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My 4 year old female cockatiel started laying eggs. She has no male. Advice?
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Aug 14, 2014 02:48
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| # ? Jun 8, 2024 17:40 |
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What's your cage setup like? You should remove any physical stimuli that promote breeding, which means no nest box, no snugglehut or any toy with a cavity the bird can enter, and covering the dishes if your hen is getting into them to lay eggs. Next, address environmental stimuli: give your bird 12+ hours of darkness (cage covered) at night to reduce the light cues that promote a breeding state, and avoid touching your bird in ways that are related to breeding behaviors (e.g. avoid petting down your bird's back or touching under the wings... limit pettings to happy head scratch time and avoid touching her body since that can be interpreted as the behavior of a mated pair). As for the current situation, your best bet is to let her finish the clutch and sit on her eggs for awhile until she works the broodiness out of her system. Do NOT pull the eggs out, since that can encourage her to keep laying. Many birds will keep laying until their clutch is "complete", so if you take the eggs out before she's done, she'll tax her poor body by making more and more eggs to fill the void. Let her chill with her eggbabies for a bit. Offer her some extra calcium in the meantime; egg-laying takes a lot of calcium, so she may well be depleted. Cuttlebone is a good bet.
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Aug 14, 2014 04:47
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mikerock posted:Oh no a birdnapping I am super super bummed about this because this is a local place and I'd just been in there talking to that very bird not too long ago when I was buying food for my budgies.  I'm glad the news has spread and their security cams got such a clear image of the guy.
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Aug 14, 2014 05:12
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Strongylocentrotus posted:What's your cage setup like? You should remove any physical stimuli that promote breeding, which means no nest box, no snugglehut or any toy with a cavity the bird can enter, and covering the dishes if your hen is getting into them to lay eggs. Next, address environmental stimuli: give your bird 12+ hours of darkness (cage covered) at night to reduce the light cues that promote a breeding state, and avoid touching your bird in ways that are related to breeding behaviors (e.g. avoid petting down your bird's back or touching under the wings... limit pettings to happy head scratch time and avoid touching her body since that can be interpreted as the behavior of a mated pair). Thank you. She has no physical stimuli as such in her current cage. She's laying her eggs on the bottom of the cage, then ignoring them. I'll ensure proper sleep. She's not getting any particular touches (she doesn't like to be touched.) I'm going to let her keep the eggs until she gets bored of them (seems like that has happened from the beginning). Cuttlebone is there- will possibly put some more vitamins on the food.
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Aug 14, 2014 05:37
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Carfax Report posted:Thank you. She has no physical stimuli as such in her current cage. She's laying her eggs on the bottom of the cage, then ignoring them. I'll ensure proper sleep. She's not getting any particular touches (she doesn't like to be touched.) The only thing that finally stopped my budgie from laying eggs was buying some fake ones from a craft store that were about the same size and putting them all in the cage. She sat on them for a weekend and then completely lost interest. But it had gotten to the point where I was taking her to the bird vet to get shots so she wouldn't get egg-bound. The vet suggested the fake eggs and presto!
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Aug 14, 2014 06:25
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Why would laying eggs be a bad thing? I am new to all this...
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Aug 14, 2014 15:49
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Knifegrab posted:Why would laying eggs be a bad thing? I am new to all this... If the bird doesn't get enough calcium the eggs can start being too soft and break inside your bird. It takes about a day for an unassisted egg bound hen to die :/ I had that happen to my previous cockatiel.
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Aug 14, 2014 16:37
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I got to meet Lenswork, Zippy, and Bojangles yesterday and they were all super charming 
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Aug 14, 2014 16:47
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Knifegrab posted:Why would laying eggs be a bad thing? I am new to all this... Hormonal nesty birds suck, egg laying is hard on the body, and egg binding is a horrible thing you have to be careful of. Wizard of Smart posted:I got to meet Lenswork, Zippy, and Bojangles yesterday and they were all super charming Are there photos?
