I'm hoping someone can help me with a little problem. I have an aviary with 5 budgies. There is no nesting material available in the aviary whatsoever because I don't want any breeding going on just yet. I just went out to check my birds and one of the hens is on the perch. I look underneath her and her vent is very swollen. She does have a mate and I have caught them 'in the act' if you know what I mean recently. I'm not sure if she is egg-bound or ready to lay an egg. I'm not prepared for this and I'm not sure what to do...eeeek!

I wouldn't jump straight to the conclusion of egg binding, if she doesn't look stressed. There is information on what to look for in the FAQ section here: http://forums.budgie...o&action=search

 

Just laying an egg or two does not mean that egg binding is imminent. So don't panic straight away on that account. And just because they practice mating for fun doesn't mean she will even lay any eggs. You may have nothing to worry about.

 

But if she does start to lay eggs, and you would like to try to get her to stop, I have had some success with simply moving her to a different cage for a little while, which can throw her off and make her stop. (She may have to get rid of an egg or two first if they are already developing.)

 

I have also had hens that kept laying, no matter what I did, so no guarantees that moving her around will work. But if you can make her feel that her circumstances are not conducive to raising a family, she may go out of egg laying mode. (IF she even is.)

 

 

But if it's just budgies mating for the fun of it, you have nothing to worry about. It's normal.

I have had an odd hen or two lay an egg off the perch. Even when there is no nest box's, have just gone into aviary and there is a broken egg under perch's, don't even know which hen has laid it.