I noticed that Marigold's abdomen was looking enlarged. I felt it and, sure enough, it was squishy ( just like before ). I've separated her and put her in the hospital cage. I don't want her attacked again, the feathers on her head are just growing back! How can I stop her laying again? I have no nestbox inside the cage, nor in the budgie's views. The cage environment is changed around 1-3 times per week and the daylight hours are still very short. What is causing her to lay ( assuming she is eggnant, but I am confident )? The hospital cage is very open, no places to nest. Her poos so far are slightly larger than normal. I have noticed before that they get really big about 1-2 days before laying. Her poos are normal colour. So, how do I stop her?

 

Thanks in advance.

She sounds very determined to lay. Best of luck with her Ratzy

Poos are massive

If I remember correctly, Marigold laid an egg in the main cage, back in August. Then you divided the cage and gave her and her partner a nest box, in which she laid more eggs. Then the other hen squeezed in and attacked her, but she wasn't hurt too bad. At that time you moved her into the hospital cage.

 

My questions for you are: 1.) Did she ever lay any eggs off the perch in the hospital cage?

2.) How many eggs, when did she stop, and how long did you keep her in the hospital cage before moving her back to the main cage? (Or did she stay in the hospital cage this whole time?)

 

My reasoning behind the questions is, I would think that isolating her in the hospital cage the first time should have gotten her to stop laying. Going back in the main cage with her mate might have triggered her to go back into condition and start a new clutch, and, hopefully, another stint alone in the hospital cage should break the cycle again. (She may have to lay one or two off the perch again.)

 

You may have to give her an extended hospital stay, so she gets well and truly over this idea she has to breed. Or maybe at least enough time in there to rest so that if she is really determined, she is in good health later down the road.

 

Of course, if she's been alone in the hospital cage this whole time and has just randomly decided to lay again with no partner, then any eggs she lays won't be fertile. But in that case, I don't have any other ideas on how to help you. Maybe someone else will know.

Thanks Finnie. She didn't lay any in the hospital cage at all, I was surprised at that. I put her back after a while. She seemed fine. I'm actually not sure on what triggered her to breed in the first place, though. Maybe it was the rain fall? I'm not expecting an egg for a couple of days. What happens if any eggs are fertile and she sits?

I would take away any eggs as soon as they're laid, don't give her the chance to sit.

 

Is the hospital cage large enough for her to be comfortable for a couple of months? I'm thinking it might take a long time to break her of this cycle.

It would probably be big enough. It would be bigger if I turned it over onto it's side. I'll get a picture of it turned over. Might turn it over now. It is an old useless cage that was too tall. So I took the bottom off, pushed it against a wall on it's side ( so it is still tall but wide ). I read that taking the eggs away might encourage her to lay more?

It would probably be big enough. It would be bigger if I turned it over onto it's side. I'll get a picture of it turned over. Might turn it over now. It is an old useless cage that was too tall. So I took the bottom off, pushed it against a wall on it's side ( so it is still tall but wide ). I read that taking the eggs away might encourage her to lay more?

 

 

I guess the idea is that since she's been taken away from where she wanted to lay her eggs, and has been put in a strange cage all alone with nowhere to nest, then she will give up. But she can't help laying the eggs that have already developed, those have to come out, regardless. So she just lays them off the perch in the hospital. (That's what my hen Colleen did, when I didn't want her to go for a second round.)

 

It's a different scenario than if she were laying in a nest box, and you took some eggs away to encourage her to lay more.

Thanks again!