Question(s) on stopping budgies from breeding

[birdmom123]

Hello! I need some advice on what to do with a family member and her budgies. She recently moved into our home with 3 budgies that she got from a neighbor (2 males, 1 female, about 5 y/o now). Their cage is on the smaller end (2' L x 3' H x 2' W), but they were never socialized when they were young and I've given up on trying to tame them after months as they are wary of people. They're on a good quality seed diet and get multivitamin block/cuttle bones, water changed out every day, and have lots of toys.

Anyways, the main issue is that the female (5 y/o) just laid her first clutch of eggs a few months ago (2 eggs). I rearranged their toys every week and got them new toys for enrichment while looking for flight cages online. Fast forward to now, the female appears to be bonded to one of the males, and she just laid a new clutch of eggs (there are 7 now, she either drops them on the bottom of the cage or lays them in her food bowl). I've been switching them out with fake eggs.

I just got a 6 foot tall flight cage for them. Will putting in new toys/rearranging them often stop them from breeding in the new cage? Should I separate them? And if I do separate them, how would I keep them from getting lonely if they don't like people? And should I wait to put them in the new cage until she's done laying all her eggs?

Or should I just let them continue as is? Should I remove all the eggs entirely? I'm just worried about the female possibly becoming egg bound in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to read all this. I am new to owning birds and I'm the main person that takes care of them now and I know I still have a lot of learning to do! Any suggestions are very much appreciated!

 

[SailBoat]

As you are likely noticing we have a lack of Breeders on the Forum. This is due to the vast reduction in the number of quality Breeds in the Companion Parrot World.
My target group is Older Amazons, but have some knowledge in other areas.

The only sure way to halt breeding is to separate your males and females, 100%.
FYI: Find an Avian Vet in your area and establish a working relationship as you are going to need them, a lot!
Breeding requires a deep understand of the process, tons of equip and how to and when to use them and much much more.

 

[birdmom123]

As you are likely noticing we have a lack of Breeders on the Forum. This is due to the vast reduction in the number of quality Breeds in the Companion Parrot World.
My target group is Older Amazons, but have some knowledge in other areas.

The only sure way to halt breeding is to separate your males and females, 100%.
FYI: Find an Avian Vet in your area and establish a working relationship as you are going to need them, a lot!
Breeding requires a deep understand of the process, tons of equip and how to and when to use them and much much more.

Thank you for responding! And yes, breeding is something I would prefer them *not* to do. If I were to separate the female from the 2 males however, would she get lonely/stressed? As she's not good with people. Could I keep her in the old cage and the males in the flight cage? At the same time though, I would feel bad leaving her in the other cage if it's too small. These are just questions that I have, if you're not able to answer that's 100% okay!

 

[SailBoat]

I am an Amazon Snob and Parrots under 350 grams are not my specialty. With hope, one of our small Parrot owners will chime in and provide more specific information.

Setting her cage very near the 'guy's' cage (flight) will help her greatly. What size cage, I will leave to others.

With two males, your girl could be producing eggs far more often then is healthy. Also, with females, there is always a concern that she could be could become egg bound (an issue with or with the males). Sadly, again, I will leave that to others.

Cheers!

 

[birdmom123]

I am an Amazon Snob and Parrots under 350 grams are not my specialty. With hope, one of our small Parrot owners will chime in and provide more specific information.

Setting her cage very near the 'guy's' cage (flight) will help her greatly. What size cage, I will leave to others.

With two males, your girl could be producing eggs far more often then is healthy. Also, with females, there is always a concern that she could be could become egg bound (an issue with or with the males). Sadly, again, I will leave that to others.

Cheers!

Thank you! I appreciate it!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Hello! I need some advice on what to do with a family member and her budgies. She recently moved into our home with 3 budgies that she got from a neighbor (2 males, 1 female, about 5 y/o now). Their cage is on the smaller end (2' L x 3' H x 2' W), but they were never socialized when they were young and I've given up on trying to tame them after months as they are wary of people. They're on a good quality seed diet and get multivitamin block/cuttle bones, water changed out every day, and have lots of toys.

Anyways, the main issue is that the female (5 y/o) just laid her first clutch of eggs a few months ago (2 eggs). I rearranged their toys every week and got them new toys for enrichment while looking for flight cages online. Fast forward to now, the female appears to be bonded to one of the males, and she just laid a new clutch of eggs (there are 7 now, she either drops them on the bottom of the cage or lays them in her food bowl). I've been switching them out with fake eggs.

