My Two Couples

[clawnz]

It seems love is in the air! Breeding season looks to be just around the corner.
Main News is! I caught Tinkerbell doing her female posturing, while Henry was doing his Heart Wings

Funny thing was early today I saw both of them on the nest box Max and Roxy are using. Luck those two were in the lounge, so no conflict.
I am so happy that Tinkerbell has become comfortable enough to think about breeding.
So I am on my way to building another nest box.

Poor Roxy, those injections early in the year are still stopping her from having eggs. I feel very bad about it, as they are still into nesting and nothing is happening. Max keeps looking and still spends time in the box.
Not at night though.

Max is living up to his name. He Maxes out.There would be peace if it was not for him.
I find it funny how he will chase the others around then wants to sleep close to them at night. Except Roxy who sleeps in the nest box.

Henry is coming along fine and just needs to get up enough courage to land on me. He comes so close to making that landing. He also touches me a bit with his beak, maybe just testing or even telling me off, for what I have no idea. But it is contact.

I'll of had Henry and Tinkerbell a year at the start of September.
Roxy since February this year and Max (need to check!) around start of June.
It's been a great year and they are all (as far as I can tell) in top order.
It is good to see them fly around with so much more agility. Roxy is the only one who has to work hard at flying still.
Tink still has the edge over Max in the air, which she needs to keep him out of reach. There is no violence he just likes to push the others away.

Sorry No New Photos.

 

[clawnz]

Just wondering...if you don't want them to lay eggs why do you have a nest box?

Roxy was a young egg layer and she did not lay a hard shell egg.
She was only with me 5wks when the first egg arrived.
When Max become available and I thought it would be worth the risk to let Roxy get her sexual emotions over with, and with another Tiel instead of me.
I was concerned that I would have to have her injected again, as she was getting frisky again. And No Way do I want to see that needle go into her like that again.
I am not sure if I posted on this forum about Roxy laying eggs.
The first was while she was on my shoulder at the rescue. Second while roosting on a perch. Third while in flight. Fourth while on my shoulder at the computer. So I was starting to panic. I knew she needed time to gain condition. And had no idea of nesting.

 

[Aussie Ben]

WOW its all systems go at your place, its like a soap opera lol.

I feel so sorry for poor Roxy, but you did what you had to do. How much longer will the effect of the injection last? I'm still amazed at the places she was laying her eggs, very peculiar.

 

[Birdamor]

I assume we are talking about Lupron and, if we are, it doesn't last forever. As a matter of fact, most AVs are steering away from them unless the bird's health is severely compromised by laying because nobody knows what the right dosages are for different species and what the long term effects would be. I've never had to have a bird injected with it so far -knock on wood!. I've always managed to stop chronic laying through natural methods.

 

[clawnz]

I assume we are talking about Lupron and, if we are, it doesn't last forever. As a matter of fact, most AVs are steering away from them unless the bird's health is severely compromised by laying because nobody knows what the right dosages are for different species and what the long term effects would be. I've never had to have a bird injected with it so far -knock on wood!. I've always managed to stop chronic laying through natural methods.

Thank you for that!

I'm sure it was Lupron. She got 3x injections over 6wks.
I had no idea what to do! She showed no signs of nesting anywhere.
And as she had not been here that long I could not see how to change her environment. As they fly free their down time is as per daylight hours outside.
It was the soft shell that was a worry. Not that I ever see her have trouble passing any of the eggs.
I feel so guilty now, but I know she needed help.
I hope she does get to lay, Max and her are being so good.

 

[Birdamor]

No, no, don't feel guilty. Like I said, sometimes the injections are the only way of preventing dystocia or eggbinding, two problems that, even when the bird does manage to lay the egg or the vet breaks it and takes it out, they would still give the kidneys a terrible hit and, according to what you told about her, I would think it was the right decision because, as you say, even when you are keeping them to a strict solar schedule, it still takes a long time to get their endocrine system attuned with the seasons after they've had it screwed up for a long time (it has taken me an entire year with some lovebirds!).