Ask Lafeber

It’s not uncommon for a bird to start behaving different when they become hormonal. They can become protective or possessive over a favorite toy or even their own reflection. So, the change in her vocalizations are not that uncommon either. The important thing here is to leave her eggs with her until she’s laid all of them.  Usually after the second or third egg is laid a female will start to incubate them.  Once you’re sure she’s laid all her eggs and is consistently incubating, then it’s best to remove them all at once and then change things up in her cage.

If she has any mirrors or reflective toys, it’s best to remove them.  As I mentioned, she can become protective of her own reflection. If she has any low hanging toys over her perches that are low enough that when she’s under them, they touch her back, I suggest moving them to another place in her cage, so they don’t touch her back.  Lorikeets are cavity nesters, and they will seek out dark and enclosed places to lay eggs, so if there is anything in her cage such as a sleeping sack or anything else she can crawl into to find darkness then remove them as soon as you take her eggs away.  Also, if you cover her cage at night, I would stop doing that as well.  Sometimes cutting back on her daylight hours will also help. If you have another room in your home, you can put her in at night to give her complete darkness, I suggest doing that also.  I know with a Lorikeet it may not be as simple as it sounds.  If you have a bathroom with a shower in it that no one uses through the night, you can place her cage only for sleeping at night may be a good option.

If a bird becomes a chronic egg layer, it can become a serious health issue.  Laying too many eggs can cause her to become calcium depleted and then become egg bound and that’s considered a medical emergency, and you would need to get her to an avian veterinarian right away. So, keep a close eye on her and try to eliminate anything in her environment that will trigger her to want to lay again.

If you need additional help, please don’t hesitate to reach out again.