I just got a 6 foot tall flight cage for them. Will putting in new toys/rearranging them often stop them from breeding in the new cage? Should I separate them? And if I do separate them, how would I keep them from getting lonely if they don't like people? And should I wait to put them in the new cage until she's done laying all her eggs?

Or should I just let them continue as is? Should I remove all the eggs entirely? I'm just worried about the female possibly becoming egg bound in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to read all this. I am new to owning birds and I'm the main person that takes care of them now and I know I still have a lot of learning to do! Any suggestions are very much appreciated!

I think you need to separate the males from

Hello! I need some advice on what to do with a family member and her budgies. She recently moved into our home with 3 budgies that she got from a neighbor (2 males, 1 female, about 5 y/o now). Their cage is on the smaller end (2' L x 3' H x 2' W), but they were never socialized when they were young and I've given up on trying to tame them after months as they are wary of people. They're on a good quality seed diet and get multivitamin block/cuttle bones, water changed out every day, and have lots of toys.

Anyways, the main issue is that the female (5 y/o) just laid her first clutch of eggs a few months ago (2 eggs). I rearranged their toys every week and got them new toys for enrichment while looking for flight cages online. Fast forward to now, the female appears to be bonded to one of the males, and she just laid a new clutch of eggs (there are 7 now, she either drops them on the bottom of the cage or lays them in her food bowl). I've been switching them out with fake eggs.

I just got a 6 foot tall flight cage for them. Will putting in new toys/rearranging them often stop them from breeding in the new cage? Should I separate them? And if I do separate them, how would I keep them from getting lonely if they don't like people? And should I wait to put them in the new cage until she's done laying all her eggs?

Or should I just let them continue as is? Should I remove all the eggs entirely? I'm just worried about the female possibly becoming egg bound in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to read all this. I am new to owning birds and I'm the main person that takes care of them now and I know I still have a lot of learning to do! Any suggestions are very much appreciated!

You need to separate the males from the female to get her to stop breeding. To keep her from getting lonely you should get her a female cagemate or two. It may be a bit difficult as females tend to be territorial and aggressive toward other females but if you get a larger cage and introduce her and another female or two at the same time there will be enough room for all the females and no single female will think its her personal space. Just watch for fighting and separate them if you must. Some larger cages have a divider to keep them from fighting. The males will be happy together in their own cage. I would put the female only cage in a different room away from the males. The egg laying female may continue to lay if she can see and hear the males.

 

[birdmom123]

I think you need to separate the males from

You need to separate the males from the female to get her to stop breeding. To keep her from getting lonely you should get her a female cagemate or two. It may be a bit difficult as females tend to be territorial and aggressive toward other females but if you get a larger cage and introduce her and another female or two at the same time there will be enough room for all the females and no single female will think its her personal space. Just watch for fighting and separate them if you must. Some larger cages have a divider to keep them from fighting. The males will be happy together in their own cage. I would put the female only cage in a different room away from the males. The egg laying female may continue to lay if she can see and hear the males.

She can be territorial to begin with at times, so I don't know if getting another bird would be the best idea for her. If she's in a cage by herself away from the males, would that be too stressful for her?

But if I were to get another female, would a younger bird be better?

 

[birdmom123]

Thank you to everyone who responded! I got in touch with an avian vet, here's what she told me in case it helps anyone else! I was told that yes, she can still lay eggs even if I separate them, and it's not worth stressing her out by keeping them separated or introducing a new bird. Basically, unless I wanted to do hormone injection/contraceptive implants, she's likely going to be laying eggs the rest of her life, even if there are no males in the picture to begin with. Calcium and vitamin supplements are important to have, and if for whatever reason her eggs look odd (misshapen, thin-shelled, etc.), then that could be a sign her body is using too much calcium and she might need prescription supplements if the one's she has now aren't doing the trick. I'm going to switch to a smaller food bowl so she doesn't use it as a nest and take out anything she could potentially use as nesting material! I don't know if all this stuff is common sense haha since I'm still educating myself on bird husbandry but yeah! Looks like she'll be laying eggs for a while!

 

[Terry57]

My apologies, but I have to disagree with the vet you spoke to on a couple of issues.

