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Egg switching and other advice

Momo & Mido

Sprinting down the street
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Irene
Hi!

I could use some advice.

Yuki and Momo (lovebird, roseicollis) are mating and Yuki is showing signs of laying an egg. In October she layed 2 eggs, but didn't show any interest in them.
Now she:
- is mating with Momo
- made a whole in a cork perch and sitting there a lot and being protective over it
- has an egg-butt
Of course we don't want chicks. So tonight I'm going to the store to get some dummy eggs to switch them out. She is on a healthy diet and I try every day to get her out of the cage to fly (not always easy).

This will be my first time with a pair of lovebirds with fertile eggs and we are a little nervous about doing it right. So I could use some advice, tricks and tips

Thank you!

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this thread. I can imagine there are other people with advice surrounding egg switching. But to be sure I put it in the 'lovebird lane'.
 

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
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Now that she has a partner, has been mating and has made herself a cozy nest, she might want to give brooding them a go.
If you can get the dummy eggs, great, if not you can boil any eggs laid for now. If you boil, dot them with a sharpie pen to mark them (makes sorting the second egg easier).
You call allow her to brood those eggs for up to, but no more than 21 days.
Most of the time, hens will stop brooding the eggs (maybe they sense there´s no life?), but if she doesn´t give up her nest, then you will have to do it. You can try first disrupting. Moving thing around inside the cage is a good way (not easy with a nesty hen!), if that´s a no-go, try just moving the cage. Rotating it can help too. I have seen this work for me now twice (once being the other day - Aldora stopped laying after one egg because I rotated the cage). I do that without removing the nest first to allow her to abandon of her own accord. If it doesn´t work, I will remove the nest, the eggs, move toys and perches around, add in a new toy and some foraging.

I try every day to get her out of the cage to fly (not always easy).
I like to clip some millet spray to a stand or perch somewhere in the room, be sure she can see it, and try to coax her out that way. My hens can´t resist the millet treat and the stems for nesting material.
Reducing the amount of available nesting materials (anything that shred into strips, cork etc is fine as it can´t be used as bedding) inside the cage will make her want to come out to collect.
If she doesn´t want to come out, it´s ok. I never force my birds out and sometimes the hens can go a few days without coming out at times.
If they have the egg butt (the egg is actually there about to be laid), best to leave her in her cage to lay the egg first, rest a little while and then come out. You don´t want her to have an accident flying with an egg in there.

I´ll move your thread to Egg layers forum, I´m sure other folks with little parrots will have some tips and experiences to share :)
 

Momo & Mido

Sprinting down the street
Avenue Veteran
Joined
10/5/18
Messages
540
Location
Netherlands
Real Name
Irene
Thank you very much Zara, that is very helpful.
The egg is here now, and I did what you said.
All great tips. I was a little overwhelmed, but definitely feel more at ease.
 
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