Lovebird won't stop laying eggs!

[Andie]

I wrote a couple of months ago that she was doing the 'I want a boyfriend' dance (as my mum calls it) and people gave me great advice about not having anything nestable in there.

She STILL laid 4 eggs! Just on the bottom of her cage. I broke one when I cleaned the cage out. She didn't lay another to replace and when she had stopped laying for 1 week I took the eggs away.

Now, 1 week after I take the old eggs, she has laid another!! Still jsut on the bare bottom of the cage. I am worried she will burn herself out!

She is sitting on it and she looks like cr@p! She is all puffed up. I don't think she is sick, she still eats like a little piggie!! But she has lost a little weight. She was 70g (fattie overweight) and is now 63g.

To make it worse her tail got stood on yesterday in a huge mistake by me and now she has no tail feathers. She was due to moult them very soon and has tiny pinfeathers coming in already anyway but she looks so weird!

So my questions:

1. How long should I leave the eggs this time?

2. I have a lizard calcium supplement which is ground (powder fine) oyster shells and vitamin d. What is in bird calcium? Is it the same? Could I use it for her also? (I am not being cheap but why buy two things if they are the same inside except one has picture of a lizard and one a bird)

3. How can I make it up to her stealing her tail feathers! I feel like a bad birdie mum

4. How much weight loss is normal when laying eggs?

Thankyou in advance for your wise replies!

[Monica]

Now, 1 week after I take the old eggs, she has laid another!! Still jsut on the bare bottom of the cage. I am worried she will burn herself out!
When you remove her eggs, you need to save them incase she starts up again, or buy plastic/wooden eggs. After you removed her eggs, did you change around her diet? Make sure she got at least 12-16 hours of sleep? Change around her cage? Perhaps change the location of her cage? Made it so that she could not nest down at the bottom? Here's a list I've created...

1. Remove Eggs
   • Rearrange the cage
   • Perhaps move the cage to a new location
   • Use a cage grate
   • Get a new cage
   • 12-14 hours of complete darkness
   • Decreace calcium and protein within the diet
   • Remove anything that could be taken as a nest
   • Remove anything that could be used as nesting material
   • Don't allow her in any dark place or enclosed area
   • IMPORTANT: save the eggs in the fridge
   • If she lays more than 3-4 eggs, put them back in the cage
2. Leave the Eggs
   • Leave the eggs alone in the cage
   • [Optional] Replace with fake eggs (prevent eggs from breaking)
   • Increase calcium
   • Let hen sit on eggs for 3-4 weeks or until she gets bored of them
   • Once done sitting, toss

She is sitting on it and she looks like cr@p! She is all puffed up. I don't think she is sick, she still eats like a little piggie!! But she has lost a little weight. She was 70g (fattie overweight) and is now 63g.
She's lost weight because her non-existent mate is supposed to feed her most of her food while she's incubating her eggs.

1. How long should I leave the eggs this time?
   • Leave the eggs for at least 3-4 weeks or until she gets bored of them
2. I have a lizard calcium supplement which is ground (powder fine) oyster shells and vitamin d. What is in bird calcium? Is it the same? Could I use it for her also? (I am not being cheap but why buy two things if they are the same inside except one has picture of a lizard and one a bird)
   • I don't know if there are any differences between the two, and without being able to see the products to compare, I'd just recommend buying a bird calcium supplement, although you can also increase the amount of calcium she gets via fresh foods, such as veggies that contain calcium, as well as feeding cooked eggs.
3. How can I make it up to her stealing her tail feathers! I feel like a bad birdie mum
   • She will also need a bit more protein so you can try and make sure she eats 1 part pulses/legumes mixed with 2 parts grains.
4. How much weight loss is normal when laying eggs?
   • I can't give an accurate answer here since we are speaking of a hen who is supposed to be fed by her mate. However, I do believe that a hen should not be loosing any weight, and if she is and is not feeling well then allowing her to sit on her eggs may cause her health to decline, to it may be within the hens best interest to strongly discourage her from egg-laying.

[Andie]

Thankyou so much for your reply, Monica!

I ha wondered that about being needing to be fed by an invisible mate so I moved her food bowl to the floor of the cage so hopefully she eats more.

And she loves chick peas so will love getting more of them for protein!

She is still bright and chirpy, singing along to the cd and run to the cage door for a play. First sign ofchange and it is straight to the vet for her!

[Andie]

I posted this a couple of months ago.

I left the eggs for one month and then when she was bored of them, I took them out. She has been great for about 3 weeks.
Now she has started the mating dance again.

A breeder I know suggested that if she lays again, I should swap out the eggs for fertile ones and let her raise the babies to 'get it out of her system' so to speak. I would handle the babies a lot and find them good homes when they are grown.

Has anyone heard of this? Does it work? Is is a good idea?

I am so worried that she will lay herself to death!!

[Flappuccino]

I, too, have an egg laying machine. I have figured out her triggers, though.
She loves to "mate" with anything big enough to climb onto. I can't give her paper to shred, jingle bells, I even have to break up avicakes into small pieces.

Anyway, if you can figure out what triggers her to want to lay, take it away.

Since she hasn't produced eggs yet, move her cage, rearrange toys, minimally decrease her available food, no warm food at all.

Obviously if she does lay, provide her with kale, broccoli, etc. for calcium.

Personally, I don't agree with the advice you were given about switching for fertile eggs.

Also, if your girl is a chronic layer no matter what you do, the avian vet can give her hormone shots.

Good luck!

[expressmailtome]

Originally Posted by Andie

I posted this a couple of months ago.

I left the eggs for one month and then when she was bored of them, I took them out. She has been great for about 3 weeks.
Now she has started the mating dance again.

A breeder I know suggested that if she lays again, I should swap out the eggs for fertile ones and let her raise the babies to 'get it out of her system' so to speak. I would handle the babies a lot and find them good homes when they are grown.

Has anyone heard of this? Does it work? Is is a good idea?

I am so worried that she will lay herself to death!!

I am not sure how good of an idea this is. The male would usually help with feeding her and other responsabilities. Without him to help the babies may die as well as you putting extra stress on her.

Matt

[Andie]

Matt, that is what I thought! She did seem to lose a lot of weight initially when she started sitting. I worked out that she wasn't eating properly without a mate and put her food bowl right next to her. She gained the weight back.

She has been 'on heat' for nearly 5 months now!!

I think I will talk to my vet about the hormones and maybe getting an injection.