I separated my female from my male budgie because she was picking on him, and she stopped laying eggs; all birds are different. I've also had only females who never laid eggs.
At the very least, I would separate the male she didn't bond with from the other two because the odds are good that he will end up injured. As long as his cage is next to the other one he won't be lonely. On the other hand, you could separate the female before the pair has had any more time to bond. That would be what I would do if they were my birds.
You mentioned that you got a cage 6'high, how wide is it? Width is more important than height. You're right about the other cage being too small for 3 budgies, it's really too small for just 1.

I disagree with adding a female cage mate. Females can be vicious to each other and I never had any luck keeping female budgies together.

Also, without bloodwork being done, I don't believe that any vitamin supplements should be used. As far as calcium, when I have had a bird laying eggs, I boil eggs for them and give them the shells broken up. I also offer oyster shells.

Removing anything that can be used as a nest is a fantastic idea! I see you added a lot of toys, that's also a good thing.

Here is a great thread about bonding - it's never too late to earn a bird's trust

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

It would be easier for you to bond with her if she was separated from the males

Please let us know how things are going

 

[birdmom123]

My apologies, but I have to disagree with the vet you spoke to on a couple of issues.

I separated my female from my male budgie because she was picking on him, and she stopped laying eggs; all birds are different. I've also had only females who never laid eggs.
At the very least, I would separate the male she didn't bond with from the other two because the odds are good that he will end up injured. As long as his cage is next to the other one he won't be lonely. On the other hand, you could separate the female before the pair has had any more time to bond. That would be what I would do if they were my birds.
You mentioned that you got a cage 6'high, how wide is it? Width is more important than height. You're right about the other cage being too small for 3 budgies, it's really too small for just 1.

I disagree with adding a female cage mate. Females can be vicious to each other and I never had any luck keeping female budgies together.

Also, without bloodwork being done, I don't believe that any vitamin supplements should be used. As far as calcium, when I have had a bird laying eggs, I boil eggs for them and give them the shells broken up. I also offer oyster shells.

Removing anything that can be used as a nest is a fantastic idea! I see you added a lot of toys, that's also a good thing.

Here is a great thread about bonding - it's never too late to earn a bird's trust

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

It would be easier for you to bond with her if she was separated from the males

Please let us know how things are going

Hi! I appreciate the insight! And like you said, all birds are different! It's possible she may stop laying, but it's also possible she'll keep laying eggs as well. It was simply an example that she had mentioned and said the same thing as you! Apologies if my wording wasn't the clearest, what I meant to say is if she STAYS with the male, she can lay eggs the rest of her life. I can try separating the female out and see how that goes, but they all get along well. They've never been apart from each other for five years. The boys bond well together, and the female gets along with both of them but does seem more attached to one of the males. Maybe I'm just a little over worried about separating them but thank you for the reassurance that they'll be okay!

And YES, calcium/vitamins. I used the two words interchangeably haha but of course they are both different things, thank you for catching my mistake! Prescriptions should of course only be given after a proper wellness exam, which should include bloodwork as you said! As far as calcium goes, I give them access to calcium blocks/cuttle bones, and mix in calcium supplements with their food (I think it's also made from crushed oyster shells and a few other things!). I'll try out the boiling shells method though!! It'd definitely be a good way to put my eggs to good use!

The cage is 6 feet tall and around 4 feet wide I believe, give or take a few inches. It took me forever to find a decently priced large cage on Craigslist if I separate the female and keep her in a separate cage by herself, how big should her cage be? There's a lot of mixed information online so I appreciate getting other people's input!

I just read through the bonding tips! Maybe I wasn't using the right treats haha, I would love to give it a try again!

Thank you again!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

My apologies, but I have to disagree with the vet you spoke to on a couple of issues.

I separated my female from my male budgie because she was picking on him, and she stopped laying eggs; all birds are different. I've also had only females who never laid eggs.
At the very least, I would separate the male she didn't bond with from the other two because the odds are good that he will end up injured. As long as his cage is next to the other one he won't be lonely. On the other hand, you could separate the female before the pair has had any more time to bond. That would be what I would do if they were my birds.
You mentioned that you got a cage 6'high, how wide is it? Width is more important than height. You're right about the other cage being too small for 3 budgies, it's really too small for just 1.

I disagree with adding a female cage mate. Females can be vicious to each other and I never had any luck keeping female budgies together.

Also, without bloodwork being done, I don't believe that any vitamin supplements should be used. As far as calcium, when I have had a bird laying eggs, I boil eggs for them and give them the shells broken up. I also offer oyster shells.

Removing anything that can be used as a nest is a fantastic idea! I see you add

Here is a great thread about bonding - it's never too late to earn a bird's trust

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

It would be easier for you to bond with her if she was separated from the males

Please let us know how things are going

My apologies, but I have to disagree with the vet you spoke to on a couple of issues.

I separated my female from my male budgie because she was picking on him, and she stopped laying eggs; all birds are different. I've also had only females who never laid eggs.
At the very least, I would separate the male she didn't bond with from the other two because the odds are good that he will end up injured. As long as his cage is next to the other one he won't be lonely. On the other hand, you could separate the female before the pair has had any more time to bond. That would be what I would do if they were my birds.
You mentioned that you got a cage 6'high, how wide is it? Width is more important than height. You're right about the other cage being too small for 3 budgies, it's really too small for just 1.

I disagree with adding a female cage mate. Females can be vicious to each other and I never had any luck keeping female budgies together.

Also, without bloodwork being done, I don't believe that any vitamin supplements should be used. As far as calcium, when I have had a bird laying eggs, I boil eggs for them and give them the shells broken up. I also offer oyster shells.

Removing anything that can be used as a nest is a fantastic idea! I see you added a lot of toys, that's also a good thing.

Here is a great thread about bonding - it's never too late to earn a bird's trust

Tips for Bonding and Building Trust

It would be easier for you to bond with her if she was separated from the males

Please let us know how things are going

One of the most tragic things I ever had to witness was one of my female budgies die from egg binding. Pretty little Skye (along with her male cagemate Buddy) had laid one clutch of six fertile eggs during a holiday road trip and the unavoidable road bumps and vibrations killed the developing chicks. I let her sit on the eggs for another week (a total of 30 days) before removing them. Within a week she began to lay a replacement clutch and when she got to the fourth egg it "got stuck", and she died a very painful death within hours at about midnight on a Saturday night with no avian vet available. I was pretty traumatized from witnessing this. Unfortunately egg binding in otherwise healthy budgies is fairly common and usually fatal. Afterward, the avian vet explained a lot to me about egg binding in Budgies. He told me that Skye had not has enough time between clutches to recover her calcium stores. If the blood calcium is too low while shes trying to lay an egg the muscles of the cloaca cannot contract with enough force to expel the egg and the retained egg puts pressure on the blood vessels and nerves in the pelvis cutting off blood flow to vital organs causing a painful death. If I had an oral concentrated calcium supplement on hand and had administered a few drops directly into her beak at the first sign of egg binding her blood calcium would have risen quickly and if done quickly enough Skye MAY have been able to pass the retained egg, but I didn't know this at the time so she did not stand a chance. He told me that calcium is vital to both forming strong egg shells AND for muscles to contract during the laying process itself. I'm telling you this so you don't just allow your girl to keep laying eggs. You should try to prevent it, preferably by separating her from all males, both visually and within hearing. The more eggs she lays the more calcium depleted she will become and the more likely she will eventually become fatally egg bound. I realize a lot of female budgies, especially mature ones in breeding condition, do not get along with other female budgies. They can be downright nasty to each other, but not always. If she won't tolerate other females, another thing you may consider is giving her a male cockatiel for a cagemate. Male cockatiels are usually very easy going, get along well with budgies, and can defend themselves if necessary. A cockatiel cagemate could satisfy her need for companionship without stimulating her to breed. I hate to see a female budgie have to live alone to save her from the dangers of endless egg laying. If you know someone who has a male cockatiel maybe you could borrow one for a couple days to see how your girl reacts to having him in the cage with her. If it works then you could get one of your own. I wish you luck. I hope you never have to watch one of your beloved Budgies die a tragic death like my pretty little Skye did.

 

[HeatherG]

Lupron for some months might end the egg laying cycle, particularly if you were careful with no nestlike objects and short photoperiod. My Lucy got two or three Lupron depot injections and then she stopped egging.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I love the lupron injection idea for stopping egg laying but my vet told me it would cost over $700 for each injection and would need to be repeated every few months. As much as I'm committed to spending money on vet care, I can't really afford to do that.

 

[HeatherG]

I love the lupron injection idea for stopping egg laying but my vet told me it would cost over $700 for each injection and would need to be repeated every few months. As much as I'm committed to spending money on vet care, I can't really afford to do that.

What?! Holy cow!

When Lucy had Lupron injections it was about $50 for a 3 month depot injection. Granted that was twenty years ago but still the price should be less for a budgie. I wonder if the price has gone up because the drug is used for birth control in humans, which has gotten so much more fraught.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

What?! Holy cow!

When Lucy had Lupron injections it was about $50 for a 3 month depot injection. Granted that was twenty years ago but still the price should be less for a budgie. I wonder if the price has gone up because the drug is used for birth control in humans, which has gotten so much more fraught.

I thought it was pretty outrageous myself, but drug prices have escalated ridiculously over the past 20 years. I was a pharmaceutical sales rep for 13 years (1987-2000) and during that period the prices skyrocketed. Drug companies charge as much as insurance companies are willing to spend. Lupron is used most often now in men who have prostate cancer to block the effects of testosterone and it also blocks estrogens which makes it ideal for stopping egg laying. I actually considered spending that much but I think the vet thought I was "nuts" and told me I would need to travel to a veterinary hospital in Boston to pursue it. I live four hours away in Maine so it really wasn't feasible for me.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I thought it was pretty outrageous myself, but drug prices have escalated ridiculously over the past 20 years. I was a pharmaceutical sales rep for 13 years (1987-2000) and during that period the prices skyrocketed. Drug companies charge as much as insurance companies are willing to spend. Lupron is used most often now in men who have prostate cancer to block the effects of testosterone and it also blocks estrogens which makes it ideal for stopping egg laying. I actually considered spending that much but I think the vet thought I was "nuts" and told me I would need to travel to a veterinary hospital in Boston to pursue it. I live four hours away in Maine so it really wasn't feasible for me.

Lupron isn't sold in a "Budgie dose". You have to pay for a human dose and throw the unused portion away because you aren't supposed to save it once you open and use the vial.

 

[Terry57]

Hi! I appreciate the insight! And like you said, all birds are different! It's possible she may stop laying, but it's also possible she'll keep laying eggs as well. It was simply an example that she had mentioned and said the same thing as you! Apologies if my wording wasn't the clearest, what I meant to say is if she STAYS with the male, she can lay eggs the rest of her life. I can try separating the female out and see how that goes, but they all get along well. They've never been apart from each other for five years. The boys bond well together, and the female gets along with both of them but does seem more attached to one of the males. Maybe I'm just a little over worried about separating them but thank you for the reassurance that they'll be okay!

You're very welcome! I absolutely hate recommending that a bonded pair be separated, and I only mention it now because it seems as if she and the one male have bonded as a pair only recently.
They are going to call for each other, but if they can see each other in the cage next to them it may help.

And YES, calcium/vitamins. I used the two words interchangeably haha but of course they are both different things, thank you for catching my mistake! Prescriptions should of course only be given after a proper wellness exam, which should include bloodwork as you said! As far as calcium goes, I give them access to calcium blocks/cuttle bones, and mix in calcium supplements with their food (I think it's also made from crushed oyster shells and a few other things!). I'll try out the boiling shells method though!! It'd definitely be a good way to put my eggs to good use!

Cuttle bones and oyster shells are also great ways to get calcium in them. I had a female Pionus who was constantly laying eggs, with no male in sight. She never required any more calcium than I provided, although another female may need it. I lost my girl to egg binding near the beginning of Covid on the way to the vet.

The cage is 6 feet tall and around 4 feet wide I believe, give or take a few inches. It took me forever to find a decently priced large cage on Craigslist if I separate the female and keep her in a separate cage by herself, how big should her cage be? There's a lot of mixed information online so I appreciate getting other people's input!

That is a fantastic size cage!!

I have 6 of these cages and they are amazing. The only thing is the breeder doors need to be zip-tied shut.

Prevue Hendryx

I just read through the bonding tips! Maybe I wasn't using the right treats haha, I would love to give it a try again!

Thank you again!

My pleasure! One thing I can share from personal experience is that the longer it takes, the more breathtaking the feeling is when it finally happens. We've had our OWA for more than 9 years, and he only started allowing me to touch him in the last few months. I had tears stream down my face the first time we both trusted each other enough to try.

