Minerals after egg laying?

[Dantesbeak]

Hello fellow Lovebird lovers!

Nugget has laid her first egg! She has no mate so the egg is infertile. I have no intention of getting her a mate either. That being said, the first thing she did was look it over then crack it. She is still displaying "come hither" to me. Her poops are extremely watery and large. (She is not nipping at me as much, that's nice!). It has been many years since I had breeding lovebirds and then I had about 25 breeding pair who didn't like humans , but had many babies which we handfed.
Now she is eating the dirt out of my plant which is non toxic and the soil is regular potting soil. She refuses to eat pellets of any kind

I believe she is doing this because she needs minerals. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Thank you for your advice in advance,

Violet and Nugget

 

[patchyjoon]

Hi Violet,
I'd reccomend either getting calcium/mineral powder or a mineral powder block (liquid calcium works too, just any dietary calcium). Sprinkle the powder into any food she might like, or just give her the block to chew on. I'd also reccomend giving her some multivitamins, as egg laying takes a lot out of the bird.
A way to avoid her laying (since it's a little bit dangerous to them) is to give her a fake egg. Fake eggs make the parrot think her clutch is complete, which stops her from laying more eggs.

 

[patchyjoon]

Here's one of the most common calcium supplements that I've seen people use on here:

Calcium Plus Liquid - Bird Supplement & Vitamins

CALCIUM PLUS LIQUID is a concentrated, pre-dissolved, highly bio-available form of calcium, vitamin D3, and magnesium formulated for maximum intestinal absorption. Calcium deficiency in birds can cause seizures, poor bone density, egg binding, feather plucking, splayed legs, nervousness, poor...

morningbirdproducts.com

You can also call your avian vet, they probably sell calcium supplements.

 

[Finchbreed]

Powder on some of her food is best - she can choose how much to take.
Liquid calcium can be overdone because they can't opt out if it is in their water, so is best used under vet supervision, or if soft shell eggs are laid.

 

[Zara]

I use powder. A calcium and vit D3 blend (nekton). I find it easier to control.
Skip the blocks. Stick to supplements.

It is good to start with the supplements before egg laying as this will build up the nutrients in the body before the egg shell is made and the egg laid.
Giving the supplements after the egg is laid still leaves them open to the risks of egg binding or mineral depletion. Both are quite obvious problems, you would see them and know something's not right and you'll be able to run them to the vet for help. The latter happened to my youngest hen twice, and so she is now on a pellet based diet (she gets seeds and veggies as extras but the food in her bowl 24/7 is pellets).

Having access to some unfiltered sunlight as well as offering fresh calcium rich veggies around the time of eggs will be very beneficial for your bird and reduce the risk of egg laying problems.

And about the soil, it's not the actual soil per se, it could be housing aspergillus within and cause aspergillosis. Put some large pebbles on top to block access.

 

[Dantesbeak]

Hi Violet,
I'd reccomend either getting calcium/mineral powder or a mineral powder block (liquid calcium works too, just any dietary calcium). Sprinkle the powder into any food she might like, or just give her the block to chew on. I'd also reccomend giving her some multivitamins, as egg laying takes a lot out of the bird.
A way to avoid her laying (since it's a little bit dangerous to them) is to give her a fake egg. Fake eggs make the parrot think her clutch is complete, which stops her from laying more eggs.

Thank you so much. I did get her a mineral powder block. Do I need multivitamins specific to lovebirds or just Avian multivitamins? Also, having problems locating fake eggs that small. I appreciate you and all your advice!

Violet and Nugget

 

[Dantesbeak]

I use powder. A calcium and vit D3 blend (nekton). I find it easier to control.
Skip the blocks. Stick to supplements.

It is good to start with the supplements before egg laying as this will build up the nutrients in the body before the egg shell is made and the egg laid.
Giving the supplements after the egg is laid still leaves them open to the risks of egg binding or mineral depletion. Both are quite obvious problems, you would see them and know something's not right and you'll be able to run them to the vet for help. The latter happened to my youngest hen twice, and so she is now on a pellet based diet (she gets seeds and veggies as extras but the food in her bowl 24/7 is pellets).

Having access to some unfiltered sunlight as well as offering fresh calcium rich veggies around the time of eggs will be very beneficial for your bird and reduce the risk of egg laying problems.

And about the soil, it's not the actual soil per se, it could be housing aspergillus within and cause aspergillosis. Put some large pebbles on top to block access.

Hi Zara!

Thank you for your advice. I have moved the plant completely out of the room so she has no access to it. I did get a mineral block but will look for supplements as you suggested. I cannot get her to eat pellets. Rarely will she nibble on fruit or veggies. I'm afraid if I remove her seeds and only give pellets, she will starve. How do you recommend I make the change?

Also, Nugget will not be used for breeding. I know she will still lay. Are there specific supplements to help her not get depleted after she lays? She has laid 3 eggs staggered over several days, which I know is normal, I just want her to get the vitamins and minerals she needs to stay healthy.

Violet and Nugget

 

[Dantesbeak]

Powder on some of her food is best - she can choose how much to take.
Liquid calcium can be overdone because they can't opt out if it is in their water, so is best used under vet supervision, or if soft shell eggs are laid.

HI Finchbreed,

Thank you for your advice. I will definitely check into that.
Violet and Nugget

 

[patchyjoon]

Thank you so much. I did get her a mineral powder block. Do I need multivitamins specific to lovebirds or just Avian multivitamins? Also, having problems locating fake eggs that small. I appreciate you and all your advice!

Violet and Nugget

So the general reccomendation is that parrots should get all their vitamins from their pellets + chop. Seeds are extremely fatty, it's like the equivalent of feeding mcDonalds to your bird everyday. They love it, but it's not necessarily the best thing for them as it doesn't contain all the vitamins they need. Here's a good thread that I used when converting Patchy over: New year's pellet conversion resolution

For chop and veggies, it's a battle, I know. There's a lot of things I've tried and I've had most success with: 1) Eating the vegetables in a bowl myself, so Patches starts getting interested because he's obsessed with eating anything I do and 2) Baking "Birdie bread" with vegetables. Some food inspo: Pictures - What are your birds eating today?

On the bright side, you know nugget is seed motivated, which means you can teach her a lot of cool tricks and train her easier.

For the vitamin, my vet reccomended I sprinkle generic avian multi-vitamin (I use Lafebers Powdered Bird Vitamins – Lafeber Company) only when Patches is molting (He has not laid eggs, but the same principle applies: body produces a lot of feathers all at once, so it drains them, which is why they tend to be more irritable during these moments). I know vitamins are slightly controversial in terms of how effective they are, haha, but I feel like I've really seen a difference in him getting something "extra" during these periods.

For the egg, I know there's a brand called dummy eggs (DummyEggs.com Stop Egg Laying! Plastic Fake Bird Eggs) I haven't personally used them, but I know a friend of mine did try it with her conure and it worked. Other things you can do to stop nugget from laying is:
1. Making sure she is asleep 11-12 hours a day (I use a cage cover to ensure it's dark from 7pm to 7am)
2. Removing any "happy huts", tents, or anything that might be a dark cozy space (not sure if you have these things but this causes hormonal behavior)
3. Avoid touching her below her neck

 

[patchyjoon]

Powder on some of her food is best - she can choose how much to take.
Liquid calcium can be overdone because they can't opt out if it is in their water, so is best used under vet supervision, or if soft shell eggs are laid.

I didn't know this. Great to know, thank you

 

[Dantesbeak]

So the general reccomendation is that parrots should get all their vitamins from their pellets + chop. Seeds are extremely fatty, it's like the equivalent of feeding mcDonalds to your bird everyday. They love it, but it's not necessarily the best thing for them as it doesn't contain all the vitamins they need. Here's a good thread that I used when converting Patchy over: New year's pellet conversion resolution

For chop and veggies, it's a battle, I know. There's a lot of things I've tried and I've had most success with: 1) Eating the vegetables in a bowl myself, so Patches starts getting interested because he's obsessed with eating anything I do and 2) Baking "Birdie bread" with vegetables. Some food inspo: Pictures - What are your birds eating today?

On the bright side, you know nugget is seed motivated, which means you can teach her a lot of cool tricks and train her easier.

For the vitamin, my vet reccomended I sprinkle generic avian multi-vitamin (I use Lafebers Powdered Bird Vitamins – Lafeber Company) only when Patches is molting (He has not laid eggs, but the same principle applies: body produces a lot of feathers all at once, so it drains them, which is why they tend to be more irritable during these moments). I know vitamins are slightly controversial in terms of how effective they are, haha, but I feel like I've really seen a difference in him getting something "extra" during these periods.

For the egg, I know there's a brand called dummy eggs (DummyEggs.com Stop Egg Laying! Plastic Fake Bird Eggs) I haven't personally used them, but I know a friend of mine did try it with her conure and it worked. Other things you can do to stop nugget from laying is:
1. Making sure she is asleep 11-12 hours a day (I use a cage cover to ensure it's dark from 7pm to 7am)
2. Removing any "happy huts", tents, or anything that might be a dark cozy space (not sure if you have these things but this causes hormonal behavior)
3. Avoid touching her below her neck

Hi there! I checked out the New Year's pellet conversion. It looks like no one has posted anything for 7 years. There was no response when I reached out.

Nugget will nibble on what I am eating, but not enough to call it a meal. She refuses chop or anything like it.

I went to Lafebers and was unable to place the order. Is it me or is there site difficult to navigate? I will keep trying.

I got the fake eggs!!!

I do keep her covered from sundown to sunup so from about 5 pm to 5-6 am.

We are devasted that her happy hut is now in the trash. but what must be done is done

I try not to touch her below the neck. She likes to snuggle in my hand while I caress her head and cheeks.
She has been quickly running up on me and nipping my neck and face. I don't think she is trying to hurt me, she just gets excited, but I want her to stop because it does hurt plus then I can't trust her to be on friends and family. I tell her no! then put my hand between her and my face/neck.

 

[patchyjoon]

Hi there! I checked out the New Year's pellet conversion. It looks like no one has posted anything for 7 years. There was no response when I reached out.

Nugget will nibble on what I am eating, but not enough to call it a meal. She refuses chop or anything like it.

I went to Lafebers and was unable to place the order. Is it me or is there site difficult to navigate? I will keep trying.

I got the fake eggs!!!

I do keep her covered from sundown to sunup so from about 5 pm to 5-6 am.

We are devasted that her happy hut is now in the trash. but what must be done is done

I try not to touch her below the neck. She likes to snuggle in my hand while I caress her head and cheeks.
She has been quickly running up on me and nipping my neck and face. I don't think she is trying to hurt me, she just gets excited, but I want her to stop because it does hurt plus then I can't trust her to be on friends and family. I tell her no! then put my hand between her and my face/neck.

Hey!! Yeah, the new years pellet conversion is an old thread. I basically just read through it and then followed the same protocol for my conure. Mashed his pellets in with seed, slowly took away the seed. It took a long, long time (2-3 months.. lol) and he still slips into his old habits sometimes. But from everything I tried, this is the best way to do it.

Amazon also has the vitamin mix, that's where I normally get it. My avian vet sells it as well as their own vitamin powders, so sometimes I get it from there too. Although I will say, getting your girl on pellets and veggies is the best and most effective way to get her vitamins. So once we wean her off the addictive seed, you won't even need to use it.

If she had a happy hut, that's likely what caused her to be hormonal.

The biting can also be fueled from hormones, and also depends on personality. My conure loves to run up to my toes, and give me a good nip. I'd reccomend when she does bite you to firmly say no, and then put her into her cage. She'll start understanding that bite = you are getting cage time. Though, I will say, some parrots are just... biters... so it might be a habit hard to get rid off. I'm going through a similar thing with my boy, except now when I put him into his cage he starts crying like a little baby (I am legitimately 2 feet away from his cage at all times, I work right next to him ).

 

[Finchbreed]

The birds activity level makes a big difference to their 'need for seed' 'need for pellets' grouping.
Mine live almost entirely on seed - and live in spacious avairies where they do a lot of flying.
Most lovebirds are into greens though so it should be possible to get her to convert some.