Photos by Sweet Acres Birds Farm

A bird laying an egg is the most natural thing in the world.  Still, we humans always seem so surprised when it happens.

Egg production is not the result of mating, as many astonished single bird owners have discovered.  It is the breeding stimuli in the environment that causes a hen to generate an egg.  If you have only one bird, or are certain that your male and female are nothing more than good friends, the egg will be unviable.  Without fertilization, an egg will not produce a chick.  Now that we’ve concluded the birds and bees portion of this post we can move on to what to do if your bird does lay an egg:

1.  Don’t mess with mama!:

So you wake up one morning to find your bird sitting in a corner of her cage.  You realize that something isn’t right, and you reach in to retrieve her.  She charges forward, her wings out to the sides, straight towards your hand (which you have hopefully withdrawn in time).  Behind her is a little white egg.  She returns to her corner and repositions the egg under her warm body. She will stop at nothing to protect her little treasure. If you’re smart, you will let her be for a few days.
cockatiel egg

2.  Don’t remove the egg too soon:

If you were to immediately remove the egg, while your bird is still in parenting mode, it will only cause her to lay another to replace the one she lost. This can bring about some serious health concerns, including egg binding, common in cockatiels.
It doesn’t take mom long to realize that the egg is a dud. Often,she will abandon the after a few days or start spending longer periods of time away from it.  When away from the immediate nest site, you will find her less defensive with you.  This is the time to remove the egg.
Some people will then replace the stolen egg with a similar sized stone or plastic egg to minimize the need for the hen to lay again. It has been explained to me that this kicks the breeding urge down a notch, surely she understands that this is not a real egg, and quells the urge to produce more. I have never used this technique, but many have successfully.

3.  Keep her from over producing eggs:

Since it is the breeding stimuli in the environment that encourages her egg production, you need to take a good look around and eliminate those things which might be causing her to lay. Cover the area of her cage where she tends to lay with a large toy or object that she cannot use as a nest or nest behind. Keep her from any dark, private areas, such as under or behind the couch, cabinets or corners.  Remove anything that can be used as a nesting material, like shredders, cloth or wood chips.  Avoid warm, mash-like food and limit bathing for the time being.  These are breeding stimulators.  Make sure she gets at least 10 -12 hours of darkness a day.  If you don’t cover your bird’s cage at night, you might want to do this during the spring.  Extended daylight hours signify breeding season.

4.  Keep her healthy while she is laying:

The egg shell is made up mostly of calcium, which comes directly from the calcium stores in your female’s body.  This means she is surrendering her own personal supply for egg production.  Every time she lays an egg, she will be somewhat depleted.  In a chronically laying hen, the depletion is serious and her own health is at risk.
You will want to serve her a calcium rich diet at this time.   Feed her lots of legumes (especially navy beans), broccoli and papaya. Give her scramble eggs, with the shell crushed in to it, a couple of times a week.  Avoid the leafy greens, like kale, spinach and mustard and collard greens. These are normally great foods for your bird, but they contain oxalic acids which inhibit the absorption of calcium, which she desperately need at this time.

Some fun egg facts:

• Did you know that the egg is a miracle of engineering?  It’s dome-like shape distributes pressure evenly, which allows mom to walk all over the eggs, but have you ever noticed that the ends are differently shaped with one end being broader than the other?  If you were to interlock your fingers and apply pressure to the egg lengthwise, you would be very surprised how difficult it is to break.  (Wear gloves if you try this, egg shell shards are sharp!)
• Did you know that, while in the shell, a bird develops an egg tooth?  This is a hard, pointed ridge that grows on top of the beak that is used to pip his way out of the shell when the time comes. It falls off shortly after hatching.
• Did you know that the egg comes with its own supply of food?  The contents of the egg changes as the bird develops, and it contains a constant supply of nutrients.
• Did you know that the mother bird turns her eggs frequently to keep the chick from getting stuck?  A baby bird can adhere to the inside of the shell causing developmental problems and death.  The turning also serves to keep the egg warm from all sides.

