Coco has now laid 4 small eggs and proceeded to crack 3 open and eat half the shell (I accidentally destroyed one). She goes through 2 cuttlebones a week, I bought her a cockatiel size one yesterday. In addition, she gets vitamins in her water every other day which have added calcium. On the days she doesn't get vitamins, she gets a mixture of romaine, bok chok, carrots, brocolli and chickweed if I can find it. This is supplemented with chopped fruit every Saturday or veg/fruit kabobs. I also had a mineral block in her cage for a couple of months which she did not care for. I have no desire for any eggs, these are not viable ones, I would prefer she lay a clutch of 5 or whatever and sit on them until she loses interest (thankfully my lovebird Phoebe has gone this route and is now back to normal). She can't keep continually laying them and eating them or I see Luprin injections in her future which I don't want. WHAT am I doing wrong?

are they fertile? If not she probably knows they are bad and after she cracks them the shell is there so she eats it because it is like cuttlebone? Hey this is a long shot, I am sure someone with more experience will know.

No way on this earth they are fertile! If she keeps destroying them, won't she just keep laying them endlessly? I am really batting zero this week, first day of vacation yesterday, tow truck had to come and haul my car out of the driveway (transmission problems), garage didn't have parts, am facing a $1000 bill not to mention car rental at $40 per day and it won't be ready until tomorrow. And now EGGS again!

I don't know Pheobe , since I don't breed good question for those experienced here on the boards. Why not repost this to breeders chat.

I don't think Coco is recognising the eggs as something she must get maternal about or something that has come from her. She's laid them, turned around and forgotten about it, then pecks at them as if you have put some new food in her cage for her to try out. Some budgies aren't all that brainy and, just like people some aren't all that maternal either. I have a budgie just like this one. Solutions ?? Could replace them with marbles or fake eggs to stop the egglaying cycle if there IS an ongoing cycle or just remove them as she lays them.

Edited May 31, 200619 yr by budgiebird

Thanks, you are definately correct in that she is not maternal about them. Best I get some marbles as to just take them away would just lead to more egg laying?

:ausb: Thanks, you are definately correct in that she is not maternal about them. Best I get some marbles as to just take them away would just lead to more egg laying? :dbb1:

Probably....but she doesnt seem to be maternal either way. However the egglaying cycle might already be in play.....so maybe fakes or marbles might stop that. There's brainy, clever budgies and there's other kinds :ausb:

:dbb1: Thanks budgiebird, she definately fits into the "other kind" category, she's pretty but.......at least she steps up for me but she is very flighty, messy and loves to throw things around and destroy everything not secured down. :ausb:

And she is still up to laying those little round egg every 2 days!! Plan to get her some white marbles but I may not get them in fast enough, she will either eat the shell of the eggs while they are still warm or bash them around like a soccer ball until they break, silly goose!

how fast do you need those marbles ? ive got handfulls of them around my house, i can bring some on sunday if you like ? other then that i wouldnt have a clue how to stop her from egg laying weve got opposite problems, mine wont lay but yours will how about a budgie trade :fear

Haha Broken Dreamz you wouldn't want to take on my problems but if you can give me a few white marbles on Sunday, I would appreciate it, I am SO BUSY these days, thanks! :

il go pick out a few now how many do you want (Laughing out loud) im sure if one of my guys started laying i would just jump through the roof with excitment!!

Eggs don't excite me at all, my lovebirds are now breeding again without benefit of a nest box and they LIVE in SEPARATE CAGES!! 5 or 6 would be great, thanks a lot!

Edited June 7, 200619 yr by Phoebe

I have a hen that did the same thing this breeding season. She ate her first 3 shells and then went on to rear 2 clutches of 5 chicks each time.. (she is now out in the big aviary having a well-deserved rest). I dont know why they do it. I thought it might have been from a calcium deficiency but I'm not sure. She had plenty of cuttle fish etc.

:ausb: After ten eggs, that was enough for me, took her in for injections, crazy little girl, hopefully she ate her last one last night. She is a very good girl. steps up and doesn't bite but she continues to lay these eggs and won't stop. There is no male privy to her so these are unfertilized eggs. :bluebudgie:

ah 10 :bluebudgie: lets hope that injection works then

 

still want those marbles?

:ausb: Sure bring them, at least they will keep her occupied and she can't destroy, throw them around or eat them. :bluebudgie:

Coco is bashing around a couple of the marbles BrokenDreamz gave me, no respect for eggs or marbles.

I am back to the EGG thing again! Coco laid one on her play center tonight! Hormone shots just temporarily worked. Don't get it at all, her cage is next door to Comet, the old stud of a budgie but they are NEVER out together but he does feed her through the cage bars. Maybe a cage rearrangement will be in order but this was the best arrangement so nobody would bite anybody's feet. Am starting to view houses tomorrow as I have to move and hopefully can get a larger house, have to get a new place within 2 months and am buying with my elderly Mother. Meanwhile, my Rosey Bourke, who has not laid an egg in a year and a half, is goofing around on her cage floor and chewing paper and exhibiting egg laying behaviour, WHY!, WHY!, WHY! Thankfully my lovebirds who are housed in separate cages seem to be behaving for now.

p.s. I am not making this up.

Just being beside each other is enough. If they're close enough to feed each other through the cage bars well...you've answered your own question there. These birds need a huge rearrangement. I remember your problem stopped before when the birds were separated. As much as flock calling grates on the nerves, it'll have to be done if you want the birds to stop laying. And one pair of laying birds can sometimes trigger others. I'm not sure how many birds you have at the moment or how they're set up so I can't really advise anything more specific. But definitely move those budgies faaar away from each other.

:ausb: Thanks Terri, will rearrange everybody tomorrow but then I have to deal with folks biting feet, etc. when I move into a different place, within the next 2 months, there will definitely be more space. Comet and Coco can't actually feed each other through the cage bars as they are about ten inches apart but when Comet is out, the food exchange is on and likewise with Coco.

:bluebudgie: Coco has been moved 2 cages away from Comet but she is still visiting him and he is visiting her (and everybody else)when they are out at different times. Also gave Comet one of those bash the budgie face toys. Would be a shame to lock them both in so will get Princess Coco an injection. Hopefully, when I move, and it will be within the next month and a half, the relocation will shake everybody up and we won't have well water anymore and I will have more room, I am totally at a loss re:this universal reproductive behaviour. My Rosey Bourke, who has not laid an egg in over a year and a half is sitting on the floor like she wants to lay one. Checked her out and she does not have an egg, crazy birds! :ausb: