Long time shredder, first time nester

[LunaLovebird]

For the past few weeks Luna has clearly been going through a hormonal patch. She's been increasingly obsessed with chewing and shredding everything in sight. Unfortunately, while she's an excellent shredder, she's an awful best builder. She picked out one of her food bowls as a nest, and had been taking her bits and pieces up it to arrange. Sadly her process of arranging usually means everything gets chucked out of the bowl, meaning no nest is built.

Yesterday she took to the floor and refused to leave, which is rare, and found a nook behind a shelf. Out of concern that this would never end, I decided to cave and put a box inside her cage so she could get it over with. Was this the right thing to do? I don't know. I think we're well passed the stage of trying to curb her instinct, so it seemed logical to just let her go for it. Here's to hoping for not many eggs and that she quickly gets over it.

I added another bowl of food for her outside the box, but I'm not sure if she's eating much. Anakin has been feeding her when he's out and her cage door is open. He's also been trying to help her shred paper, but he's real bad at it. She seems okay with him in the box, and he wants to be in there pretty badly (he's currently pacing the bottom of the cage on her side) but I'm reluctant to let him stay in her cage because of how aggressive she can get.

Thankfully, Luna has not turned into a total monster yet. She's still my little cuddle bug, and still demands that she have snuggles at bed time with me.

Sorry for the rambling. I haven't had to deal with eggs yet and I'm not enjoying it.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

I gave Snerky seagrass mats to play nest-maker with, but I was concerned a nest box would encourage her too much so I never added one. (Too much of a dark nesty space.) I hope things work out with hormonal little Luna.

 

[LunaLovebird]

Yeah, I'm worried about that also, but I'm more worried if I don't give her something a little dark she'll keep hunting out places outside her cage and get hurt. She's determined. I'll see how we go with it, anyway.

 

[Peachfaced]

Sherbie is determined to lay eggs, so I use a small ceramic dish (probably made for a small dog's drinking water since it's got Snoopy and Woodstock on it). I just fold up a paper towel and put her fake eggies in there and she's happy as a mean, bitey clam can be. She will shred stuff and some will make it in there but mostly she just makes a mess that I clean up frequently. At one point she made her nest in a wicker basket (bird safe) and actually built a nice looking nest.

 

[LunaLovebird]

Sherbie is determined to lay eggs, so I use a small ceramic dish (probably made for a small dog's drinking water since it's got Snoopy and Woodstock on it). I just fold up a paper towel and put her fake eggies in there and she's happy as a mean, bitey clam can be. She will shred stuff and some will make it in there but mostly she just makes a mess that I clean up frequently. At one point she made her nest in a wicker basket (bird safe) and actually built a nice looking nest.

I have fake eggies coming my way soon, but they probably won't arrive before she starts laying. I've tried offering her a dish with some nesting material in there and she refused to use it, preferring her food bowl. She took to the box instantly, so hopefully it doesn't send her into overdrive.

 

[metalstitcher]

I am going to keep you in my thoughts and seen positive thoughts your way @LunaLovebird hopefully the eggs will get there before she starts laying.

 

[LunaLovebird]

Luna has an eggy little butt. She's stopped kicking out the food from her main bowl though, and is actually eating all of her food. I was worried she wasn't eating much for a day or so there. Still enjoying flapping about with Ani and getting cuddles. We're doing well I think.

 

[LunaLovebird]

We have our first egg as of today! Luna spent some of the afternoon sitting on it, but has otherwise been eating and drinking fine. Right now she's snuggled inside my shirt beak grinding.

 

[Peachfaced]

Don't worry if she doesn't sit on it much. Sherbie usually incubates them more once she's laid 3-4 along with 7 fakes.

Do you think her eggs are fertile? It's a possibility if Ani went along with her antics one day.

 

[LunaLovebird]

Don't worry if she doesn't sit on it much. Sherbie usually incubates them more once she's laid 3-4 along with 7 fakes.

Do you think her eggs are fertile? It's a possibility if Ani went along with her antics one day.