For those of you who have read my posts over the past year, I hope I have impressed upon you the importance of feeding your birds a nutritious, healthful diet. Anyone who knows me, or has contacted me with questions about certain products has learned quickly that I hate everything. I could never bring myself to suggest a product that I know falls short of it’s claims, or worse, might actually harm a bird.  I don’t recommend commercial supplements, in large part because of their questionable ingredients, but mainly because I have never found anything that could stack up against a fresh food diet. I have said that all the love, foraging opportunities and enrichment you offer goes to waste if your bird is not feeling well and is without energy as a result of a poor diet.

I have complained a number of times about the iffy eating habits of my umbrella cockatoo, Linus.  For those of you struggling with this problem despite doing the right things, I do understand. Everyday I serve Linus his fresh fruits and vegetables, and more often than I can bear, the dish is removed later in the day untouched.  Every once in a while, I find his dish nearly empty. Before I throw a parade, I check the cage bottom, the floor, the walls and finally the stainless steel bucket attached to the side of his cage, where I often find the missing broccoli.  It is frustrating and worrisome.

The more I look into good nutrition for my birds, the more concerned I become about the foods available to us today.  Did you know that produce today has 25-50% FEWER nutrients than produce grown in the 1960’s? That number will only decline as our environment worsens and as business practices are left unchecked. The fresh foods we DO manage to get into our birds are sub-standard.  I recently have felt near the end of the road in my search to provide Linus with the balance he lacks and the rest of my birds with the ultimate diet.  A friend, who distributes the product, suggested I try Tahitian Noni Juice.
I figured: Why not? I’ve tried everything else.  I looked into the product, and couldn’t find any reason not to try it, but to be honest, I really ordered that first bottle to be supportive of my friend’s business and because she’s such an all-around great gal. I decided, however, to try it myself for a couple of weeks while I did further research and before offering it to Linus.

So that you understand the depth of my skepticism, I read up on the fruit and the plant, grown on pristine volcanic islands in the South Pacific, and how it has been used medicinally by ancient Polynesians for thousands of years. I learned that the leaf of the plant has been used to heal wounds, was applied to broken bones and used as skin care. I looked into the company’s manufacturing and the pasteurization process of the fruit, which they are very forthcoming about. I found they have put over $500 million into noni research since 1996.  I read every word of their unprecedented 14 human clinical trials.  Please trust me when I tell you I did my homework.  I was amazed by the countless stories of improved health.
As we are beaten down every day by stress, the environment, and the poor quality of foods we put into our systems, Tahitian Noni’s bioactive ingredients attach themselves to our cells to repair them, enhance them and maintain them to give support while they do the job they were meant to do. The noni’s claim to fame, however, are bioactive compounds called iridoids (I’d never heard of them either). An iridoid is an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antispasmodic, antitumor, antiviral, and immunomodulator. Further, iridoids have “smart” adaptogenic properties.  This means that they go to task with the areas of your body that need support. How they benefit you might be entirely different from how they serve me.  It all depends on the individual’s needs and deficiencies. The medicinal capabilities of iridoids are too many to list. This is the big point of difference between noni and other “superfruits” like acai and mangosteen.
The Tahitian Noni company doesn’t deny or try to hide the fact that vitamins and nutrients are lost during the pasteurization process, a process all juices must go through to eliminate harmful bacterias. It is a fact, however, that the iridoids, which are found in enormous quantity in the noni fruit, unlike flavenoids and carotenoids found in all fruits, are unharmed by heat, air and time. You get the full benefit, always, which other juices can’t claim. This is why they call it a bioactive beverage, and not a juice.

The proof of their claims came to me within two days. I felt energized and didn’t feel the need for my usual several cups of coffee to get me through the day.  I wasn’t surprised, in fact, I expected this.  My research had already told me this would be the very least I could expect.  What I didn’t anticipate was that in the the first two weeks, I was sleeping better, the leg cramps that were plaguing me were gone and my vision actually improved.  My thought process seemed somehow clearer and, along with a couple of other benefits that are just too TMI to mention here, I felt great and my performance at work improved. This was the point where I decided to start Linus on it.
Tahitian Noni Original doesn’t taste good.  If you’re expecting Welch’s grape juice, well, just don’t. The great thing is that only a couple of ounces a day gets the job done for most people. The taste, however, is perfect for parrots because they like bitter things.  I still expected to be showered with Linus’s first dose. He tentatively licked the end of the syringe, then I heard a loud “Mmmmm” and he opened wide.  By now he is requesting it.  He calls it: “Mmmm juice”, or actually “Mmmm Oot”, which is pretty darn close.  I have started all of the birds on it.
He’s been on it for over a month and I can already see a lustrous improvement in his, and all of the bird’s feathering.  Further, and most importantly, I can see that he feels good.  There is a twinkle in his eye now, that hasn’t always been there.  Granted, when I see that twinkle, he is usually about to get into some mischief that will ultimately land him behind bars, but as I’ve said before: a naughty bird is a happy bird, and a happy bird is a healthy bird.

