Hello Boys and Girls,
Do you remember my Alexandrine Parrot named Willow?
She does not have a mate but usually lays one or two eggs every spring. Female birds (like chickens) can do this. The thing parrot owners have to watch out for is that they do not lay too many eggs. This depletes the bird of calcium and can cause disease, broken bones, etc. They can even become egg bound--doesn't that sound uncomfortable?!
For some reason Willow has laid five eggs this year!!!! This has taken place over a two week period of time. I can take her to Dr. Drumheller, my exotic pet vet for a special shot, but I want to try to avoid that. I have made sure she has a cuttle bone and mineral block in her cage. I did sprinkle some calcium in her food, but I don't want to over do that. (Remember when I gave one of my chameleons too much calcium and "poisoned" him? Reptiles and birds are closely related. It goes back to dinosaur times.)
You know I feel that if you are a pet owner, you must take care of their needs. Right now my students and I are researching what to do to stop Willow from laying more eggs. If you research this on your own and find suggestions, send me a note or drop by to see me.
The kids and I discovered that I made a mistake by removing the eggs from her cage. I did this for years without a problem. This year, however her behavior has been very different. She has been "broody" and stays at the bottom of her cage. She even pulled her night cover into her cage with the last egg she laid. Soooo I put four of her eggs in a dish towel last night (one cracked and I threw it away.) Below is a picture I took this morning of her sitting on her eggs. Look carefully and you can see one egg in front of her. The theory about this is that the parrot will get tired of sitting on them over a 21 day period.
Let me hear from you. I will post this on my blog when I get a chance. www.robinsonsisland-rles.com
Lots of Love,
Mrs. R.
Do you remember my Alexandrine Parrot named Willow?
She does not have a mate but usually lays one or two eggs every spring. Female birds (like chickens) can do this. The thing parrot owners have to watch out for is that they do not lay too many eggs. This depletes the bird of calcium and can cause disease, broken bones, etc. They can even become egg bound--doesn't that sound uncomfortable?!
For some reason Willow has laid five eggs this year!!!! This has taken place over a two week period of time. I can take her to Dr. Drumheller, my exotic pet vet for a special shot, but I want to try to avoid that. I have made sure she has a cuttle bone and mineral block in her cage. I did sprinkle some calcium in her food, but I don't want to over do that. (Remember when I gave one of my chameleons too much calcium and "poisoned" him? Reptiles and birds are closely related. It goes back to dinosaur times.)
You know I feel that if you are a pet owner, you must take care of their needs. Right now my students and I are researching what to do to stop Willow from laying more eggs. If you research this on your own and find suggestions, send me a note or drop by to see me.
The kids and I discovered that I made a mistake by removing the eggs from her cage. I did this for years without a problem. This year, however her behavior has been very different. She has been "broody" and stays at the bottom of her cage. She even pulled her night cover into her cage with the last egg she laid. Soooo I put four of her eggs in a dish towel last night (one cracked and I threw it away.) Below is a picture I took this morning of her sitting on her eggs. Look carefully and you can see one egg in front of her. The theory about this is that the parrot will get tired of sitting on them over a 21 day period.
Let me hear from you. I will post this on my blog when I get a chance. www.robinsonsisland-rles.com
Lots of Love,
Mrs. R.
