Kiki has started laying eggs! [Please advise!]

[Lambandthimble]

Hello! Hello!

So a few months ago I posted about our new rescue parrot we took home from my parents house. Her name was Frankie and she'd maybe been let out of her cage (which was usually in a room no one visited) only a handful of times in a year.

We happily took her off my parent's hands, and many bird people told us she was actually a female, so we named her Kiki and started our new life together with this gentle sweetheart.

Well, she's DEFINITELY a female.

She's up to FOUR eggs! The first one she laid on ME while I was snuggling with her, reading a book. I got up to get a drink and came back to see an egg sitting in my spot (and I know I didn't do it, haha)!

The past three she's laid over the past week or so. Laying an egg every couple of days. I wasn't sure what to do with them, so I've kept them on the bottom of her cage for her to tend to until she gets bored with them.

Is this the correct thing to do??

I've been trying to figure out why she's decided to start laying eggs now. My mom is somewhat offended she never laid an egg when she lived with her for almost 2 years haha.


Since bringing her home her life has changed:

- She gets Zupreem natural mixed with a ball or two of Nutriberries, and a little scoop of whatever seed mix she was on when my mom had her (I'm just trying to get through it, there was a bunch.)

- She gets near unlimited out of cage time and is fully flighted (she really had to learn to fly now that she can do what she wants and fly around a little.)

- She's in front of a window and gets sunshine all day, but I cover her from 6pm-6/7am.

- She gets scritches and snuggles from me and my husband and son whenever she wants.



So a lot has improved for her in the past month or so, but I'm worried if she keeps laying eggs it'll cause problems. She chews her cuttlebone and eats well, but still. I'm sure it's not great for her to lay.

Any advice? Thank you all in advance and Happy New Year!

 

[Lambandthimble]

Here's a video right after I saw she had an egg, haha.

 

[faislaq]

Sounds like you're doing everything right to me. As long as she doesn't have to replace lost or broken eggs, she'll stop after a few and sit on them for a few weeks. You're giving her a good diet and calcium so she should be fine.

I don't know why she started laying now. Her age could be part of it, or it might be her diet and environment. Increased light is a big factor.

 

[Ripshod]

I have nothing to add really except - she's bloomin' gorgeous!

 

[rocky'smom]

Hi, please put her eggs on a fold up layers of paper towels in bottom of her cage. Let her nest them as much as she wants to.
Please make sure that she gets extra calcium, cuttlebone, mineral blocks, even ground up Tums (fruit flavored) will work. More then one cuttlebone/ mineral block is good idea.
Reduce the amount of light she gets by at least two hours. No direct sunlight, this means you put her to bed earlier then you do now and get her up later in the morning. Does she get any soft foods like mashed sweet potatoes, worldly cuisines, chop? If she does reduce the amount to about 11grams a day.

 

[CeciliaZ]

Also...do not pet her on her back - just her head and neck. She is beautiful.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

You’ve received some good advice already. I was going to mention no petting on the body also, and no nesting areas. How big is her cage? When you cover it at night, you don’t want her to think of it as a nest. Also, dummy eggs are good to have on hand in case she doesn’t stop or they break. You put them in all at once making her think she has a really full clutch, and when she’s abandoned them, take them out a little at a time. It takes some tiels three weeks to get bored of their eggs. You’re little girl is adorable!

 

[Monica]

If Kiki is anything like my Casey, she may never figure out how to sit on her eggs! So as long as you remove the triggers to egg laying, you can discourage her from laying.

Triggers could be diet related, you cuddling her, her cage, or any other number of things. She might need less sleep (aka more light) to kick her out of wanting to lay eggs.


This is generally what I recommend for egg-laying hens. (X-post)

1. Remove Eggs
   • Rearrange the cage
   • Move the cage to a new location
   • Use a cage grate
   • Get a new cage/Use a different cage
   • 12-14 hours of complete darkness (may require as much as 16 hrs for 2 weeks - or try providing the opposite, as little as 8 hrs of sleep)
   • Full Spectrum Lighting/Better Lighting
   • Lower the indoor temperature
   • Decrease calcium and protein within the diet (if she is on a high calcium & protein diet prior to laying eggs)
   • Remove anything that could be taken as a nest
   • Remove anything that could be used as nesting material
   • Don't allow her in any dark place or enclosed area
   • IMPORTANT: save the eggs in the fridge
   • If she lays more than 3-4 eggs, put them back in the cage
2. Leave the Eggs
   • Leave the eggs alone in the cage
   • [Optional] Replace with fake eggs (prevent eggs from breaking)
   • Increase calcium
   • Let hen sit on eggs for 3-4 weeks or until she gets bored of them
   • Once done sitting, toss

 

[SherLar]

I need advice as well. Koko, the macaw that is 29n yrs old and had been believed to be a male all these yrs, has indeed laid an egg. I put a hard boiled chicken egg in as well to try and prevent her from laying additional eggs. She barely eats and drinks and wont leave her nest, except to defecate twice a day. I have tried all her favorite foods and even a mash that I was (nasty) picking up with my fingers and putting in her mouth as if I was her male. Anything to get calories and fluids in. Barely works. I had read 24 hrs of light will shock them out, kind of like jet lag for us. Did nothing for her, but the goffin looks like hell! He is disheveled and pacing angrily. Failed. so heavy blankets on his cage to try and calm the goffin down.
Yes, since Oct our main floor has been dark and quiet by 730 pm, no petting, no meat proteins etc. We did think it odd that Koko, who was a he a month ago (transgender) was becoming destructive and tearing stuff up. We were actually proud of him/her for coming out of her shell, playing, being adventurous etc.

