Can Lovebirds re-absorb eggs at some point?

[walterbyrd]

In June of 2012, when I first rescued Lucky, I took her to be groomed by a lady who runs a shop selling bird pet stuff - I think she is knowledgeable about birds.

She took a look at Lucky, and told me Lucky was forming an egg.

Thinking the egg would be laid, one way or another. I asked if I should get a nesting box, or something.

I was told: "No, you don't want to encourage it!"

So what happens to the egg? Is it somehow re-absorbed, or what?

 

[MikeyTN]

How does she know lucky was forming an egg??? Was she feeling for the abdomen area? And yes what she said is correct about not encouraging it but no the egg is not absorbed! It will be laid one way or another.

 

[walterbyrd]

She turned Lucky on her back to clip Lucky's nails. She immediately saw that Lucky was forming an egg.

She told me not get a nesting box, because I did not want to encourage it.

Does that mean, that without a nesting box, Lucky might re-absorb the egg?

 

[Echo]

No if a bird is about to lay an egg, nest box or not, it will be laid somewhere else: bottom of cage, food bowl, I have a friend whose budgie laid an egg in the sway of a curtain!
Eggs do not re-absob.

Make sure the bird has extra calcium available.

 

[MikeyTN]

She is looking at the abdomen area where it looks swelled up. And again, no they don't re-absorb the egg. She will lay it regardless! I believe in your other post you said the egg burst inside of her, care to elaborate on that?

 

[walterbyrd]

Is it possible that Lucky was carrying the egg from June to October?

Since you asked, here are the details of Lucky's egg ordeal:

Lucky never laid the egg. In October, Lucky seemed bloated, and lethargic, she was breathing heavily, and was constipated.

We took Lucky to the vet. When the vet went to weigh Lucky, Lucky pooped a huge amount. According to the vet it way more than normal. The vet determined that the egg broke inside Lucky, and the pressure had constipated Lucky. Before the egg formed a hard shell, it burst while traveling though the ovarian tube. The vet had to put a needle in Lucky's abdomen, and extract the egg fluid.

The next morning, Lucky was breathing heavily again, and seemed constipated. We decided to take Lucky back to the vet. When we went to get Lucky, Lucky pooped a huge amount again. The pooping seemed to make Lucky feel much better. We took her to the vet anyway. The vet said she was okay, he thought the final huge poop was just what she needed.

 

[Echo]

So it means that the egg was soft and never formed a hard shell which indicate a lack of calcium. That is very dangerous.

 

[MikeyTN]

Looking at the abdomen area does not say they're forming an egg, once they've laid an egg it will always be like that a bit. But nesting habit means it's coming! Like Echo says, provide extra calcium supplements right now! You were fortunate as most of the time when the egg burst inside of them, they would die. Since she went through the ordeal once, it's not advised to let them lay anymore. You must not encourage her to lay by removing nesting materials and all. You might want to change the cage setup or change a different cage completely! Read through this other post here that was done recently about changing the bottom of the cage. http://www.parrotforums.com/lovebirds/35854-finally-cracked-hormones.html

 

[walterbyrd]

I think the egg was not supposed to have formed a hard shell, at that particular point in development.

I am constantly trying to prevent Lucky for nesting, but it's difficult.

 

[MonicaMc]

If a hen doesn't become egg-bound but she does produce an egg that she "wont" lay, then the egg should, over time, become calcified within the hen. If this process occurs, the hen may be unable to lay the egg as calcium may build up around the egg.