Discouraging egglaying in budgies -- need advice

[Sivin]

Hi,

For the past eighteen months our budgie pair would produce one or two eggs perhaps once a year. They were laid from a perch and always broke -- or if they didn't they would be broken soon afterwards. Now, our female has laid four eggs over the past several days, all from the perch, all broken.

Since they were broken we couldn't leave them in the cage. I've been through this many times (too many!) with the cockatiels and have a stash of old eggs. As I removed a broken budgie egg, I put in an old cockatiel egg, etc. The birds then broke those eggs and Chloe went on to lay another egg.

Is there a solution to this? I realize the female will attempt to replenish the lost eggs, but she destroys anything I do to help her. She has never displayed any other maternal instincts insofar as sitting on the eggs, etc.

Kerry, anyone, any thoughts? Thanks!

Sivin

[kerryandgoofy]

Well you can try and get her "off balance" / make her feel not so secure by moving her cage to a different area of the house every other day.

Other than that what I do is toss my hens into a large walk in flight and they will stop laying.

Not sure how much help that is.

Kerry

[Sivin]

Thanks, Kerry!

[Michael B]

sivin said:

she destroys anything I do to help her.

She sounds like a teenager. Well, present company excepted, I'm sure.

I kind of think that if she's not "maternal" toward the eggs, it may not be important that the clutch stays there. I remember reading in an article that part of the feedback from a "full" clutch is from the feeling of the eggs on her underside stimulating the release of hormones. I suppose there must be other stimuli, such as visual, since they tend to wait for a full clutch before incubating it (I forget if that was the case for cockatiels. I seem to vaguely remember that they often settle on the nest after the 2d or 3d egg -does that sound correct?) . ...or perhaps they "test" it by plopping down on it every now and then and can get the physical stimulus that way before settling down to nest.
In any case, I seem to remember that adding extra eggs to the nest on average reduces the clutch size by 2 or 3 eggs. I don't know that she'll keep on laying far beyond the usual clutch without the eggs, especially if she's not "maternal" and doesn't seem to have the "nesting" inclination.
You probably may know this, but I'll add everything else I remember. Other than moving/switching cages, they suggest rearranging it (food holders, etc), removing any beloved toys (with 2 birds this may not matter), avoiding too much contact, especially with her back, reducing hours of daylight, and avoiding wet fresh foods (that remind her of springtime).

Of course, I'm one to talk. Cockatiel has a laying week most months, it seems.

[henryswife]

Don't know if this will help, but changing things around, no more paper to shred- even on the tray she use to pull up through the grate, less egg food, more crunchy food, uncooked broccoli- shredded carrot & chunks, etc.
I replaced eggs with 'White Chinese Checker marbles' they seem to be about the same size of a budgie's egg, not too big and don't break, so you can use them again if needed.

Kerry & Michael had some good ideas. I don't like going through this either, but Sky sat on them for weeks rolling them around, than just shoved them on the side one day. Nothing in the cage that would seem like a nesting place. Alice

[Sivin]

Thanks Michael,

That's interesting about the stimulus a full clutch lends to the bird. I hadn't heard that one before. All the other suggestions I knew, having been through many such experiences with the cockatiels. And you're also right about the cockatiel not being too much interested in sitting until a few eggs have been laid.

My son has just put a few white marbles in the cage and is just dying to put in a big chicken egg. I drew the line at that!

Regards,
Sivin