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Question:

February 27, 2024

umbrella cockatoo 5+ year old bird laying eggs


Umbrella cockatoo 5+ year old bird started laying one egg every month from last June and this month I took some precautions and I didn’t find her making different body signs but today I started seeing her suffering to lay egg making different body signs help me to stop her laying eggs


Answer:

Hi,

If she is having trouble laying the egg, you need to rush her to an avian Vet. An egg bound bird will die if they can’t pas the egg. When you have a chronic egg layer, and nothing makes them stop, then you need to discuss hormone treatment with the Vet. There are shots or an implant – the implant seems to work best. If you cuddle and snuggle with your bird, that needs to stop. You should limit any petting to only her head. When you pet her on the body, you are sending signals that you are her mate, and this can trigger egg laying. Never let her have anything she can nest in, no boxes or dark places. Never let her roam freely in your house because this is mimicking looking for a nesting place. If you offer fresh foods, stop offering those for a while. Later you can offer small amounts a few times a week. When you provide a lot of foods, a lot of freedom, paper or cardboard to shred, and a lot of cuddling, you are triggering her hormones. You need to stop all of these things and hopefully she will stop. If she won’t, then hormone treatment is the last thing to try. Laying too many eggs can eventually kill her. In the wild, she would only nest once a year, or even once every two years. As you can imagine, laying eggs monthly is not natural and not good for her. Hopefully making changes or hormone treatment can stop the egg laying.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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