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Aug 14, 2014 17:10
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hey guys, I'm a bit worried about Tokyo. She's been very fluffed up lately, even when it's warm, and she sleeps near constantly. I checked her feet, wings, and beak, and saw nothing unusual, but she has a much lower body heat than Fuji. I've made an appointment for the vet, but they can't get me in till next week. Should I take her to an e-vet? She's not breathing irregularly, still loves her millet, and has been drinking fine. But now she spends all day poofed up a lot and sitting as close to Fuji as possible, like she's cold. Help?
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Aug 14, 2014 17:15
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My first bird was a cockatiel hen named Rosy and she was my best friend for almost eighteen years. Amadeus is a male GCC and I basically never want a female bird again, sorry ladies. All the butt-waving and the egg-laying and the brooding and the nesting, poof, gone.
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Aug 14, 2014 17:15
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Sociopastry posted:hey guys, I'm a bit worried about Tokyo. She's been very fluffed up lately, even when it's warm, and she sleeps near constantly. I checked her feet, wings, and beak, and saw nothing unusual, but she has a much lower body heat than Fuji. I've made an appointment for the vet, but they can't get me in till next week. Should I take her to an e-vet? She's not breathing irregularly, still loves her millet, and has been drinking fine. But now she spends all day poofed up a lot and sitting as close to Fuji as possible, like she's cold. Help? Maybe she's just being snuggly? It sounds like she fell in love with Fuji from your earlier posts!
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Aug 14, 2014 17:17
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I hope so. It's not like her to be so quiet and docile, though. She's a little hellbeast, which is why I chose her to begin with.
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Aug 14, 2014 17:18
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Battle Pigeon posted:
No we forgot in the rush of all the people coming and going, and the haze of wine and stories. I encourage anyone in Seattle to come visit!
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Aug 14, 2014 18:11
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Condiv posted:Yeah I've heard its hit and miss whether the bird will actually do as you wish and not poop everywhere. Hopefully I can potty train mine. If not, I'll have the poop off. Forgot to reply to this edit. That cage is okay, but a little small in the width. You ideally want a cage that's wider than it is tall, as they'll use width but not so much height. How about : http://www.zooplus.fr/shop/oiseaux/cage_accessoires_oiseaux/cage_pinson/cage_pinson_autres_fabricants/192303 instead? Free shipping, only 13 euro more, much nicer size.
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Aug 14, 2014 18:22
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I tend to prefer female birds since they're generally quieter, but it does have the downside of egg laying...
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Aug 14, 2014 19:18
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Lenswork posted:No This. But! I did get a wave and a dance. And it was the most  thing ever. And Bo is so sweet. And Lenswork cooks some damned fine food and has wonderfully awesome stories!
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Aug 14, 2014 20:27
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I've had my new budgie for two weeks now, and she's coming along really well! (except for that bizarre vomiting episode I posted about a while ago.) She's learning to step up onto perches I put in front of her, and today I asked her to step onto my finger and she did! She even let me take her out of the cage and eat millet from my other hand. I'm so proud of her. Here's some pictures of her. At least.. we think she's a her. Still haven't come up with a name, i'm a bad mom.  
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Aug 15, 2014 05:52
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Aaaa she is so pretty! I love albino budgies, I had one named Monty who was the softest bird I've ever touched.
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Aug 15, 2014 06:01
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So my partner and I just got back after almost a fortnights holiday and we picked squirt up from the guy who was looking after him, and he is looking a hell of a lot better. Apparently he spent most of his time trying to hang out with his budgie, who isn't clipped and who would fly away as soon as squirt got near. So we are probably going to grab a friend for squirt to play with while we aren't around. It seems to stop or minimise the over preening and seems more fair for a social bird. Given how much of a jerk squirt can be, they will have to be in separate cages permanently so breed isn't as important. Frankly I'm leaning towards a budgie for poop reasons, and for some reason I think their bites hurt less.
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Aug 15, 2014 10:52
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Carfax Report posted:Thank you. She has no physical stimuli as such in her current cage. She's laying her eggs on the bottom of the cage, then ignoring them. I'll ensure proper sleep. She's not getting any particular touches (she doesn't like to be touched.) Sounds good. And yeah, some cockatiels just plain get broody even without things to stimulate it. I've never owned a cockatiel but I've heard plenty of stories about cockatiel hens being perpetual egg-layers. If she keeps laying even with the increased sleep time, I second artichoke's fake egg suggestion, and if that doesn't work, talk to your vet about hormone injections (I believe they actually use Depo on birds). E: Irving posted:If the bird doesn't get enough calcium the eggs can start being too soft and break inside your bird. It takes about a day for an unassisted egg bound hen to die :/ I had that happen to my previous cockatiel. Yep! That, and constant laying is physically stressful for the hen. Takes a lot of energy and exertion to make eggs. Wild 'tiels have something of a defined breeding season, so it's not normal for a hen to be laying all year long. I can't imagine it would be healthy to constantly churn out eggs when that's not what your species typically does. Strongylocentrotus fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Aug 16, 2014 |
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Aug 16, 2014 00:26
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So my significant other bought a paralette when I was away working and I came here to get some idea of what exactly I was getting into. She is a big animal lover and has done quite a bit of research but it seems Google comes up with a lot of homemade websites with questionable validity. Some points she's read is that pellets are bad for the birds organs. Is that true? I see varying opinions on the matter. From the op here it seems it is the suggested food. The paralette us quite meek and gets started when she puts her hand in the cage but I have chalked it up to only being in its new surroundings a day. Should we go ahead and take it out with an up command for a bit of bonding time although it looks startled or let it settle some more?
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Aug 16, 2014 01:58
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flashman posted:So my significant other bought a paralette when I was away working and I came here to get some idea of what exactly I was getting into. She is a big animal lover and has done quite a bit of research but it seems Google comes up with a lot of homemade websites with questionable validity. Parrotlet! And no they're not bad for your bird, pellets are going to be the preferred diet. Mixed with fresh fruits and veggies of course. As far as forcing birdy out, I'd just let it come to you. If it's still shy you'll have to earn its trust with food or something of the sort. Just take it slow and you'll do fine. I would however give it a few days to acclimate. Oh, and pictures 
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Aug 16, 2014 02:36
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Parrotlets are adorable teeny Hilters, enjoy! A few weeks back our friends came over with their fancy cameras and took pictures of our zoo. Here are some highlights- Jade (amazon) was such a diva, she had the BEST time being fussed over!                      
Tasty_Crayon fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Aug 16, 2014 |
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Aug 16, 2014 03:18
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Tasty_Crayon posted:a bunch of amazing pictures of beautiful birds.  
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Aug 16, 2014 04:11
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They really did an amazing job . We've been having friends over now that we don't live in a shithole, and Leeloo chills on all the lady shoulders for fun hair preening times.
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Aug 16, 2014 04:59
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Love 'em, especially the ones of Jade. I really need to try and take a series of Auri's post-shower dances one of these days.
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Aug 16, 2014 05:41
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Update on Tokyo: her body heat is a bit better than it was yesterday, and she's a little less wobbly, but her grip strength is still very weak and she's still having trouble with balancing unless it's on the thicker natural wood perches. She's eating fine, and I've seen her drink water. She also keeps trying to climb on the side of the cage, but seems very weak/shaky. I have an appointment for the vet's come monday, but I'm still very worried. Should I take her to the e-vet? If not, what should I do to make sure she's comfortable?
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Aug 16, 2014 16:26
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SaNChEzZ posted:
Here is Burt in the temporary cage we have while waiting for one to be delivered. Can see the boxer peeking up like Waldo in the background. 
