Canary Egg Laying

[TobiasM]

I work at a pet store, and our canary recently started laying eggs. At first, I was removing them, then after a quick search, I learned that was bad to do, so I stopped doing that. She has currently laid them in her food dish, despite a nest being in the cage, so I put a second food dish in, just in case. She has cuttlebone in her habitat as well.
She hasn’t really moved from the eggs, and her breathing seems somewhat labored.
Is that normal, and what else can I do to make her more comfortable? Should I move her to our isolation room, or would the transfer stress her out more?

 

[Serin]

remove the food dish and any nest and switch to a very small food cup or food tube she cannot nest in. You don't want a bird for sale nesting and it's pointless for her to sit on dud eggs. With nothing to nest in she will stop laying.

 

[finchly]

If her breathing is labored she may be trying to pass another egg. How long has it been since the last one?

If you take away the eggs she’ll just lay more. All of this points toward needing some extra calcium, can you give her some in the water? Does the store carry a calcium supplement?

 

[TobiasM]

I am not sure how long ago she laid the last egg before my original post. I found her in the food dish with the egg around 7 am, and noticed the labored breathing around 1:30 or 2.

The store has calcium supplements. The water conditioner we use for all the animals adds calcium. I will get a new bowl for her, one she can’t nest in.

My only concern is that I have seen the eggs sitting just in the pellets at the bottom of the cage. Won’t she just go back to that without an available nest?

Thanks for the tips.

 

[finchly]

Yes. But you don’t want her laying eggs. Try rearranging the cage (move perches, etc) to discourage egg laying.

I took a nest away from one so now she’s making a nest in the attached bird bath. I didn’t give her nest material so she is reaching down below the grate and ripping up newspaper. They’re persistent.

Normally you would give her a shorter light cycle to stop this, I am assuming the store has lights on a timer?

 

[Clairecanary15]

This bird shouldn't be for sale at the moment. She is in a muddle and needs extra care. She needs some quiet and the correct nutrition.

Moving the bird into isolation will hopefully take her mind off eggs. One of mine was persistent and I had to give in to the false eggs. It was the only way to stop her from keep laying..its an idea.

This bird is in a terrible situation. .poor little hen. She needs looking after.

 

[TobiasM]

The lights aren’t on a timer, but if I turn off her lights, it turns off all the bird lights. I’ve moved her to ISO, and got a towel to put over her cage before the lights go off for the other animals, in an attempt to simulate a shorter light cycle.
I also got a smaller food dish that she can’t fit in.
I will be sure to keep up with the cuttlebone and the calcium-fortified water.
Attached is the photo of her ISO habitat.

 

[TobiasM]

If she does continue to lay eggs without a nest, should we remove them or leave them be?

 

[Clairecanary15]

Id personally remove any eggs laid..its your way of telling her no more. I had a hen who was doing the same and after a week of no nest site she did give up. She has then moved onto the moult. On the other hand I have a hen who was very persistent. I gave in and gave her false eggs which stopped any more. Its a tricky dilemma.

Her ISO cage looks ideal and great idea with the towel and slightly shortening the day length. I go with the light outside..so if its getting dark outside before the shop lights are off then you are doing right.