I have a found Quaker (abandoned in a parking lot, I rescued her), have had her for 19 months and today she lay an egg for the first time. Her leg band “supposedly” shows what appears to be a birth year of 1996, so I assumed she’s old. But with this surprise today, does it mean she is, indeed, older or young and just now starting to lay eggs? Can’t find any web page anywhere that mentions the “lifespan” of egg laying. Thanks!
Hi Kyra,
The leg band may not indicate her age. Many breeders end up with leftover leg bands and use them for later years. She could be as old as a ’96 hatch and still lay eggs. The bigger issue is to get her to stop. It’s not good for a single bird to lay eggs because she tends to lay too many. Do not give her anything she can sit in or use as a nest. Also do not give her anything she can shred or use for nesting material. You can leave the eggs with her, but again, no nest or anything to make her more comfortable since you are trying to discourage her from laying. When you pet her, only scratch her head. If you pet her on her body or around the tail, this sends her the signal that you are a mate and it trigger her hormones. When she gets done with these eggs and you have discarded them, make some changes in her cage and maybe move it to anther spot. And make sure she has only 8-10 hours of light daily, even if you need to cover her cage in the early evening.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
