Second Chance Birds

It's important you keep her routine the same. Give her the same bed time, if you are comfy leaving her door open during the day when you are there do so, but at night follow your regular routine. She may not lay again for a couple of days - Tiels lay every other day, and I think Toos do also. Extra calcium is good. Don't keep feeling her vent as you could sexually stimulate her and possibly cause the egg to crack inside her if you use too much pressure. Eggs are very soft when first laid. You may notice her sitting and swaying a bit just before she lays. Don't keep watching up close, leave her be and observe her from a distance as you could stop her from laying and the she could lay 2 at once. I know it's hard and you are worried for her, but let nature take it's course with the egs. IF she hasn't laid another egg in 48 hours & is sitting all FLUFFED up for more than 2 hours she needs a vet. Just observe unless she wants your attention. Since this is her first egg she may not show any interest at all in it.

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Sondra,owned by...
Powder- :U2: - Henry, Poncho- :TIEL: - Momma - :TIEL: - Higgins- :AG: - Max- :hmc:

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly!
Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably .
And never regret anything that made you smile

I've heard of the larger parrots laying but this is the first time I've known of an actual case other than in the literature.

If Zachette is being fed a diet of pellets, fresh foods, some seed and is healthy I think everything will be fine. With all the time out of cage and exercise I don't think eggbound will happen but this is just my relating tiel to amazon. I also don't know the amazon laying cycle. In tiels it's one egg every other day until 4-8 are laid.

Don't spy too much on her. You feed her so well Kay and she is an active bird so if she were with me I wouldn't be worried about anything going wrong.

Same advice as with tiels. Don't encourage her to masterbate (not saying you do at all) and when she does on you just place her elsewhere and don't make a big deal about it, be neutral.

Light needs to be reduced so get out the room darkening shades or double up on the curtains or drapes. Don't keep her up past when the sun goes down for more than a few minutes.

She is probably in a cage and set up area that is difficult to move as she is a large parrot, but if you can, intentional distraction by moving cage or her regular playstand or climbing/flapping tree every week or two helps reduce or stop laying.

Keep petting to a minimum and only pet her head and face all other areas can start the wild thing and then another egg.

When she is done laying, if she does lay more eggs that is, let her sit on them a couple weeks and then toss or remove one or two eggs every other day. Then remove whatever it is she made into her nest and move the cage or at least change where the perches are at and the toys.

I always feel bad when my tiels lay and I have one chronic egg layer. I feel so mean with all the intentional distractions, not loving them up as much as I think they would like, no happy huts most of the year etc.

My chronic egg layer lays a clutch of two or three about every 6-8 weeks. This is very good as when I got her she was an egg machine laying on and off all the time.

I also hard boil the eggs to keep them from rotting and breaking open as the stench is beyond description.

Poor Zachette only doing what she is designed to do in a cage in a living room in captivity. But she has you Kay and for that she is better off than most birds living in captivity.

If she does start laying more eggs, more often you may want to look into some calcium/D/D3 supplements but this would be if she really goes to town with the laying.

All good advice here and I am deeply grateful. Zach has not pooped in her cage she came out and did a giant one just as V. stated she would then a few minutes she climbed onto my chair and sat on my shoulder for a little bit then down to the arm of the chair and dropped another pile. First time in 10 years she has pooped on a piece of furniture.

I live in a very small apt and there isn't anyway I'm going to be able to move her cage, but I can move a few things around within it. She was rearranging her "nest" and the egg this morning when I uncovered her. I left about a 2" space at the bottom of her cage uncovered last nigh so she could see. I leave a night light on because she falls off a perch. I don't know if she slept in the happy hut or on the egg. But she is back in her cage rearranging all the little stuff again.

I did boil the egg because I was afraid she might break it and didn't want the smell. Nice to know that all the fluffing up was in preparation of laying an egg and not that she was sick. Problem here will be that if she is fluff up for 48 hours and no egg, that will be a tomorrow on the 4th, and have no idea if the local vet will be available. When this county shuts down for a holiday, it shuts down.

Well, just got a phone call from a daughter, and my granddaughter who has been to the emergency room 5 times in 1 week with 4 different diagnoses is now admitted to the hospital, they haven't the foggiest idea what is wrong with her.

