African Grey Issue

[thezone]

Hi, I have owned my African grey for 23 years. She has laid eggs before but this time she is acting weird. In the past I have taken the egg out and everything returns to normal. This time, when she laid the eggs they broke when they hit the cage floor. So I had no choice but to remove them. Now she just sleeps in her food bowl. Is this normal?

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Aww poor baby it's not normal for parrots to lay eggs without a mate, you should try to lower the hormonal levels. This can be achieved with their diet, sleep schedule, how you pet/touch them(only pet the head), and you could also have the vet give the a hormone shot to lower the hormones.

I'd recommend a vet check up if the egg breaking is unusual. That could be a sign of a calcium deficiency.

 

[thezone]

There are no Avian Vets within a hundred miles of me. As far as egg breakage she drops the egg from her perch to the bottom of the cage. It cracks when it hits the grate. As far as mate goes, she thinks I am her mate. I am just trying to figure out how long she is going to sleep with her head in her covered food bowl. When I take her out of the cage, she is normal. Her poop and everything else seems to be normal. However, when she is in her cage, she just wants to keep her head in a dark place.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Since parrots are cavity nesters you should remove the covered bowl, and replace it with a norml food bowl. That's a sure way you can help her

 

[thezone]

I tried that. Then she sat at the bottom of her cage plucking her feathers.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I tried that. Then she sat at the bottom of her cage plucking her feathers.

Man, poor girl that sucks the vet is so far away. How close is the nearest vet? I can drive 100 miles in around an hour and a half. Several members here must drive great distances for their birds to see a avian vet.

Have you ever tried clicker, or trick training? That may be a good way to distract her. Trick training allows then to really use that brain. I strongly believe all captive parrots should learn trick training, it allows them to really use that awesome brain. Foraging toys are also great, if they're keeping the elves busy trying to get a nut, pellet, or treat, they won't be doing behaviors we do not like.

She really shouldn't have any "caves", which that bowl is. Try to remove it again, but also keep her busy so she doesn't get depressed about it being gone.

Can you post a picture of her cage set up? And also explain what her diet is?

 

[thezone]

I don't really think it is a health issue, I mean she doesn't appear or act sick. Even if I drove a hundred miles to see a vet I don't know which vet I would see. I mean I don't know who is a good vet, who is experienced with hormone issues, etc. 20 years ago I was taking her to a vet here. Each time they wrapped her in a towel so she wouldn't bite or fly away. When I got her back home, she was so traumatized, she was mad at me for a week, so I stopped taking her. For 23 years she has never had any kind of sickness.

Food, ok I feed her Pretty Bird Medium Hookbill, premium bird pellets. I raised her from a hatch-ling. When she was a baby, I fed her pretty bird baby formula. At this point besides food that I eat she won't eat anything else.

Cage, she has a 22" round cage about 6 ft tall. 3 of which is her living space. I had a bigger one for her at one time but she didn't like it.

 

[TessieB]

If everything else is normal, I'm wondering if your gal is going broody? And let me tell you when a member of the avian species decides to go broody they are determined to hatch a rock if they can.

Since you are unable to go to a vet, and you think your bird is healthy, you can try 'shortening' her days by controlling the light to convince her mating season is over. Make sure she is on a well balanced diet and is getting a good supply of calcium. Before we had these fancy parrot diets I was known to mix chicken laying crumbles in the feed of determined parrots who wanted to lay several clutches of eggs in a cycle.

I had one Sun Conure who, despite living a solitary life, would lay up to three clutches in a summer. The vet was reluctant to give her any hormones due to her small size, so I allowed this gal to proceed as she normally would. I gave her all kinds of nesting material and she spent time weaving 'nests'. Her favorite nesting medium was those giant rope toys made for dogs. She would actually pull them apart and rearrange the strands to form a wreath. Then she's hang it from a perch and 'set' for a week or two. She never was aggressive toward me and was always active when she was off her nest. Strange thing was when she was given to me her owner swore up and down Sassy Ann was an Andy. She had no idea the bird was a female! She had the bird for years and never laid an egg!

 

[thezone]

Broody?!! LOL. Well that is exactly what I was thinking. Why else would she do this?

It's not that I am unable to go to a vet it is just that I don't know who to trust. I haven't exactly had good luck with vets with my Precious. I have been afraid to give her more calcium because it might trigger more egg laying.


By the way I live in Southern California North East of Los Angeles.

 

[thezone]

Finally talked to a Vet in Bishop, CA. He was super nice. I would take my dog to him anytime. However, he honestly told me that he was primarily an emergency vet for birds. You know, like dog attacks and such. He pretty much told me that he didn't know anything about behavior in African Grey Parrots. He suggested that I find a Vet that specializes in African Grey's. Problem is I don't know any and neither did he.

So, if any of you out there knows a Vet that specializes in African Grey Parrot's that I can talk to, I am all ears.

And by the way, I bought a new bowl that is not covered. I will let you know how that turns out.

 

[MonicaMc]

You might want to consider getting her a bigger cage so that she can't be hormonal in the one she is in now.

Please check out the information from Lara Joseph.
hormonal | Search Results | Lara Joseph


And as far as avian vets go....
The Association of Avian Veterinarians | Association (one)
ABVP ? American Board of Veterinary Practitioners
Find an Avian Vet | Pet Birds by Lafeber Co. (two)



I am sure there are more in LA, just not listed. You can easily call around to local bird stores and bird clubs asking about avian vets that are recommended.

 

[thezone]

Thank you for the reply. I was wondering if you know of a Vet that specializes on African Grey parrot issues. Also how did you get that post to go off page. Was that a personal reply?

 

[MonicaMc]

I don't know of any vet that specializes in african greys specifically... but there are some african grey "experts" out there.

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