Ask Lafeber

30 year old African grey laid egg, why?

We have a 30 year old African grey that laid an egg recently. I know that my bf has always been bonded with her but nothing has changed recently with their interactions. To our knowledge she has never laid an egg before. She was a rescue.

The only change is that our roommate got a new bird which she thought was female for her male bird. I think they are lovebirds? They are very small compared to the Grey. Anyways, turns out he’s male and has been doing little mating dances in his cage.

The two smalls are kept in a separate room than the grey but they can hear each other. Could he be the reason she laid an egg? Should we be on the look out for more eggs since we’ve only found one?

Thank you for your time.

Hi,

It’s actually not unusual for an older Grey to suddenly lay an egg. As for what triggered it, probably the hot weather the entire country is experiencing. The way a Grey is handled can also contribute to egg laying. It’s best to only pet her on the head, and never on the body. No cuddling or letting her sit in your lap or get in bed. Don’t let her roam around the house or get into cozy places because this mimics looking for a nesting site. Don’t let her have anything she might view as a nest – no boxes, bird hut or tents. And don’t let her shred paper or cardboard. She may lay more eggs, with a day between each one. You can throw them away or let her sit on them for a short time. But don’t give her anything to nest in – she can use the cage bottom. Hopefully there is a metal floor grate. If not, put nothing on the tray. You don’t want to make things comfortable for her. We have a couple of webinars on dealing with Greys and hormones that you may want to check out, to help you recognize potential triggers.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda