Ask Lafeber

Question:

April 2, 2020

Sitting on egg


My b&g lived most of her 26 years in a cramped cage eating sunflower seeds and no toys. With me a year now she is healthy and enjoys freedom. She had eggs before but were always removed. Now I let her brood and its 34 days and she wont give up. She tossed one but covets the other and is acting like a baby bird begging to be fed. Of course she is pampered. Is it ok to let her sit as long as she wants? Its fake egg since hers broke laying from perch.


Answer:

Hi Jude,

I would take her to another room and then remove the egg, as well as anything she is using as a nest. Give her a couple of new toys and some treats to distract her. It is fine to let them keep eggs if it is their egg. But when the egg breaks, it’s best just to discard it. Since this egg is fake, it won’t go bad which would trigger her to discard it.

You don’t want her to turn into a chronic egg layer. When you pet her, limit it to head scratches. Only a mate would be allowed to groom her all over, so when we pet our birds on the back or chest or around the tail, we trigger their hormones. Without a real mate, this can put them in a constant breeding state and lead to too much egg laying. You also need to avoid giving her anything to shred or anything to use as a nest. When she is out, don’t let her get into dark, cozy places.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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