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Aug 16, 2014 16:32
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Amazing burd photos, Tasty_Crayon! Conure/lovebird cuddles are super cute.Sociopastry posted:Update on Tokyo: her body heat is a bit better than it was yesterday, and she's a little less wobbly, but her grip strength is still very weak and she's still having trouble with balancing unless it's on the thicker natural wood perches. She's eating fine, and I've seen her drink water. She also keeps trying to climb on the side of the cage, but seems very weak/shaky. I have an appointment for the vet's come monday, but I'm still very worried. Should I take her to the e-vet? If not, what should I do to make sure she's comfortable? Feet issues are linked with kidney problems (tumours) in budgies, it's not uncommon. She's pretty young though so hopefully it shouldn't be anything like that. If she's eating and drinking, that's good. Maybe if you can, keep an eye on her weight? Does the e-vet have bird experience?
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Aug 16, 2014 16:33
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The e-vet does work with avians, yeah. As for weight, she's always been a lot smaller than Fuji, but Fuji's a big girl anyway. When I got Fuji, she was twice the size as the rest of her siblings in the cage, so I dunno if she's a good baseline to go on. What's a good way to tell what a healthy bird weight is?
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Aug 16, 2014 16:38
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Wiki says the average weight for a budgie is 30-40 grams but I'm sure someone here can you give a better answer on that. You can use a gram scale to weigh them.
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Aug 16, 2014 20:26
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Decided I'm gonna take her to the e-vet. She hasn't gotten worse, but I don't think I can stand waiting for Monday. Please wish Tokyo good luck, dudes. Here's hoping it's just a cold.
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Aug 16, 2014 20:31
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Good luck, Tokyo. We're all rooting for you. 
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Aug 16, 2014 23:49
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Sociopastry posted:Decided I'm gonna take her to the e-vet. She hasn't gotten worse, but I don't think I can stand waiting for Monday. Please wish Tokyo good luck, dudes. Here's hoping it's just a cold. It wasn't just a cold.  Turns out my little Tokyo has a bad heart and a lung infection, and the reason she's been so weak is because of that. The very said that all he could do is to give me antibiotics for her and recommended that I syringe feed her to make sure she's getting enough good while she recovers. She's small for a budgie, only 20 grams. It turns out that the seeker I got her from is notorious for selling sick/ weak birds. Hee said the best I can do is just fight the infection and hope for the best. I'm hoping she can kick this. I hope she lives a long life even with a bad heart. Any advice on syringe feeding her? I'm saving her come hell or high water, no matter how many times she bites the poo poo out of me. Edit: lucky, the infection isn't contagious and Fuji is the picture of health. And it's confirmed: Fuji is a boy!
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Aug 17, 2014 00:09
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Aww man, sorry to hear that. Hope she gets better soon. 20g is so tiny. Does she like fruit juice? You could try giving her a bit of that out of a syringe to get her used to taking food from it. Even dab the end (instead of squeezing it out) so she can lick it off first before if she's unsure. Give her bites of millet (or anything) for touching it, and be super excited about it so syringe = tasty awesome poo poo.
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Aug 17, 2014 00:32
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Sorry to hear about Tokyo How long can it take a bird to bond to another bird? My girlfriend has been introducing her parakeet to mine on the weekends where they spend more or less a whole day with each other and everytime after it seems like he has completely lost interest in me and I have to start training him again. Are they bonding to each other?
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Aug 17, 2014 01:42
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Keep us updated, Sociopastry.
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Aug 17, 2014 17:15
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Tokyo is still fighting the good fight. I've been syringe feeding her about once every 2-3 hours, as the vet said she was undernourished from not eating while she was ill. I've also been giving her her antibiotics. She's still wobbly and weak, but is now back to (feebly ) biting my fingers because she hates syringes. her little mutton chops are covered in fruit juice and she's sticky, but she's a lot more lively than she was, and she's nto coughing any more. I'm hoping that if I can just get her out of this danger zone, she'll have many happy years even with a defective heart. A friend of mine heard the news and rushed over with an emergency birdy sick-bag full of quinoa, amaranth and shelled millet, in case Tokyo wanted something solid to eat. she nibbled at it a bit, which is promising. She's a little hellbeast, so she'll fight it, I know she will.
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Aug 17, 2014 19:19
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| # ? Jun 8, 2024 17:40 |
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Good luck, you are being an excellent bird nurse
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Aug 17, 2014 19:38
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