Hormones are Raging

[peaches]

I have a 15 year old Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoo. Last December she laid 2 eggs, which surprised the heck out of me. She laid her first while sitting on my shoulder!! She had this 'kicking or digging" behavior which I've never seen until this past year.

The holistic vet started her on a couple of things to help her hormones slow down. She was doing pretty well until a month ago when she laid 2 eggs again (she lays them while sitting on the perch so they fall and break...she doesn't know what she did), so I put her back on these 2 meds. So far so good. I just lost a female cockatiel due to consistant egg-laying (which broke my heart) so I'm concerned about my cockatoo and want to do everything I can to keep her healthy.

She is sooooooooooo devoted to me and appears to think of me as her mate. She's a one-person bird. When she is with me all she wants to do is be hormonal. I cannot entice her with toys or anything to distract her.

I only allow her about 8-9 hours of light a day (which I hate doing that) and I also have a full-spectrum light on her when she is uncovered (per vet's instructions).

Anyone have similar experiences? Things to try? The kicking/digging seems to have settled down for now, but I know it will re-appear. Ideas? Thanks.

 

[IcyWolf]

I just posted this earlier but I'll post it again...
You could try putting fake eggs in her cage to keep her from laying, but if she is only laying once a year, I wouldn't really be concerned about consistent egg laying. My goffin was the same way, she never layed eggs but she acted like I was her mate, she would feed me(not regurgitating but actually picking up food off of my plate and then putting it in my mouth lol) and I had to be careful not to pet her back or she would do that weird, arched back glassed over look in her eyes, I want you to mate with me thing lol. She was a strange one though, there was a specific toy in her cage that, for lack of a better term, she would try to mate with(sorry trying to keep it kid friendly). She would put it under her tail and just sit there and kind of vibrate with that same glassy look in her eyes, it was actually quite embarrassing when I would have people over and they would ask what she was doing lol. Sorry, I'm not being much help here, the only suggestion I can give is to make sure that you don't pet or touch her in any way that she may misconstrue as sexual and reinforce any playful or non sexual behavior that you can get out of her. From my experience, 'toos do extremely well with positive reinforcement since they crave all that attention, simply ignoring them when they do something that you don't want is usually enough to get them to stop doing it. Here's a link to a place that actually sells fake bird eggs for the purpose of keeping them from laying, although you could probably find some at a craft or toy store, just make sure that they are bird safe materials.
Fake Bird Eggs, Plastic Bird Eggs, Stop Chronic Egg Laying, Bird Breeding Supplies, Plastic Dummy Eggs, Immitiation Eggs, Artificial Bird Eggs, Cockatiel, Conure, Parrot, Finch, Canary, Cockatoo, Budgie, Parakeet, Lovebird

 

[peaches]

I just posted this earlier but I'll post it again...
You could try putting fake eggs in her cage to keep her from laying, but if she is only laying once a year, I wouldn't really be concerned about consistent egg laying. My goffin was the same way, she never layed eggs but she acted like I was her mate, she would feed me(not regurgitating but actually picking up food off of my plate and then putting it in my mouth lol) and I had to be careful not to pet her back or she would do that weird, arched back glassed over look in her eyes, I want you to mate with me thing lol. She was a strange one though, there was a specific toy in her cage that, for lack of a better term, she would try to mate with(sorry trying to keep it kid friendly). She would put it under her tail and just sit there and kind of vibrate with that same glassy look in her eyes, it was actually quite embarrassing when I would have people over and they would ask what she was doing lol. Sorry, I'm not being much help here, the only suggestion I can give is to make sure that you don't pet or touch her in any way that she may misconstrue as sexual and reinforce any playful or non sexual behavior that you can get out of her. From my experience, 'toos do extremely well with positive reinforcement since they crave all that attention, simply ignoring them when they do something that you don't want is usually enough to get them to stop doing it. Here's a link to a place that actually sells fake bird eggs for the purpose of keeping them from laying, although you could probably find some at a craft or toy store, just make sure that they are bird safe materials.
Fake Bird Eggs, Plastic Bird Eggs, Stop Chronic Egg Laying, Bird Breeding Supplies, Plastic Dummy Eggs, Immitiation Eggs, Artificial Bird Eggs, Cockatiel, Conure, Parrot, Finch, Canary, Cockatoo, Budgie, Parakeet, Lovebird

She doesn't know she laid an egg as she lays them on my shoulder and I don't show them to her. She probably things they are just big poops

 

[peaches]

Anyone else have ideas to stop her laying? About 1 week and it will be time again for 2 eggs to come....

 

[Mayden]

I think it may be due to your behaviour towards your birds then, if she's not fully aware that she's laying eggs. Do you rub her back, wings or near her vent? Because that's classed as sexually stimulating, which obviously is going to kick start her mating hormones!

You say she sees you as her mate and that's where a big problem will be, you have to change this attitude from her and hopefully that should ease off her egg laying/mating behaviour.

 

[ann]

im sorry i cant be of much help but maybe you should call a proffesional. you could call a parrot behavior consultant. check out this one theres a link on her page to contact her, and theres also other helpful information on the site. Liz Wilson, CVT Parrot Behavior Consultant good luck!!!