will actually play the "parent role", stand over Clover, and "feed", but there is no substinence coming out of Rocky. O_o

The both DO have their own cages, but Rocky will fight tooth and nail to be in the cage with Clover, and we allow it. Why not, like I said, Clover is just "nippy" at Rocky, but much more worse with myself and Saint.

This is a big joy if it turns out that they are a breeding pair. It was a wonderful time when my parents hand reared 'tiel chicks, and I think it would be wonderful to do with Rocky and Clover as well. I'm just very confused as to why this started, and how? I keep thinking "could something just have...triggered it?'

If you allow the 2 birds to be together, Rocky may have triggered it by caressing her back, vent, tail, mounting, etc. If you guys rub down her back or by her vent that may have triggered it. Have you seen any breeding behavior from Rocky towards Clover?

[Maeume]

hmmm... Rocky is a very cuddly bird. Will always pop Clovers bubble to "poof" up and get preened, (which is when Clover being nippy comes in). They HAVE done strange things, like being really really close and raising their behinds up in the air (One does it more than the other. It reminds me of a female position when birds are doin' the naughty :D) But I've seen that once, maybe twice in the past few months.

We DO cover them up at night, I almost want to stick a camera in the cage, all "spy-like" to see if any of this is going on. To be honest, when Jay and I saw the eggs, we looked at Rocky like "no freakin' way." because Rocky is so submissive. I called my parents and asked then "How would I know which one laid an egg?" and my dad told me right away to check by her vent for her pelvic area to be spread apart. Clover was the one that was spread, not Rocky, and then another "No freakin' way" slipped out of my mouth.

I specifically have told Jay not to touch the lower back, just around the shoulders and head of each bird, "just in case" when I felt Rocky might have been a female.

[sodakat]

Now I'm confused. I thought you knew that Clover had laid the eggs. But when you say s/he it doesn't make sense. If Clover laid the eggs, it's she. No male lays eggs. If you aren't sure which one laid, then I understand the s/he term.

Mutual feeding is common in mating birds. They are not acting like parents, but instead are acting like mates. They bob their heads to regurg food.

If you know which one laid the eggs, you only have one DNA test needed!

EDIT: just read your post which must have hit same time as this. So, you don't know which one laid. But, Clover has wider vent area. Likely suspect, heh? This is entertaining, to say the least!

Keep us posted!

[Maeume]

""EDIT: just read your post which must have hit same time as this. So, you don't know which one laid. But, Clover has wider vent area. Likely suspect, heh? This is entertaining, to say the least! ""

EXACTLY! lol. Because Clover is very dominant, I would have never guessed in a million years. I just figured dominance was the issue, and Clover was just a bratty bird. And besides all that, calling Clover a girl is very strange >.<

[rewki]

Make sure that there is space for the bird to sit on the eggs, cotton batting, shavings etc. You can always contact gbird on the board and see what she suggests since you are both in Colorado and she is very active at the Gabriel Foundation. Only females lay eggs. What were supposed to be a male and female IRN ended up being to males for us and then we purchased a couple of females. Contact gbird for help.