Zach is sitting on her egg, with one end sticking out from under her and she is EATING it.
She is breaking off bits of the shell and chewing them then rolls the egg back to the nesting material, and is still munching. I am definitely not ready for this.

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Kay

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With a Broken Wing and a Dream, You oughta see Him Fly!
Now I lay me down to sleep, to dream of a home that I may keep.
Bo-Innocent & Brave ((((Diamond))))

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Bird Profile

I had to leave my little love for a number of hours today, and just got home a bit ago. She had eaten about half her egg and then buried the remains under the piece of fleece and shredded paper on the bottom of her cage.

I let her out as soon as I came in, then cleaned up the egg bits. While I was in the kitchen fixing her dinner, she moved her piece of fleece and most of the nesting material to the tray under the grate of her cage. I lay newspaper down on the grate and then cover that with white newspaper, (roll end) so she has a floor to play on. But she has moved most of everything to the tray, and is now busy rearranging. She has several chomping blocks and is attacking them with a vigor.

I'm sitting in my recliner with the laptop, but she hasn't tried to come visit me yet. She did scarf down her dinner, so hungry girl. She has had her normal pellet diet with forging toys with treats in them all the time I was gone. When I put her to bed tonight, I'm not going to put her nesting materials back in the cage for her.

Her little personality has changed but can't really explain how. Its more as if she is very busy and isn't much interested in me. Which is fine, I don't want her stressing over that egg. Spoke to soon, she has arrived on my chair.

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Kay

Wow Kay! I can't even imagine how I would feel if Cosmo laid an egg! I would be completely freaking out, so I think you sound remarkably calm.

So much good advice from everyone. I will remember it all if it ever happens to me.

I hope Zachette will be fine and is done laying eggs for the rest of her life. Talk about stressful!!! Cosmo and I are sending lots of hugs and good vibes for you both!

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In life, it's not the bad things we do that hurt us, it's the good things we don't do. ~Shmuley Boteach

This message approved by Cosmo

You've gotten some great advice! I also hope Zachette is done laying. I don't know their laying cycle either. My Green Winged Macaw hen; Kita laid an egg every 72 hours and she didn't start sitting on them until the second one was laid. She went through a laying period shortly after she came to live with me so I understand your concern about her stressing over her egg. I just hated it when she laid eggs. I felt it disrupted her quality of life but she seemed to enjoy her pseudo mama moments. My AV's advice was; don't let her sit longer than what was natural; 28 days.

Kita usually laid 3 eggs but one time she laid 4! I would only let her sit on 2 at a time though. I would sneak the extras away. When she first started laying them she seemed to think they were on the bottom of her cage so she could play hockey with them. So the extra ones came in handy!

Here's a picture from 2 1/2 years ago when she laid eggs.
http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss11 ... s12-07.jpg

These were her last eggs before she got sick. Luckily Mother Nature has said no more eggs for you right now until you're feeling better.

Good luck and keep us posted.

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~Karen

Kady - Adoption Day July 22, 2005 - Born circa 1992

Kita - Adoption Day May 6, 2006 - Born circa 1985

Your Kita is just beautiful! I didn't think to take a photo of Zach, how dumb can one be? Jeesh! Should she lay another I'll get a picture of it. I have two books on amazon parrots and another book on parrot health, and none of them mention anything about egg laying except if they get egg bound, then they have all kinds of things to say.

At the moment she is sitting quietly on her regular perch, not in her happy hut, nor messing with the stuff on the bottom of her cage. It is near ner bed time so think I may cover her now and reduce any light. I can't leave her until the sun goes down, as that doesn't happen until about 10 p.m. It's still light at 11 p.m.

It's been a long day.

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Kay

K, put her to bed at her normal time. Keep with her regular schedule (or as close as possible), just try to ensure she gets 10 -12 hours of quiet dark time - a night light is an excellent idea, I use one also.

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Sondra,owned by...
Powder- :U2: - Henry, Poncho- :TIEL: - Momma - :TIEL: - Higgins- :AG: - Max- :hmc:

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly!
Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably .
And never regret anything that made you smile

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Cockatoos are not obedient. No to a Cockatoo means try again later.

"Some say they don't believe that angels can be seen or heard.
What a shame, such blindness. What a pity, such deafness. When the Song of songs abounds and Heaven's flyers are all around only thinly disguised as birds"

Unseen they suffer ~ Unheard they cry ~ In agony they linger ~ In loneliness they die

Terific and wonderful presentation about eggs. Enjoyed it very much and it was very educational. Shouldn't that post be moved to our Educational/teaching department? Do we have a general education forum? Thank you very much.

