Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 7/26/2008

Question
Hi! We purchased a Red Factor Canary at a pet store in March. This was supposed to be a male, then it laid eggs.Suprise! I have been searching the net for information on what to do about these eggs. Some say take them away some say leave them. I read if you take them she'll just lay more and it could cause calcium deficiency and she could die. I'm so confused. The last time she laid three I left them in her seed cup where she laid them, but all she did was sat there for a little more than two weeks. She's really no fun when that's all she does. Now she laid another yesterday and I took it out and shes still sitting there. Can you please advise me? Can I stop her from laying?

Answer
Hi, Cathy,

Usually when you remove eggs from a clutch before the female has finished laying her clutch and when you remove an entire clutch right after it has been laid, the female will start laying again.  What you should do is leave the eggs alone and allow the female to abandon them on her own.  Then remove the eggs.  The female knows after a certain amount of time whether her eggs are fertile or not (in this case with no male, the eggs are infertile and won't hatch).  There can be calcium loss from egg laying, so be sure to keep a cuttlebone or extra calcium available in the cage.  Calcium deficiency would have to be severe for the bird to die, however, soft shelled eggs can result when the bird doesn't have sufficient calcium in her body during egg laying, which can result in egg binding.  Egg binding is an emergency situation for a bird and this is what can be life threatening.  When birds are breeding, laying eggs, etc., they aren't supposed to play...they are supposed to tend to their business with breeding, the eggs, etc.  Therefore, you'll have to wait to have fun with her until after her egg laying is completed.  

In order to discourage laying of eggs, reduce the amount of available light to 10-12 hrs per day (8-10 if necessary).  Take anything out of her cage that she can lay eggs in or that resembles a nest.  You may have to purchase a different type of feed cup whereby she can't lay eggs in it.

If all else fails, a certified avian veterinarian can give your bird a hormone shot to stop her from laying.

Chrys