I'm looking so forward to hearing about your breakthrough when it happens

 

[birdmom123]

One of the most tragic things I ever had to witness was one of my female budgies die from egg binding. Pretty little Skye (along with her male cagemate Buddy) had laid one clutch of six fertile eggs during a holiday road trip and the unavoidable road bumps and vibrations killed the developing chicks. I let her sit on the eggs for another week (a total of 30 days) before removing them. Within a week she began to lay a replacement clutch and when she got to the fourth egg it "got stuck", and she died a very painful death within hours at about midnight on a Saturday night with no avian vet available. I was pretty traumatized from witnessing this. Unfortunately egg binding in otherwise healthy budgies is fairly common and usually fatal. Afterward, the avian vet explained a lot to me about egg binding in Budgies. He told me that Skye had not has enough time between clutches to recover her calcium stores. If the blood calcium is too low while shes trying to lay an egg the muscles of the cloaca cannot contract with enough force to expel the egg and the retained egg puts pressure on the blood vessels and nerves in the pelvis cutting off blood flow to vital organs causing a painful death. If I had an oral concentrated calcium supplement on hand and had administered a few drops directly into her beak at the first sign of egg binding her blood calcium would have risen quickly and if done quickly enough Skye MAY have been able to pass the retained egg, but I didn't know this at the time so she did not stand a chance. He told me that calcium is vital to both forming strong egg shells AND for muscles to contract during the laying process itself. I'm telling you this so you don't just allow your girl to keep laying eggs. You should try to prevent it, preferably by separating her from all males, both visually and within hearing. The more eggs she lays the more calcium depleted she will become and the more likely she will eventually become fatally egg bound. I realize a lot of female budgies, especially mature ones in breeding condition, do not get along with other female budgies. They can be downright nasty to each other, but not always. If she won't tolerate other females, another thing you may consider is giving her a male cockatiel for a cagemate. Male cockatiels are usually very easy going, get along well with budgies, and can defend themselves if necessary. A cockatiel cagemate could satisfy her need for companionship without stimulating her to breed. I hate to see a female budgie have to live alone to save her from the dangers of endless egg laying. If you know someone who has a male cockatiel maybe you could borrow one for a couple days to see how your girl reacts to having him in the cage with her. If it works then you could get one of your own. I wish you luck. I hope you never have to watch one of your beloved Budgies die a tragic death like my pretty little Skye did.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that egg binding is no joke and that's kind of been my main concern with her too. I was reading though that sometimes surgeries and other corrective measures are necessary to help egg bound birds if other options don't work. Sometimes it happens so suddenly. I'm so sorry about your female that passed, but please don't put the blame entirely on yourself. Budgies are such fragile creatures, too. Sometimes things like that are completely out of our control, no matter how hard we try. I'm sure Skye knew how much she was loved by you

On another note, is it common for budgies to be paired with cockatiels? Can they breed at all if she's with a male or could that contribute to egg laying behavior? Perhaps if I can find another flight cage for the same price that's something I could look into, but I will likely separate the female for now like others suggested!

Thank you for your response!

 

[birdmom123]

What?! Holy cow!

When Lucy had Lupron injections it was about $50 for a 3 month depot injection. Granted that was twenty years ago but still the price should be less for a budgie. I wonder if the price has gone up because the drug is used for birth control in humans, which has gotten so much more fraught.

Oh my! Those prices are crazy!! I don't know if my wallet could handle those thank you for suggesting it regardless I appreciate the help!

 

[birdmom123]

You're very welcome! I absolutely hate recommending that a bonded pair be separated, and I only mention it now because it seems as if she and the one male have bonded as a pair only recently.
They are going to call for each other, but if they can see each other in the cage next to them it may help.



Cuttle bones and oyster shells are also great ways to get calcium in them. I had a female Pionus who was constantly laying eggs, with no male in sight. She never required any more calcium than I provided, although another female may need it. I lost my girl to egg binding near the beginning of Covid on the way to the vet.



That is a fantastic size cage!!

I have 6 of these cages and they are amazing. The only thing is the breeder doors need to be zip-tied shut.

Prevue Hendryx


My pleasure! One thing I can share from personal experience is that the longer it takes, the more breathtaking the feeling is when it finally happens. We've had our OWA for more than 9 years, and he only started allowing me to touch him in the last few months. I had tears stream down my face the first time we both trusted each other enough to try.

I'm looking so forward to hearing about your breakthrough when it happens

Thanks for the cage suggestions!! I'll look into those as well!! And wow, NINE years?? That's insane! I'll definitely have to try again!! I hope that you continue to bond with him over things and that things go well for the two of you!