How Many Eggs are Too Many?

[ibrevity]

I've returned once more in order to seek aid.

My female lovebird Lyssie has been having some egg issues. A little under four weeks ago she laid two eggs; two weeks before that she laid two more. Yesterday she laid another. She's been weighed in at 50 grams but her keel bone feels very sharp to me, and I'm worried about nutrition and the like what with her producing so many dang eggs.

I've changed up her schedule (she's now in complete darkness and silence for 13 hours) and moved her cage around; I've moved all the toys/perches/etc and literally moved her cage around my room for a change-up.

The problem is my boy lovebird Oli. He's ten months old, I got him in February. They live in separate cages but in the same room, and he's obsessed with her. He talks to her all day, usually to the point of her raising her tail and similar sexual gestures. I really need this to stop because I'm worried about my baby girl, but I'm also rather attached to the boy and don't want to get rid of him.

As of right now I've moved his cage out to the living room and hers is still at the back of the house in my bedroom. They can still hear each other, but not very well, and they haven't really been calling back and forth much. Here are my questions:

1. How can I stop her from laying more eggs?
2. Has she laid too many eggs? Should I take her to my vet again?
3. How can I break their 'connection'?

oh last note; Lyssie has a clean bill of health but she's also been diagnosed with petite mal seizures and epilepsy. This is primarily why I'm so worried; I know a low nutrition level can induce seizures, and I don't want that for her.

Someone please help me!

 

[SoCalWendy]

Here's a great article... Some of the thing your already doing, but you may find other information.

Discouraging Breeding Behavior In Pet Birds ? For The Birds DVM ? Avian Vet

You may also want to give her some extra calcium. A cuttlebone bone is good if she is interested. If she isn't the grate it into her food.

 

[ibrevity]

SoCalWendy -

Thank you for the link to the article, it was helpful :20:

I'll rearrange her cage again later today and maybe move her bedtime up. Right now her and the boy both go to bed at 7:30 PM and I get them up at 8:30 AM: that article advises putting them to bed even earlier, so I'll see if I can't get them covered and sleeping by 6:30 PM tonight.

The diet thing is something I've been concerned about for a while. I can't get her interested in pellets; she eats them sometimes, when I've smashed them into tiny pieces or they're delivered in tropical fruit nutri-berries, but if I only offer them she won't eat. As of right now she's eating the seed diet supplemented with vitamins, and that's a big concern of mine.

 

[SoCalWendy]

SoCalWendy -

Thank you for the link to the article, it was helpful :20:

I'll rearrange her cage again later today and maybe move her bedtime up. Right now her and the boy both go to bed at 7:30 PM and I get them up at 8:30 AM: that article advises putting them to bed even earlier, so I'll see if I can't get them covered and sleeping by 6:30 PM tonight.

The diet thing is something I've been concerned about for a while. I can't get her interested in pellets; she eats them sometimes, when I've smashed them into tiny pieces or they're delivered in tropical fruit nutri-berries, but if I only offer them she won't eat. As of right now she's eating the seed diet supplemented with vitamins, and that's a big concern of mine.

I am glad the article was helpful. If her food is a big concern, by all means then change it. My bird loves nutriberries, so that is fine.

I DO NOT feed an exclusive pellet diet. I don't believe in it, and to much can't harm my parrotlet's kidneys.

What I do feed is a varied diet that consists of (some) pellets, (some) seed, lots of fresh veggies (mostly the green ones) peppers, fresh fruit, rice, beans, pasta.

Except for the fresh fruits and veggies (daily) I make up some volkmann fleatherglow 15 min soak and serve. I will mix this with some veggies and fruit.

I also feed Goldenfeast Australian blend - it's human grade. She loves it. I mix it with her pellets, and a small amount of seed that I have on hand. Oh and chia seeds.... She loves chia seeds. I sprinkle them on just about everything, especially if I want her to try something new.

 

[SoCalWendy]

Would you eat this?

Goldenfeast Direct

Australia Blend - Product Description:

A Complete Nutrition Formula with no artificial colors or flavors and no synthetic vitamins. For all small exotics. Delightful blend of healthy fruits, herbs, spices, and vegetables plus Bee Pollen, Hemp Seed and so much more. Fruits and ingredients are dehydrated unless otherwise noted. Each package is date coded for guaranteed freshness.

Ingredients: Roasted Cashews, Almonds and Soybeans, Raw Sunflower Kernels, Canary Grass Seed, Japanese Millet, Canola Seed, Flax Seed, White Proso Millet, Golden German Millet, Black Sesame Seed and Natural Sesame Seed, Red Siberian Millet, Blueberries, Sterile Hemp Seed, Niger Seed, Caraway Seed, Hulled Oats, Carrots, Wheat Germ, Whole Egg Solids, Papaya, Cranberry Seeds, Cranberries, Pineapple, Cantaloupe Seed, Whole Wheat, Green Cabbage, Lettuce Seed, Wildflower Seed, Chamomile Flowers, Poppy Seed, Ground Anise Seed, Orange Peel, Soy Flour, Bentonite Crumbles, Natural Honey and Cane Molasses, Fennel Seed, Apples, Paprika, Freeze-Dried Sweet Corn and Freeze-Dried Sweet Peas, Parsley, Whole Bee Pollen, Spirulina, Spinach, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Natural Anise and Fruit Flavor Extracts. Does Not Contain Peanuts.

Guaranteed Analysis: crude protein (min.) 17%; crude fat (min.) 9%; crude fiber (max.) 8%; moisture (max.) 6%; ash (max.) 6%

Refrigerate after opening to retain freshness.

Blends for Lovebirds: http://goldenfeastdirect.com/product-category/lovebirds/

 

[ibrevity]

SoCalWendy -

I'm so glad you shared that site with me! There's actually a parrot store not far from me and I get the petite hookbill blend from them and that tropic fruits bits and pieces. I love getting human grade for my birds, it makes me feel good about what I'm feeding them

What exactly is the Australia blend you discussed below? I didn't see it on the link, unless it's under a different name, and I would like to see if the parrot store carries it since it sounds like it has fabulous ingredients!

 

[SoCalWendy]

There are no bird stores that carry it here in San Diego, so I order it directly from

Goldenfeast Direct

Check them out... It's better then just feeding a hookbill seed mix. And they have blends for lovebirds as well. I tried to post the links in my previous post.. Look at my previous post it's there. If you got them , just disregard this message... lol

 

[Kiwibird]

I have not encountered a chronic egg layer, but I've heard relaxing the eggs with dummy eggs gives them something to sit on (and if she's sitting on a dummy egg she wouldn't be laying any more real ones?). You could also offer a cuttlebone for extra calcium.