Eclectus Egg Laying Behavior

Have had birds for years, must have all been boys because yesterday morning's egg at the bottom of the cage came as quite a surprise! Did a little reading that says it's usually caused by something environmental so I guess I have to figure out if it's the male Amazon in the cage next door, or my son who is the only human this bird has bonded with since coming into our home three months ago. Neither one is leaving, so I am looking for guidance on how to manage this issue and keep everyone healthy and happy. Can anyone out there in Parrot Lovers Paradise help me out? Oh, one last question - she laid one yesterday.....what's the likelihood there are any more to come? Thanks so much, Audrey.

Hey Audrey,

I have a pair of eclectus. No successful babies yet - darn. But they lay eggs.

Eclectus are determinate layers meaning they lay x number of eggs and not an unlimited number of eggs. Generally it's two eggs. Slight problem w/ the eclectus - they're not seasonal breeders, they can lay year round. So, yeah, try to figure out the trigger and eliminate it. Lotsa calcium in the mean time.

Leave the egg(s) w/ her and let her sit them and get it out of her system. If there's bars on the bottom of the cage preventing this, you can put a little cardboard box down there w/ some pine shavings or hay bedding.

How old is she?

Thanks for the information, this is quite interesting. She is a rescue, so not exactly sure of her age. We were told she is 6 and the vet estimates that to be appx. right. I guess I'm going to have to figure out how to eliminate the stimulus, really hate to put her in a separate room from the rest of us...

Anyway, we found the egg sitting on the grate at the bottom of the cage, broken open from the fall from her hammock (she had never nested) and she paid no attention to it. Today when I cleaned out her cage, I removed it with no reaction from her.

As a matter of fact, it seems like she's nicer to me since this happened....she bit the hell out of my arm and hand when we first got her, and has never wanted anything to do with me. Yesterday and today, she seems friendlier, letting me touch her beak and letting me give her scratches once in a while through the cage rungs.

It's been really disappointing, I've wanted an Eclectus for so long, and now I have one that hates me.....just my luck. Anyway, thanks for the information. If you think of anything else that might help us take care of this issue properly, I'll be glad to hear from you. Thanks again.

I really don't think you need to segregate her from the rest of the family.

There's the usual suspects:

• Don't pet down the back (simulates sex)

• Don't feed warm foods

• Reduce daylight hours/put her to bed earlier

• Discourage regurgitation (get her attention and get her engaged doing something else when/if she tries to regurg)

• Don't let her back her booty up to you (masturbation. Handle the same way as regurging.)

• Remove any nesty places. Don't let her obsess over dark little cubbies.

• Try getting everyone handling her so she gets over her one bond w/ your son.

Other suggestions:

• Get her out and about more so she's not thinking about sex so much

• Get her foraging for her food so she's not thinking about sex so much

• Rearrange the stuff in the cage

• Move the location of the cage

• Think of other ways to change things up

Richard? Josie? You guys live with mature pet hens. Any other suggestions? Do your girls lay?

Can't help this: These rules sound like the ones I used to try to enforce with my ex-husband! I used to try to do it with a lawnmower!!! LOL

Now, serisously. Thanks for all the suggestions, I can put some of these practices to use. Thanks again.

gardenangel630 wrote:

Can't help this: These rules sound like the ones I used to try to enforce with my ex-husband! I used to try to do it with a lawnmower!!! LOL

Now, serisously. Thanks for all the suggestions, I can put some of these practices to use. Thanks again.

Whaa???

We have quite a few mature single hens and just sayin' they are a horny lot and that is NOT a joke Jake laid the first season and to date none of the rest have laid not for lack of age just because I don't have the time to spoil just 1 I have to spoil a bunch every day. When they become obsessed I just turn my attention to another and that normally fixes it all of Roz's suggestions are right on target.