Ask Lafeber

Quaker sitting on cage bottom

My Quaker female (20 yrs old) has just started sitting on the cage floor. She doesn’t seem to be doing anything. But for some reason it bothers me, as this is a new behavior.

Hi Kathy,

It is good to be aware of behavior changes. She could be doing this because she is going to lay eggs. At her age, if she has not laid eggs before, she might not be feeling well. Birds will try to hide signs of illness so you need to watch her carefully. If her droppings are different, then it is probably time for a Vet check. A sick bird will still eat well, but the first signs you see will be a change in droppings and in behavior. If everything else is normal with her aside from sitting on the cage floor, she may be feeling her age. This time of year there can be a lot of temperature fluctuations and an older bird is more sensitive to this, so maybe she is a bit cold.  Again, watch her carefully and take her to a Vet if you suspect a health problem.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda