Question about how much cuttlebone to give my macaw, please help!

[ChanceLove]

My poor Chancey has been laying eggs. I was taking them from her (I thought I was supposed to :/) so she has been laying and laying. She selected a spot under the coffee table to make a "nest" and I kept cleaning it up and not letting her do it. Well ever since (& thank God I was) told that I have to let her do her thing with her egg or the cycle would keep restarting, her and I have been camped out in the living room. I slept on the floor by her last night, because I want to be near her. She looks so tired and she doesn't move from her spot under the coffee table. I have cuttlebone hanging in her cage (but she won't touch it) so I'm going to grind it up and mix it in some peanut butter (she loves PB lol) and she's been eating and drinking, terrorizing the kids when they get too close, and playing a little with me. How long will this last? I'm going to have a fake egg for next time. Any advice welcome/please tell me how much cuttlebone to use for my green chicky!!

 

[tka]

The calcium in cuttlebone isn't very bioavailable. This means that even if Chancey eats it, her body isn't equipped to make use of the calcium. You are better off finding a good bird calcium supplement. Let us know what country you're in and I'm sure someone can give you a recommendation.

 

[Macawnutz]

Poor baby.... My hy went into an awful egg laying cycle, I had her on a calcium supplement but ended up getting her a depo shot.

How many eggs so far?

 

[ChanceLove]

6 or 7 And I’m in America. Should I give her some cuttlebone anyway until whatever I order for her comes in? Thank you guys!!

 

[Hankmacaw]

If you have Tums (or anything similar) in the house, you can give her those. They are 100% calcium carbonate. The easiest calcium for absorption.

 

[Macawnutz]

Are you letting her keep the eggs? I let them stay as often they will continue to keep laying if you take them.

 

[BrianB]

You might want to let her keep them so she stops laying or replace them with fake eggs. A liquid calcium supplement is probably a good thing as well. Cuttle bones and mineral blocks are really only good for wearing down the beak. A vet or bird store could recommend a good one. Don’t go to a box store because chances are the person there won’t know.

 

[Monica]

IMO, there is *NO* problem removing her eggs..... *IF*, and this is seriously, *IF* you also remove the triggers to her egg laying.

At minimum, the trigger to her laying eggs is the coffee table... it's a nice cozy area that, I'm guessing, is even "covered". It makes a nice nest.


Since you have not removed her "nest", or at least prevented her from going under there (wood/acrylic panels all the way around it to prevent access), she has continued to lay eggs. Laying there with her might also be another trigger. Diet, improper petting, or something else could be some other possible triggers.



If you choose to allow her to keep her current eggs, that's fine! She's likely to sit on them for a month, give or take, before she may lose interest. Once she loses interest, you *NEED* to also remove the triggers to egg laying, otherwise she may continue to lay.


Definitely up her calcium enriched veggie foods during this time.