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Egg laying

Stormi95

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Heya, recently took on a cockatiel named coco from someone who could no longer care for her. I was told she laid eggs every now and then.

since I have gotten her, she has now laid 6 eggs in three weeks. The first clutch was about 4 eggs every morning over four days - that was a week ago. Yesterday, another egg arrived, but there wasn’t one this morning until I let them on their play stand. I went to the kitchen to get them some food and came back and another egg. Is this normal to be laying every 24 hours? She doesn’t seem to care, and lays The egg on the perch and it breaks. I let her see the egg is broken when she wakes but shows no interest in it. I then remove it and clean the grate/tray.

I do have another female cockatiel who is one, but she hasn’t shown any signs of egg laying prior and doesn’t seem nesty like coco.

I have started to limit daylight and increasing their sleep time from 12 hours to 14.

I guess my question is should I be concerned her laying two clutches so soon and that she’s laying every 24 hours.
 

Rebel

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An egg in 24 hours is rare but i have seen it. Its usually one every other day.Your main concern for the time being is calcium. You need to buy her a calcium supplement. If she depletes herself of calcium, all kinds of problems could/will happen.
 

Stormi95

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An egg in 24 hours is rare but i have seen it. Its usually one every other day.Your main concern for the time being is calcium. You need to buy her a calcium supplement. If she depletes herself of calcium, all kinds of problems could/will happen.
Thanks for your reply. Yes I’ve made sure to include calcium into their diet. Since posting this she has laid two more eggs (the following two mornings) I haven’t seen anymore since so I’m assuming her clutch has finished.
 

Rebel

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Thanks for your reply. Yes I’ve made sure to include calcium into their diet. Since posting this she has laid two more eggs (the following two mornings) I haven’t seen anymore since so I’m assuming her clutch has finished.
I hope shes done.
Its amazing to me that she laid that many 24hr eggs.
 

Stormi95

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I hope shes done.
Its amazing to me that she laid that many 24hr eggs.
I am pretty sure they are all from her. The signs are there. I guess the only way to be sure to know is to seperate them and see if they are both laying. Do you think I should give her fake eggs to help stop the laying? I’m just not sure if it will help, as she’s not interested in the eggs what so ever and lays them while perching. But yes from others I have talked to they have rarely ever had eggs every 24hrs.
 

Shezbug

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I really think you need to find out for sure if it only one bird laying and if so then see a vet and hopefully get some help to halt the egg laying. Birds are often uninterested in their eggs till the full clutch is there, fake eggs are worth a try- anything that may help lessen egg laying is worth a try. Chronic egg layers often pass well before they should.
 

Rebel

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I am pretty sure they are all from her. The signs are there. I guess the only way to be sure to know is to seperate them and see if they are both laying. Do you think I should give her fake eggs to help stop the laying? I’m just not sure if it will help, as she’s not interested in the eggs what so ever and lays them while perching. But yes from others I have talked to they have rarely ever had eggs every 24hrs.
No sense in buying dummy eggs. Thats only if the eggs are fertile and you dont want babies. Ive tried them in the past. My girl knew the dummies from the real ones. My bird is the same way. She will lay eggs anywhere.
 
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Rebel

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If worse comes to worst, you may have to get her Lupron injections like i have to.
 

Shezbug

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No sense in buying dummy eggs. Thats only if the eggs are fertile and you dont want babies. Ive tried them in the past. My girl knew the dummies from the real ones. My bird is the same way. She will lay eggs anywhere.
Fake eggs are generally used to show birds where a safe place to lay is- they are often used to encourage chooks to lay by showing them where a nice nesting spot is but that is not their only use and much like with many other things they do not work for all birds.
Sometimes with birds who will re lay lost eggs people have had luck cutting the egg laying by introducing fake eggs so the right amount of eggs is there.

That felt like a stab in the heart.
Nothing in my comment was aimed at you, I am sorry if you took it that way. I know of too many people who have lost young tiels from chronic laying- tiels are well known for it.

I agree. They could try them but when your bird has no interest whatsoever in eggs, its kinda pointless.
As mentioned above- fake eggs sometimes encourage laying by showing where a safe place to lay/nest is but they can also help settle laying in some birds as some birds actually count their eggs and will replace lost eggs etc. Anything is worth a try and regardless where the bird is laying they are well known to ignore eggs and keep going till they have their clutch and when the right amount is there they start sitting on them.
 