So my next move is to remove all nesting material (ripped paper liner) and eggs from the cage, moving her cage somewhere else and hope she will begin to eat and drink again. Any input??

Sherri

 

[Monica]

Up to 72 hours of full light...

But you need not to treat her like a mate (i.e. don't handfeed her) or allow her any way to create a nest.

If after taking several steps to discourage the behavior, and she still wants to lay eggs, then it would be best to give her eggs to sit on. You can buy fake eggs. The following information is more geared towards small birds but you may be able to find something within that may be beneficial to you. I do know that macaws need more nuts in their diet so keep those up at least.

This is generally what I recommend for egg-laying hens. (X-post)

1. Remove Eggs
   • Rearrange the cage
   • Move the cage to a new location
   • Use a cage grate
   • Get a new cage/Use a different cage
   • 12-14 hours of complete darkness (may require as much as 16 hrs for 2 weeks - or try providing the opposite, as little as 8 hrs of sleep)
   • Full Spectrum Lighting/Better Lighting
   • Lower the indoor temperature
   • Decrease calcium and protein within the diet (if she is on a high calcium & protein diet prior to laying eggs)
   • Remove anything that could be taken as a nest
   • Remove anything that could be used as nesting material
   • Don't allow her in any dark place or enclosed area
   • IMPORTANT: save the eggs in the fridge
   • If she lays more than 3-4 eggs, put them back in the cage
2. Leave the Eggs
   • Leave the eggs alone in the cage
   • [Optional] Replace with fake eggs (prevent eggs from breaking)
   • Increase calcium
   • Let hen sit on eggs for 3-4 weeks or until she gets bored of them
   • Once done sitting, toss

 

[SherLar]

Right. I had read what you wrote previously. Again, I was trying to feed her because she went off her food and water and that was a step to try and not take her to an emergency vet. As indicated, she was only defecating twice a day. I thought that was pretty serious. And after trying the 24 hours of light, we will not be trying the 72 hours, as described with the above results. Thank you for your input.
sherri

 

[Zara]

Hi @Monica

What is a cage grate? Do you mean the base? And why save eggs in the fridge? I´m taking notes for when my hen starts laying again. I can´t have more chicks, that book has closed and she has her offspring.
I´ve heard people say boil eggs, allow to cool and replace.

 

[Monica]

Hi @Monica

What is a cage grate? Do you mean the base? And why save eggs in the fridge? I´m taking notes for when my hen starts laying again. I can´t have more chicks, that book has closed and she has her offspring.
I´ve heard people say boil eggs, allow to cool and replace.

The grate is the part of the cage that keeps birds out of their droppings. If you have a cage with a plastic base, then try getting a cage without a plastic base.

Saving eggs in the fridge is so that you can put the eggs back under the hen in the event that she wont stop laying them. If you have a male/female pair, then you do want to freeze or cook the eggs before replacing them. The alternative to this is to get dummy eggs.

 

[Zara]

The grate is the part of the cage that keeps birds out of their droppings. If you have a cage with a plastic base, then try getting a cage without a plastic base

I thought that was what you meant.

Saving eggs in the fridge is so that you can put the eggs back under the hen in the event that she wont stop laying them. If you have a male/female pair, then you do want to freeze or cook the eggs before replacing them. The alternative to this is to get dummy eggs.

I think I´ll invest in dummy eggs, seems easier Thanks

 

[Tara81]

If Kiki is anything like my Casey, she may never figure out how to sit on her eggs! So as long as you remove the triggers to egg laying, you can discourage her from laying.

Triggers could be diet related, you cuddling her, her cage, or any other number of things. She might need less sleep (aka more light) to kick her out of wanting to lay eggs.


This is generally what I recommend for egg-laying hens. (X-post)

1. Remove Eggs
   • Rearrange the cage
   • Move the cage to a new location
   • Use a cage grate
   • Get a new cage/Use a different cage
   • 12-14 hours of complete darkness (may require as much as 16 hrs for 2 weeks - or try providing the opposite, as little as 8 hrs of sleep)
   • Full Spectrum Lighting/Better Lighting
   • Lower the indoor temperature
   • Decrease calcium and protein within the diet (if she is on a high calcium & protein diet prior to laying eggs)
   • Remove anything that could be taken as a nest
   • Remove anything that could be used as nesting material
   • Don't allow her in any dark place or enclosed area
   • IMPORTANT: save the eggs in the fridge
   • If she lays more than 3-4 eggs, put them back in the cage
2. Leave the Eggs
   • Leave the eggs alone in the cage
   • [Optional] Replace with fake eggs (prevent eggs from breaking)
   • Increase calcium
   • Let hen sit on eggs for 3-4 weeks or until she gets bored of them
   • Once done sitting, toss

This is great advice, I would just add that Brocolli and Kale have calcium in them also, if she is laying eggs , the main worry is lack of calcium. I think pellets have some added calcium so bonus for her eating her pellets

Also, like with moving the cage the discourage her, you can change the cage layout a lot, change her toys, make her work a little for her food.. hide seeds/ pellets / (optional) dehydrated vegetables in a foraging bowl with crinkled paper, small plastic beads/toys (nothing too small they can swallow ofc) hide millet branch inside of a finger trap, hide seeds inside of balsa wood, hide pellets inside of a cactus wood perch in the holes.. hide pellets inside of paper straws.