I'm not too worried if she doesn't sit on them. Just making sure she's eating and drinking ok. And yes, they probably are fertile. Ani and Luna mate every now and then.

 

[LunaLovebird]

Update: were up to three eggs, with a forth due today. I received the dummy eggs after her second egg, so she now has a clutch of fakes. Still eating well and coming out to say hi occasionally. Her poops are gigantic. Ani has been helping her out a lot with food and preening when someone is home to keep an eye on them. Today Luna did a strange thing though. She was out of her cage, and kept flying over to a bookshelf to try and eat some porcelain things I had out. I moved them away, and she quickly found another. After the third or forth white porcelain object, I wondered if maybe she was looking for cuttlebone and grabbed her a piece, which she quickly dove in to. I've never given her cuttlebone before except shaved into birdy bread, so I'm not sure how she knew it was what she needed. It makes me happy to know that she's keeping her nutrients up though.

 

[Lady Jane]

Perhaps she is looking for calcium. Does she have a cuttlefish ?

 

[LunaLovebird]

Perhaps she is looking for calcium. Does she have a cuttlefish ?

That was what I figured as well, which is why I got her some to try. She doesn't have any in her cage, but I will be putting some in now for her.

 

[Peachfaced]

In the wild, they probably get minerals from dried clay or something; so she's instinctively going for that. Sherbie doesn't understand cuttlebones but every time she's in nest mode, she'll chew on her beach walk perch (Beach Walk Bird Perch She's taken some major chunks out of it so I recently ordered another as backup.

 

[LunaLovebird]

In the wild, they probably get minerals from dried clay or something; so she's instinctively going for that. Sherbie doesn't understand cuttlebones but every time she's in nest mode, she'll chew on her beach walk perch (Beach Walk Bird Perch She's taken some major chunks out of it so I recently ordered another as backup.

I ended up getting a mineral block for Luna's cage, but she didn't seem to know how to use it. I think she figured it out partly, but she seemed happy hunting down the cuttlefish bones that I had left outside their cages and chewing that.

She's still sitting on her eggies, but has been showing more and more interest in the world outside the box. She even let me give her scritches this morning!

 

[ergunm]

I put cuttlebone in Ringo's cage, but she doesnt seem to care about it, she likes to ear oyster shell. On the otherhand Totto likes cuttlebone. They are picky

Great to hear that Luna is doing fine

 

[LunaLovebird]

Still sitting on the eggies! She is a very committed little mama bird. Not to mention protective. No human persons allowed near the nest! On pain of the BITEEZZZ.

There hasn't been anyone at home for a few days during the week this week and last. I was caging them separately, but Anakin was getting so stressed out with not being allowed to be near the nest. I monitored them for a few days; Luna seems more than happy with his presence, and there haven't been any fights. Decided it was safe to leave him uncaged without supervision, and it's been working wonderfully. If I get home when it's dark, he's already put himself back in his own cage for sleep time, and Luna is snuggled away in her box.

With some luck, Luna should get over her nesty bird behaviour in the next few weeks. I miss my cuddly little girl.

 

[LunaLovebird]

Aaaaaand, we're DONE. I honestly was beginning to think this would never end. Last night I rearranged Luna's entire cage, and moved her eggs into a bowl. She was still dutifully sitting on them this morning, but when I came home she was sleeping on her swing and was desperate to come see me. She is currently cuddled up inside my shirt in bed.

 

[JaclynBin]

Yay to the return of the cuddle bug

 

[LunaLovebird]

Aaaand, we're back laying again. There was maybe a week or two after I removed her box where she seemed okay, but immediately turned into a hormonal snot after that (I have so many new scars on my neck and fingers). Last night I noticed the return of her eggy bum, so I gave her some fakes in a bowl.

I'm going to have to separate Anakin from her for a while after we get through this round. She gets plenty of sleep and doesn't get any paper or super shreddable toys any more. No huts or hidey holes in her cage. I can't think of what else to do except that. Hopefully it doesn't stress him out too much.