Chronic Egg Laying
The process of producing and laying an egg is stimulated by many factors: length of day, availability of food, mate behavior, rainfall, competition for nesting sites - these are some of factors that can stimulate hens to lay an egg. It is not necessary that an egg be fertilized before it can be lain. In fact, a mate does not even need to be present for a female to lay eggs.
Chronic egg laying will deplete calcium, thus causing myriad health problems. One of which is the condition known as hypocalcaemia, also known as egg binding. With calcium at a low level, the uterine muscles are unable to contract and push the egg out. Hypocalcaemia can also cause seizure-like activity and brittle bones, which can be easily fractured. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to prevent excessive egg laying.
Breeder often theorize that you have two females, if you find eight or more eggs in a nest. But in the past, I had a pair of lovebirds with TEN eggs in their nesting box, and they were indeed a compatible pair, as proven by the chicks that hutched.
This situation definitely leaves the breeder with a problem - to stop them from 'overdoing it' in the future in order to ensure their continued good health
The first step in treating chronic egg laying is to put your bird on a complete diet. A bird that is on an balanced diet is in little danger of the health problems associated with chronic egg laying.
Things you can do to discourage / stop your bird from laying eggs:
- Do not remove eggs which she has already laid. Sometimes the easiest way to turn off the egg-laying cycle is to allow your bird to sit on her eggs. Additionally, you risk the hen depleting herself of life-essential minerals as she will continue to lay eggs. If your bird lays a few eggs and then sits on them, leave the eggs in the cage for 21 days or until she loses interest. If however she does not stop at 3 - 4 eggs and continues laying. If the eggs could be fertilized and you don't want to raise young or you are concerned about possible smells from the eggs, you could replace the eggs with fake eggs. Local hobby and crafts stores carry wooden eggs, for example, in different sizes. Get the size that matches the natural eggs most closely and usually hens readily accept them. Shaking eggs (and then placing them back with the hen) before they are incubated will stop the fetus from developing -- which is another option if you have a true pair but don't want to raise the young. The only danger is that if it's not done at the right stage and with sufficient strength, the fetus may develop after all, but very likely will hatch crippled.
- Remove possible nesting sites and nest-making material: Remove paper and other items that can be used as nesting material. Keep your bird away from dark, enclosed spaces. Most parrots are cavity nesters, which means that instead of building a nest out in the open they look for dark, enclosed spaces in which to lay their eggs. In order to stop your bird from laying eggs it is essential that she is kept away from such areas. Nest boxes should be promptly removed. Birds can be ingenious when looking for a nesting site (under a couch, behind the microwave, even in the dryer!), so it is important that she is under close supervision when out of the cage.
- Mimik "Shorter Days": Don't use bright lighting in the bird's living area. Increase the hours of darkness (add an hour or two to sleep time). Put your bird to bed early, maybe as early as 5 or 6:00 p.m. A long day length is one of the most important environmental cues triggering egg laying in birds. By allowing your bird to stay up late, you are mimicking the long days of spring/summer, making your bird think it is time to breed. An early bedtime will help to turn off her breeding hormones. Note that she will need complete darkness and quiet for this to be effective (covering the cage while the radio or TV is on is not adequate!).
- Discourage breeding behavior in your bird. Some birds will display breeding behaviors with their favorite person, such as vent-rubbing, tail lifting, or regurgitating food. Discourage these behaviors by putting your bird back in her cage for a "time out" whenever she displays them. Provide ample opportunity for vigorous exercise. Provide new toys and exercise equipment for distraction. Don't pet your bird on her back or under her tail, as this can be sexually stimulating.
- Rearrange the cage interior and change the cage location. Your bird is more likely to lay eggs in a cage that hasn't changed in a while. Putting your bird in a different cage and/or changing the cage location can help discourage laying. Changing the arrangement or types of toys, dishes, and perches in the cage can also be very helpful.
- Give your bird optimal nutrition:
- Producing and laying eggs robs your bird of the vitamins, proteins, and calcium she needs to stay healthy. It is especially crucial during the breeding season that she is on a complete and balanced diet, including fresh fruits, sprouts, beans, rice and veggies.
- Reduce fatty foods that are high in Vitamin E, such as nuts and eggs. Breeders actually use Vitamin E supplements to bring birds into breeding condition. With a chronica egg-layer, you really want to avoid that.
- It is important to reduce warm, soft mushy and starchy food items that make good weaning foods, as the availability of these foods will encourage breeding in the female. Also one has to remember that regurgitated food is warm and mushy - warm mushy foods is what pairs feed each other to solicite mating.
- Provide full spectrum light:
- Full spectrum sunlight is necessary for your bird's calcium metabolism, and can be provided by unfiltered sunlight or by a full spectrum fluorescent bulb at least 2 hours a day.
- If necessary, separate from "mate": I don't like the idea of separating bonded pairs; however, if the health of the hen is at risk, you may not have another choice but to keep your bird away from other birds to which she is bonded. Having a mate is a strong stimulus for your bird to lay. This mate may be a member of the opposite sex, another female bird, or even a bird of a different species. Separating your bird from the other birds in your household will help turn off her hormones. Please note that some single birds will display mating behaviors with objects in their environment, such as food cups, toys, perches, or mirrors. Mating behaviors include regurgitating food, vent rubbing, and tail lifting. If your bird engages in these behaviors with an inanimate object, that object should be permanently removed from her environment.
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Ask your veterinarian about hormone injections. In certain cases of excessive egg-laying, your veterinarian may recommend hormone injections in addition to the above environmental and dietary changes. Hormone injections are relatively safe and can help reduce egg-laying in some birds. The effectiveness of hormone injections varies from bird to bird and can not be accurately predicted beforehand.
Lupron: leuprorelin acetate has an inhibitory effect on the pituitary that should reduce the hormones FSH and LH. This drug has been used in birds for chronic egg laying, hormonal aggression and feather picking. Again, this is not a perfect drug and certainly not for all situations.
Please note that my particular experience of a true pair laying 10 eggs is the exception to the rule ... in many cases, the "eight eggs or more" rule applies as indication that two females are 'trying to raise a family.' Having birds sexed before setting them up for breeding will eliminate this possibility.
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