Parrot people I have an **UPDATE PICS ADDED**

[Crazy4Chicks]

I have a Quaker parrot - that for the last few weeks has been hanging around the bottom of her cage - she is eating, drinking, coming out of her cage and if perfectly fine - I noticed that tonight she is " sitting " on a dryed piece of bread like it was an egg - this bird has never laid an egg in the 2 years we have had her - and I have never had her sexed by a vet - I think she is a she - if I read her leg band right - and not really sure of her age either - she is doing all the same things my lovebird does when she lays an egg - my lovebird will hang around the bottom of her cage and get real nasty mean if you go near her - next day there will be an egg.
Paulie ( quaker ) has been rubbing her vent area on her toys ALOT lately and now has a " bread egg " i saw her take the piece of bread and push it back under her.
should I take her baby away from her - or let her have it for a few days, if I remove it will she go back on her perches? she sleeps on her perches at night but as soon as someone comes in the room she goes to her " egg " as fast as she can. she is mostly eating whatever seeds she has dropped on the bottom of her cage not really wanting to leave her bread egg - but will come up to get water.
she has never done this before - i am used to my lovebird laying eggs for about a week or so and than she stops and goes back to being her normal self.

any ideas ??

Julie

 

[priszilla]

I would take her to the vet if I could or put food and water down at her level if I couldn't-let her keep her bread egg if she wants- and see how she does--but remember birds hide illness well and die fast-a vet and bloodwork is always the best answer.

 

[mangled]

We used to breed Senegals, and I had a female who would do this about twice a year, and always with a peanut.

I just always let it run its course. Is she handfed? I think sometimes after generations of handfeeding, they kinda get confused about what to do with their hormones and such.
I agree with priszilla about putting water and food at her level, and watch her like a hawk. Usually, if it is a sickness, especially with parrots, by the time they exhibit symptoms, and are down in the bottom of the cage, it's too late. If she is able to get around and seems normal otherwise, I'd just keep a close eye on her.
My Senegal girl would nurture her peanut baby for about a week, week and a half, then go back to her old self.
It just seemed like one day, she decided enough was enough. I could always tell right away when she was done, because the peanut would be cracked and eaten.

Good luck-
Em

 

[fowltemptress]

It sounds alot like my bird when she got into motherhood mode. At first, she was sitting on nothing, and then a week later eggs were appearing . . . and this after 15 years of never having laid an egg.
If your bird does wind up laying eggs, unless you plan on breeding her, I would not recommend allowing her to continue laying. There are far too many problems that can occur with egg laying in parrots, IMO.
If she is in motherhood mode, taking away the bread piece may encourage her to lay eggs to replace it . . . or to adopt another food item. To get her to stop, you need to convince her that she is not in an ideal place for hatching eggs. Are there dark spots in her cage? Is her cage situated in a corner of a room? Either of these could emulate a nesting site, and getting her cage to seem open and devoid of dark corners could get her to give up in her endeavors. Have you put your bird in a new cage, or moved her to a different part of the house? If so, you could have inadvertently moved her to what she thinks of as a safe nesting site. With my bird, she started laying when I bought her a new cage that had a lower bottom with a dark corner in it . . . I put her back in her old cage, donated my new one to my mother's male parrot, and no more eggs.
Eliminating darker areas of the cage and taking away the toys she seems the most amorous with would be my best advice to end her behavior. I know my sweetheart got horribly snippy when she had eggs, and that year she went through the worst molt of her life, despite my giving her extra calcium to compensate. Of course, some birds are stubborn, and will hatch their eggs, or bread, despite everything. Personally, I don't like the idea of allowing it to run its course, simply because I'd have horrible anxiety over whether she's making herself sick by not eating and drinking normally, or by getting egg bound, but I'm a nervous person when it comes to my pets. I hope your bird comes out of this fine. Whatever you do, you should keep a close eye on her to rule out sickness or eggbinding. Good luck!

 

[Professional]

Paulie ( quaker ) has been rubbing her vent area on her toys ALOT lately

This describes copulation behavior perfectly, which would mean it's a male. It's the right time of year, and if it was a baby when you got it, it's just about sexually mature now. In this species, both sexes will incubate, so he's using the bread as the only available "egg" that is around. The information on a leg band has nothing to do with the sex of a bird. He's actually exhibiting a very common behavior for captive parrots. It'd do both of you some good for you to pick up a few good books on parrot care and behavior.​

 

[theOEGBman]

Quote:
This describes copulation behavior perfectly, which would mean it's a male. It's the right time of year, and if it was a baby when you got it, it's just about sexually mature now. In this species, both sexes will incubate, so he's using the bread as the only available "egg" that is around. The information on a leg band has nothing to do with the sex of a bird. He's actually exhibiting a very common behavior for captive parrots. It'd do both of you some good for you to pick up a few good books on parrot care and behavior.

I agree with it being a male. My cockatoo does the same thing. He only does it with one toy, a rope. We named it "Henrietta". Good luck with your Quaker!

 

[K&H Chicken Farm]

Well just to tell you boys and girls like to "rub" on things. I have a silly Quaker and he sends most of his time on the floor of his cage. As long as she is perching at night and does not seam sick I would just watch and see. If you would like the name of a great forum for parrots PM me.

 

[fowltemptress]

Quote:
This describes copulation behavior perfectly, which would mean it's a male. \\


I disagree. Unless my family, my friends, and myself are all wrong in assuming females lay eggs, then we all have female parrots who enjoy rubbing their vents against toys, furniture, and, much against our wishes, on us. This is a behavior enjoyed by both sexes, though to different degrees depending on the individuals.

 

[kstaven]

People here are quite correct. Vent rubbing is an activity enjoyed by both male and female parrots.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

well her leg band reads -- SF 703 which I always meant S= Sex F= Female 703 would be that she was born the 7 month of 2003.

Paulie is acting totally normal ( other than trying to hatch a piece of bread ) she will let me hold her and take her out of the cage and if her door is open she will come out for a few minutes. I picked up her baby to see what she would do - she gave me the most evil eye !! so I guess I will let her have her baby till she is done with it.

I know how to vent sex a lovebird - but not sure if it would be the same on a quaker so I have never tried plus Paulie has an issue with being held on her back ( came from a very abused household ).

Paulie was never handfed that I know of - and she has only been with me for 2 years, also she was not a baby when I got her - guess full grown - just not sure of her age unless I go by the leg band and that would make her 4?

she is not acting sick or any different she is eating and drinking just fine last night was the only night she slept with her baby. Her cage is very open and in a room with 4 windows so there are no dark spots in her cage and it is the same cage she has been in since we have had her.

so I will watch her and let her have her baby for now.

Julie