Rebel

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Nothing in my comment was aimed at you, I am sorry if you took it that way.
Its all good. I didnt take it personally at all. It just kinda hit me when i read that. I know your tell it like it is style. Thats one of the things that i admire about you.
 

Shezbug

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Its all good. I didnt take it personally at all. It just kinda hit me when i read that. I know your tell it like it is style. Thats one of the things that i admire about you.
Oh thank goodness- my gut hit the floor when I read that comment, I felt awful thinking you thought I was having a dig or something... I was so sad for you when you had your loss and I know you tried so hard to halt the egg laying.
 

Rebel

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they are well known to ignore eggs and keep going till they have their clutch and when the right amount is there they start sitting on them.
I agree. I suppose i always go by my personal experience. My bird has laid piles of eggs in the past when she did have part time interest in them. Piles so big that she couldnt cover them all when she did decide to lay on them. And still kept laying. Absolute nightmare.
 

SillyGoose

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This for sure sounds like chronic egg laying to me. first off I am so sorry this all sounds so hard. I would immediately if not all ready 1. Make sure they are in separate cages 2. Lower the temp of wherever they are to 68 Degrees 3. Make sure NO cage coverings are being used or anywhere they could hide in or try to take shelter in 4. make sure you are not handling the bird ( letting it sit on your shoulder be close to you lots of petting ) that increases hormone production 4. Make sure they are on a low protein diet ( Roudybush pellets are the best for that ).. well really 1. GO to a vet. Here is some info by the leading experts about hormone production and egg laying a.k.a. “Hormonal Behavior” I highly recommend giving it a read it should have all the main info you need to hopefully stop the egg laying. IF you have the funds I would book an appointment with Pamela Clark ASAP ( Website attaching ) so she can help you figure out the core of what is causing her to be so hormonal. Let me know if you have any other questions and again im so sorry this is so hard sending love your way :heart2:
 

Shezbug

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I agree. I suppose i always go by my personal experience. My bird has laid piles of eggs in the past when she did have part time interest in them. Piles so big that she couldnt cover them all when she did decide to lay on them. And still kept laying. Absolute nightmare.
I wish more study went into birds so they could know exactly why this happens with some birds (especially tiels) So many mysteries and unknowns with birds. I have my own thoughts on it but no proof to say I am right- I honestly think more handraised birds than parent raised have many issues we see like plucking and poor behavior towards other birds etc
 

Rebel

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I was so sad for you when you had your loss and I know you tried so hard to halt the egg laying.
The bird that died wasnt my egg layer. She was the extremely hormonal one that was always rubbing things 24/7. She laid very few eggs in her life. Something went wrong that made her prolapse. After experiencing that is when i started getting extra paranoid with my chronic girl. Thats when i started the Lupron injections.
 

Shezbug

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The bird that died wasnt my egg layer. She was the extremely hormonal one that was always rubbing things 24/7. She laid very few eggs in her life. Something went wrong that made her prolapse. After experiencing that is when i started getting extra paranoid with my chronic girl. Thats when i started the Lupron injections.
Oh I must have remembered that wrong, gosh I am so sorry for that- I really thought it was your egg layer who passed, for some reason I thought you had more than one out of control layer. There are four of you tiel owners I frequently mix up (sorry to say and admit- I am an aging human with many faults lol)- two of you I am slowly mixing up less and less.
 

Rebel

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I honestly think more handraised birds than parent raised have many issues we see like plucking and poor behavior towards other birds etc
Your theory is just as good as anyone elses. I wouldnt doubt that youre right. Hand raising is not normal. It cant always be a good thing.
 

Rebel

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Oh I must have remembered that wrong, gosh I am so sorry for that- I really thought it was your egg layer who passed, for some reason I thought you had more than one out of control layer. There are four of you tiel owners I frequently mix up (sorry to say and admit- I am an aging human with many faults lol)- two of you I am slowly mixing up less and less.
Again, its all good. We’re in the same boat when it comes to remembering who is who and all that.
 
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