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Kay

Great information!

This is one of my favorite articles about egg production;

A hen doesn't just lay an egg out of the blue. There are often clear signs that a hen is becoming reproductively active, so once you learn what to look for, you can be prepared for any situation. Read full article here; http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/eggbound.html

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~Karen

Kady - Adoption Day July 22, 2005 - Born circa 1992

Kita - Adoption Day May 6, 2006 - Born circa 1985

I have a granddaughter in the hospital seriously ill, so poor Zachette hasn't been receiving as much attention as she probably needs. Today is the 3rd day since laying her egg, and she shows no signs of another, that is, she is not fluffing up, straining or grunting. Her vent appears normal to look at, no puffiness or pressure from anything behind it. She sits quietly on my finger and lets me hold her up and part a feather or two to clearly see her vent. All looks normal.

However, that said and done, she is still tearing up paper, chomping on wood, and rearranging stuff in her cage. She is also holding her poop until I let her out and then does the huge, biggie. She held it for the 9 hours I was at the hospital yesterday then let go as soon as I let her out, did a couple of more before I put her back in the cage at 9 p.m.

In spite of all the noise from the fire works, I was asleep by 10:30. I let Zach out at 8 this morning, a big poop and she ate a big breakfast, but still no sign she is trying to lay an egg. She is still active, climbing all over her cage and playpen. She hasn't gone back in her happy hut, using her sleeping perch. She is also marching all over the apt looking for a darker and deeper hidey hole. Found her once under my recliner and she tried to nip me as I rolled her out. She didn't want to come out so had rolled onto her back and I just kept her rolling until she was close enough for me to pick up. Brat. Then she wanted a kiss and snuggle, so gave her a quickie head scratch and kiss and put her back in her cage.

BTW, chomping on wood and stuff isn't a big indicator of potential nesting for Zach, who is an Amazon, because she just learned to chomped on stuff this past year, thanks to M2Mom, and now that she knows what it is all about, loves to chomp anything and everything. Same with her happy hut. We live in a very cold area and her happy hut helps keep her warm and saves on my electric bill. Yesterday the temp here was a magnificent 57 degrees F, and indoor temp 68. Zach is also a very hormonal bird and has for quite a few years, masturbated numerous times a day, year round, and gets all fluffy and puffy when she does. I'm just surprised she has waited until she was 10 years old to lay her first egg "out of the blue", because I am really, onto my birds and would have been on the board in a heartbeat if any behavior had been out of the normal for her.

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Kay

You're doing fine K. My guess would be she has taken one of her toys in her nest area as her egg substitute.
Prayers for your Granddaughter.

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Sondra,owned by...
Powder- :U2: - Henry, Poncho- :TIEL: - Momma - :TIEL: - Higgins- :AG: - Max- :hmc:

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly!
Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably .
And never regret anything that made you smile

Some of you have noticed that Zach is no longer in my signature and no longer with me. I thought I would bring you up to date. As far as I know, Zach has not laid another egg. She seems to be fine, according to family members.

On July 8th I went into the hospital for major surgery. My granddaughter, who was supposed to stay in my apt and care for Zach and Bodie, was released from the hospital the same day I went in, still to ill to care for my birds. In desperation, I gave my apt key to my daughter who had raised Zach to age 4, to care for the birds until I came home. While I was in the hospital, my daughter took Zach to her home and will not be bringing her back.

I'm not going to get into a discussion about what I could or should do, nor about what my daughter should or shouldn't have done. No comments would be appreciated. I just want you all to know that Zach was not sold, nor re-homed to a stranger.

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Kay

(((( HUGS ))))

ps a hug isn't a comment it's a hug!

I'm so sorry.

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Duckie Jocko Petey
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

Aw, I'm really sorry too. Hope you and Bodie are hanging in there, and that you recuperating from your surgery.

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In life, it's not the bad things we do that hurt us, it's the good things we don't do. ~Shmuley Boteach

This message approved by Cosmo

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If you must cripple a creature to keep it, perhaps you should reconsider its suitability as a pet.
We must never forget the one who inspired me... my precious Baby!