Ways To Prevent Breeding or Egg Laying

[Cindy215]

I thought this may be helpful when I read the other thread about an egg laying hen here. This wasn't written for Parrotlets specifically so please discuss the part about eating pellets with your DVM. Some people feel pellets are dangerous for Parrotlets especially mutations.


DISCOURAGING BREEDING BEHAVIOR
IN PET BIRDS
By Hilary S. Stern, DVM
For The Birds
1136B South De Anza Blvd., Suite B
San Jose CA, 95129
http://www.forthebirdsdvm.com


1) Birds need 10-12 hours of sleep at night. The more they sleep, the more "rested" they are and they don't get as aggro. It seems to curb hormonal behavior to a point as they then feel the days are shorter and it's not time to breed - but at the same time you have the rains triggering that it is time to breed. I have found extra sleep just seems to help calm it all down. In the winter, some avian vets even recommend 12-14 hours sleep for overly hormonal birds.

BTW - I mean total dark and total quiet. If the birds can hear the TV or there's light, etc., they're not truly sleeping.

That said, please don't cover the cage with a sheet or something. It's not natural for birds and stops airflow. If you don't have blinds or shades to make the room dark and have to use a sheet, please at least make sure you change the paper for the night so she's not smelling and breathing in the poop fumes!** In the summer though I let my birds go to bed with the sun and wake up with the sun. If you're not having major problems with your bird, this is better. Only make her go to sleep for 10-12 hours if she's really causing you problems.

2) Keep them off a high fat diet. Abundance of fatty food makes them feel like they should breed. In case your bird is on seed, you need to know that it is extremely high in fat and has no nutritional value. The high levels of fat trigger those hormones. And because there is little nutrition in seed, if she does lay an egg, she probably won't have enough calcium in her body and may have an egg binding problem which she could die from. Birds are complicated! you limit seed treats or nuts or any high fat people food you give her - while she's hormonal. She's needs to be on a strict diet at this time. I don't mean she can't have anything as some fat is necessary - just cut her back.

3) Don't let her have a nesty area - i.e. anywhere where she can get in a dark, closed space. No happy huts, no nesting boxes, etc. Keep the cage airy and open feeling. Even make sure it is placed in an open area of the room - not tucked away in a corner. Typically hormonal birds like to chew up paper, etc to make nesting material. They chew the paper and then tuck it into the backs of their wings to then carry off to their nest. I have found that this is Ok to let them do. In fact, it seems to be good for her to chew and get some of the energy it out of her system. If she doesn't have the nesting box, there's nothing she can do with it anyway - just make sure you remove the paper strips daily. Please don't let her have access to the substrate paper of her cage to chew as she could pick up bacteria. Give her toys like the Shredders or pinatas or tie up a newspaper for her to chew on. Make her burn up some of that energy!

4) Change the inside of her cage around to shake things up on her. Move the perches, take out old toys and give her new ones, even move the cage to the other side of the room. You could also play musical cages and totally switch her into a new cage for a while. This will change her reality and hopefully get her mind a little of breeding. Also make sure where you place the cage is in an open, airy space. Don't cram her into a corner. It only helps encourage her "nest" area.

5) Keep bringing her out for playtime and exercise - maybe even do that more than usual - again to get her mind off breeding. If she's biting, just get a towel and gently grab her out. First instinct is if she's biting you and being mean, you want to leave her alone. Don't fall for that. Keep bringing her out and try to teach her biting isn't ok. The best way to do that is try not to react when she bites or again just use a towel when you're having problems. Most importantly you don't want to lose touch with her at this time because the more you leave her alone, the more "wild" she could get and the biting will just get worse.

6) If the above things don't work, you can take her to an avian vet and get a hormone shot called Lupron.This will take the hormonal drive away and she'll calm down. Sometimes one shot does it but many times you'd have to do a series of 2-3 for it to truly work. It is just a band aid for the real problem though so you still need to make environmental changes to truly make it work. I personally have found that you even when making all the environmental changes, if you have a female who is totally aggro, you just have to have series of shots done to slow her down. When she's calmer, make sure you're enforcing all the above ideas and it will hopefully keep her calm. But if she's out of control, environmental changes may not be enough to stop her. The lupron shot gives you a chance to start over.

If she does lay an egg and you have a male present, take the egg out, make a pin hole in it and put it in the freezer for 24 hours. Then give it back to her or give her a fake egg and let her have it until she loses interest. If she really starts to go crazy laying on the eggs, it's better at that point to just remove them. Females can lay eggs without the male though of course not fertile ones so you could just let her have it until she loses interest. But you do have to be careful of egg binding. If she has fluffed feathers or looks listless in any way, you have to get her to an avian vet asap. Especially if it's her first egg, they can have trouble passing it so you have to be extra aware. Your avian vet can teach you the signs of when the female is forming the egg, how to palpate and feel where the egg is, knowing what it feels like when it drops, and then knowing how much time you have before the egg should appear. If it doesn't, get her to the vet! All these hormones and eggs do some serious wear and tear and these birds bodies so
you have to make sure she's in good health. Regular avian vet visits along with a good diet of pellets and veggies is the best way to ensure a long happy life - hopefully free of extra hormonal females!

[Cindy215]

What Dr Stern doesnt mention that I believe is true, is you also have to provide dusk and dawn just like outside to trigger the sensor in their brains properly. And turn the artificial lighting off before dusk. Full spectrum turn off at least an hour before dusk.

If you have to simulate it use a timer that you can turn slowly over 30 minutes or minimum 15 minutes. Dont do it on florescent bulbs only incandescent.