Oh dear Colin laid an egg!

[colin]

Yes it sends Colin is a girl! Colin is 9-10mths old now.

I'm totally lost as to what I should do with this egg. Take it out along with all possible nesting places and nesting material?

My breeder said female lovies can lay up to 6 eggs. One every other day. And it's pretty much all year round. Eek!

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Oh my! Does she show any interest in the egg?

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Follow her instinctual needs as much as you can. Allow her to keep her egg; if you remove it, she may replace it instead of stop laying. Also allow her to play with it, if she wishes, sit on it, roll it around, etc. Within a month she should tire of sitting on an egg that will not hatch and once she has gone a good week without playing with it, you can either throw it away or just let it lie in the bottom of her cage. I only take eggs out of my lovie pair's nest box when they start working on a second layer of eggs. I have found if they have at least a few eggs to roll around and sit upon, they are less aggressive to the other birds, as well as to me.

Say hello to the newly named "Coleen".

 

[colin]

Thanks guys!

Yes she is constantly in her empty cereal box which she has put a heap of shredded leaves in there (from the branches i gave her in her cage).

I spoke to the vet and he also said to leave it until she finishes laying her clutch then remove after a week. He said there's injections to stop her laying if she lays more than 4-6????

Other than being territorial about her cage she's been extra affectionate with me so this egg laying has blown me away. I thought they're meant to be bitey and hormonal when they're on heat?

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Birds don't do "heat". They just have a hormonal peak, starting with mating, laying eggs, brooding the eggs, and then raising the babies. She is affectionate because you are her mate and she is feeling broody.

Please don't allow your bird to have a hormone shot. It just completely messes up their system. Just let her body do what comes naturally and enjoy your bird.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Other than being territorial about her cage she's been extra affectionate with me so this egg laying has blown me away. I thought they're meant to be bitey and hormonal when they're on heat?

Some of them do get like that! You're lucky if she's going easy on you! Keep an eye on her and make sure all goes well with the laying.

 

[colin]

I weighed colin last night as his bum was looking big. 58g and sure enough he laid another one today. I weighed him again and he is 50g. He is normally 46g. His bum is looking big too.

He doesn't show any interest in his eggs. He doesnt sit on them or play with them but he does like them in his cage because when he's out he has one eye on his cage constantly. I'll just leave them in there till he's over it.

Haha i continue to call him a him. Just because i feel I've bonded with 'colin' and he knows his name when I call him.

@Laurul Feather Cat - sorry i couldn't think of a better word for his hormonal peak

 

[Happynme]

SHe may not show interest in the one egg or even 2....females often lay a clutch THEN sit them once they reach the number of eggs they decide is clutch. Just leave them be...let her do whatever shes going to do. If no more eggs and still no interest in eggs after 30 days...toss them and her nest.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

It does not matter what you call your bird. Once they understand y use a special and specific verbal sound which is their name, just keep it. My friend, Yvonne named her CAG Emily because the breeder was sure the petite and affectionate bird was a hen. When Emmie came to live with me, I included Em in a bunch of DNA tests I did on my own birds. Emily was revealed to be a cock at age 14. He answers to Em, Emmie, Emily...

The year after Em was revealed to be a cock, Em started developing the most beautiful and deeply red tail feathers: like wild CAG cocks do in the wild when they enter their prime breeding years!!!

Many hens do not incubate their eggs until they have four or more. That way the eggs all hatch within a few days of one another instead of over one or two weeks. Also, this being Colin's first clutch, he may not have all his instincts open and working.