My mom has a budgie that just won't stop laying eggs (about one every two days), and since she started (about two months ago) her whole attitude (the bird's attitude, that is...) just STINKS now (pecks and ear-splitting sqwaks..). She's the only bird my mom has. Used to be loving and playful with my mom, now she's just into laying eggs and that's IT! My mom has tried giving her new toys and also vitamins- still NO CHANGE. I've been told that they stop laying eggs when they feel like it... Anyone know about this or have any suggestions?
Thanks for the responses. My mom was taking the eggs away, so she left them there after I told her not to take them away. It worked after approx. 18 days- She stopped being interested in the eggs. BUT only 5 days later she started the egg-laying again, and then 18 days later stopped sitting on them and destroyed them (she did previously also). THEN another 5 days pass and she just started the egg-laying process AGAIN!!! It's awful! -mostly because she smells bad when she lays eggs and her attitude is COMPLETELY ROTTEN. So, my mom is giving up on keeping the eggs there, she thinks its not worth the smell, and also if she starts laying them shortly after it's over my mom finds no point in it. I urged her to take her to a bird vet. Thanks for everyone's responses!
Keisha and the others who said to NOT take the eggs away for 18 days are correct. Believe me, I had an indoor aviary with over 50 birds everything from finches, to a cockatoo. Female birds were "created" to set on eggs and that's what they do, guyfriend or not. Just like chickens!
Grandma N.
Whoa, do I ever know this story with our cockatiel. Make sure the bird has enough nutrients and when you can, stick your hand in after a couple days and GET THAT EGG! Ours goes through cycles.
I used to have a cockatiel who did the same thing. We actually thought it was a boy (it was grey and yellow and we named it Romeo) but after a few months of having Romeo, she started laying eggs and showed odvious signs of PMS and became very protective of the eggs. (unfortunatly, by that time Romeo was used to his name so we couldnt change it to Juliet... needless to say Im sure she was a very confused bird! :-)
We were told to let her sit on the eggs for a few days and eventually she would realize nothing was in them, and would start to ignore them, and then we took them out. As soon as the eggs were out, she seemed to go back to "being herself" and things were fine until the next time she dropped more eggs!
I don't know much about them but i would tend to agree with you she will stop when she's ready.
Hello. First, does she remove the eggs? If so she should stop. When they lay eggs and they are removed they keep laying them to " replace" the one that was taken. When the bird lays an egg let her sit on it etc. ( and yes they are very testy during this time) and after ahwile she will stop, and leave the egg/s alone and they can be removed then without worrying about her laying more. She may lay as many as 4-5 as that is a normal clutch size. Also b/c egg laying is stressful to their bodies she should give a protein supplement. It can be bought at petsmart and the like or she can give her a hard-boiled egg, shell and all. They chip through the shell, it's safe. I hope this helps.
I don't know anything about "budgies" but I have Quacker Parrots and a family member has other birds. One of the big things that helps egg LAYING is lots of light and fresh fruits. Has your mom tried limiting those? If that's not the case you should be able to google "budgie" and find some great advise. Sorry I don't have more to give you. Also do you have an avian vet near?
Good luck!
Hi,
If this is a problem that's been going on for months, it likely has a behavioral basis-- you mom should consult an avian vet to discuss ways to discourage this. Increasing her food or giving her a nest box will only encourage her to keep laying more. Good luck,
Kim
Maybe she needs to get her a male freind &let them mate.If they have babies she could then sell them.Maybe Momma birdie isn't happy that they aren't hatching.
If not put her up on westminster freecycle group thru yahoo
If she ever wants to get rid of her I am a bird lover in Winfield
L.
OK, I'm not a bird owner, but I read someone else's advice to a similar question a while ago, and I believe they recommended picking up some little wood eggs (like in the craft store), needs to be the right size, and put them in the nest. That may satisfy her need to be 'nesting' without actually producing eggs. Much easier to clean up after, anyways. = )
Good luck!
Here is a little information about bird breeding, "In the wild, virtually all parrot species require a hollow tree or a hollow log as a nest site. Because of this natural behavior, Budgerigars most easily breed in captivity when provided with a nest box. Female budgerigars can lay eggs without a male partner but these eggs are unfertilized and will not hatch. This is just like the eggs that chickens lay, which are later sold at supermarkets. A female Budgerigar will lay her eggs on alternate days.[16] After the first one, there is usually a two-day gap until the next. She will usually lay between four to eight eggs, which she will incubate (usually starting after laying her 2nd or 3rd) for about 21 days each.[17] Budgerigar Parakeet hens only leave their nests for very quick defecations and stretches once they've begun incubating and are by then almost exclusively fed by their cocks (usually at the nest's entrance).[18] Depending on the clutch size and the beginning of incubation, the age difference between the first and last hatchling can be anywhere from 9 to 16 days." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budgerigar)
J.
