Behavior question...

Irissama

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There's something I'm wondering about my kakariki.... Sometimes she starts making some low squeaky noises. Then she puffs up her head, flattens down and uh... lifts her tail.

...Is she thinking what I think she's thinking? :52: Or is there something wrong with her? At first I thought she was distressed...
 

MikeyTN

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If your thinking what im thinking. Then I think your right.... she's doing her mating thing...
 

MikeyTN

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By the way, I would advice you not touching her right now.... but sometimes that may not be enough that she'll still lay eggs. Be watching her closely! If she does, don't throw her eggs, let her sit on them if she wants. Until she gives up sitting on them. She can lay up to 12 eggs or more in a batch. Just watch her close!!!
 
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Irissama

Irissama

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Woo boy. Not touching her?? Just when she does her little scene??? Does she think I have a magic touch or something? :52:

Should I start giving her calcium supplements just in case she starts laying? Man, I thought she was still too young for this kind of stuff...
 

Crazy4Birds

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Yup, it's that time of year. You can cover the cage for longer hours to simulate winter time. Does she only do this when you are holding her? If so then you can put her back in her cage and ignore her for a bit until she cools off. This shows her that you are not interested in mating with her lol.
 

MikeyTN

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Yup, it's that time of year. You can cover the cage for longer hours to simulate winter time. Does she only do this when you are holding her? If so then you can put her back in her cage and ignore her for a bit until she cools off. This shows her that you are not interested in mating with her lol.

Sometimes that wont even work. I tried that with the kakariki I had and she kept laying. I saved her several times by helping her pass the egg but eventually she giveup the last time....she laid way too many eggs and she wouldn't stop, we ignore her, cover her, etc. It just didn't work for her.....

Provide her with cuttle bones, mineral blocks, oyster shells, etc. Have mineral oil or olive oil on hand if you need to help her pass. I also boil water and hold her above the steam to help her. I managed to do it for so long.... the egg that killed her came out right when she died and I threw that egg against the wall cause I was so upset. She was part of the reason why im afraid to have female birds. Two months ago samething happened to one of my girl tiels and her inside fell out with the egg. I helped her push it back in, there was blood everywhere when I found her like that. I was able to save her. She finally stopped laying. Sometimes when that happens they wont be able to have anymore eggs. After that I kept myself distant from her.... it wasn't easy...
 

Ratzy

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Just don't encourage it. No nest boxes, dark spaces, snugglehuts or anything. Change the cage round every other day, cover the cage in a COMPLETELY darkened room and maybe even visit the vet for a hormone injection if she starts laying. Don't touch her on her back and possibly exclude shredding toys.
Marigold used to be a chronic egg layer ( sort of ) and a few weeks in solitary confinement and a few months in an all girls cage worked.
 
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Irissama

Irissama

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She starts her mood pretty much at random. Mom thinks it's when she scolds her (Wait till I tell her bird's got a weird kink now. :D) so when it happens she starts talking nicely to her and putting her on her shoulder (and she actually *rubs her back*. Ooooh this is gonna be weird.).

...I sorta knew it was something hormonal so I just stared at her weird. XD But I never had a bird do that so I didn't know how to react.

I have some powder calcium supplement I give to the budgies in their water (two of them have calcium deficiency, they don't eat their mineral blocks and cuttlebones somehow.) and while I'm at it I add some in Pixel's water at the same time. But she eats her cuttle bone and mineral block. the calcium water thing is not as effective for her I guess though because she drinks in my glass of water a lot during the day.
 

Spiritbird

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I would not give any calcium supplements until you are told to do this by a vet. If she lays eggs, which I doubt because she is young, then concentrate on the calcium rich foods. By the way how old is your bird?
 
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Irissama

Irissama

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that's the problem, I dunno for sure! They didn't have a birthdate (I almost wrote BIRDdate here.... HA). What I have for data is that when I bought her the petstore told me she was on weaning pellets and was very young (they had her for less than a week, kakarikis sell very fast and are rare in the area from what I see!). I bought her November 21st.

(That's what camera pictures are for...Remembering dates!)
 

MikeyTN

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"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
that's the problem, I dunno for sure! They didn't have a birthdate (I almost wrote BIRDdate here.... HA). What I have for data is that when I bought her the petstore told me she was on weaning pellets and was very young (they had her for less than a week, kakarikis sell very fast and are rare in the area from what I see!). I bought her November 21st.

(That's what camera pictures are for...Remembering dates!)

OMG, you bought her on my birthday!!!!

Once she start to lay, she'll go for the calcium stuff trust me!!! I don't like the powder stuffs, it makes the water icky... Ignoring her is about the best thing you can do. In a different room where you guys aren't near or go into until she gets over it. I made the mistake keeping mine in the living room but covered her up. She chew holes in the cover to peek out. It didn't help much at all... My Karariki did not like other birds much, plus karariki is very rare to find in South Dakota, where I used to live....I didn't have to provide her a nest box, she was laying on the bottom of the cage. She passed away back in 99....I will remember her always, she was a very sweet loving bird!
 

MikeyTN

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Feb 1, 2011
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Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
By the way, they can start laying as young as 9 month. It's not advised but it can happen. It's advised to allow breeding when they're at least close to 2 years old.
 

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