AboutChrys Meatyard Expertise I`ve been raising/breeding/handfeeding/selling parrots for over 18 years (parakeets/budgies, cockatiels, 6 subspecies of conures, parrotlets, amazons, lovebirds, etc.). I've been published in "Budgies" and "Cockatiels" offered by Bow Tie Productions, and have written avian articles for publication in England. I can provide advice in raising healthy birds, handfeeding/weaning babies, some health problems, nail/beak/wing clipping, general husbandry, etc. I also have experience with racing/showing homing pigeons. I cannot diagnose specific illness over this website. If you suspect your bird is ill or if you have an emergency, contact a certified avian veterinarian or emergency pet clinic ASAP.
Experience 18 years breeding/raising/handfeeding/selling 15 different species of parrots.
Question My mums budgie had diarrhea (green),fluffing its feathers, breathing hard, bad temper, chewed all its cuttlefish and left it on the bottom of the cage in one heap, plus another pink bell for its beak. We were worried about her (she is by herself-no mate) and gave her some black cold tea, though can't say if she ate any. And kept her out of drafts, with her cage very clean. Now we have found an egg on the bottom of the cage? Didn't know lone budgies could lay?, have taken it away? Will she lay more? should we change anything ie food, drink, etc etc Take her to a vet? What to do next?
Answer Hi, Gloria,
Single female birds can lay infertile eggs when their hormones become overly active, particularly during breeding season.
When she lays eggs, leave them where she lays them. If you remove any eggs, she'll keep laying and laying until she has a full clutch. Allow her to lay (perhaps up to 6 eggs, give or take an egg or 2) and wait until she abandons them before you remove any of the eggs. When she abandons them, then you can remove all of them. To discourage her from laying, reduce her available light to 10-12 hours per day (8-10 hours if necessary) and do not keep anything in the cage that resembles any type of nest. Be sure she has plenty of cuttlebone in her cage to replace any calcium loss. She doesn't need any changes in her diet, unless she's on all seed, which is not a healthy diet for any parrot. Don't need to take her to an avian vet unless she show signs of egg binding (which is an emergency situation for a bird and requires avian vet intervention immediately).