I can finally, without hesitation, recommend a product that fulfills its claims and then some.  Tahitian Noni is worth its weight in gold for you and your parrots, especially those who are finicky and inconsistent with.their diet. I am so grateful to have found something to help ease my concerns, and very excited about how quickly I have seen such great results.  Please feel free to contact me  at maginux@hotmail.com if you are interested in learning more, or visit their website.

Q:  Why does my bird act crazy when it rains?

Laura G.,  Oakland, CA

A:  Rain can mean many things to a parrot.  The warm rains of spring mean that the plants are being nourished and food will soon be plentiful.  It is a precursor to breeding season and can signal the onset of hormonal behaviors.  Parrots are able to detect a change in barometric pressure and may be aware of a coming rainstorm well before we are.

At other times of the year, a rain shower will inspire my birds to take a swim in their water bowls.  In this case, the rain is reminiscent of a nice bath.  Wild birds bathe both out of necessity and as a social activity.  Just as we must frequently bathe our birds at a home, wild birds rely on the rains to keep their feathers in top condition and to wash away dander and debris.  Bathing is also a fun activity for any bird and is a time when they get a lot of exercise and expend a lot of energy.

During the dry season, rain is not only a nice change of pace, but it usually brings with it cooler temperatures.  Your birds will take advantage of this for some some exuberant play, or a comfortable nap.  As hormones kick in, you might see some nesty activity.   All of these behaviors are normal for your bird.

I can’t help it.  I cringe every time I see a large parrot with a small child.  From a toddler to a teenager, children carry a significant amount of energy.  You can feel that a child is present no matter where they are. Parrots, as prey animals, are easily alarmed. It is their nature and red flags go up any time something is amiss. We are far more tolerant of our parrots natures than they are of our children’s, and I have seen things go wrong, regardless of how well behaved your child or your parrot is.

I went to visit an out of state friend years ago, and she requested that I bring Abu, my first umbrella cockatoo.  Abu was one of those rare cockatoos that was quiet, sweet tempered and would sit on a perch for hours in the company of her favorite people.  She was potty trained, and without a doubt, the easiest bird I have ever had.  I had no reservations about bringing her along.  She was barely in the door before she had won the hearts of everyone, including my friend’s 3 year old grandson.

I kept Abu in the bedroom where I was staying when he wasn’t out mingling and making new friends.  Early into my visit, my friend and I were in the kitchen talking while her grandson busied himself with a coloring book in the living room.  The next thing I know, there was a horrible shriek and the little boy came running to Grandma for comfort.  His hand was bloody.  He had gone into visit with Abu without our knowledge and had apparently stuck his hand inside the travel crate.  Inspecting the wounds, it appears that Abu managed to get three fingers into her beak for one nasty bite.  One finger was nearly crushed.  I felt horrible and couldn’t apologize enough.  We all knew that this wasn’t the child’s fault because he was just being an inquisitive as children are, and it wasn’t Abu’s fault for objecting to the small hand invading her cage space, but ours for lack of supervision.

Last summer, I watched a young girl be bitten in the eye by her beloved cockatiel after he was frightened by a slamming door.  Fortunately, her lid took most of the injury, but the relationship between the two was never the same.  Even a small bird can do substantial damage to a small body.

Despite the risks, children being raised around birds are offered some unique experiences.  There’s a lot to be learned about care-giving, compassion and our responsibility to nature. When you are raised to be patient with and tolerant of things different from yourself, you can be at home wherever you are. And it doesn’t hurt to have an awareness of body language, whether it be avian or human. I have a friend who rehabs troubled parrots whose very young children (2 and 4) have learned not to make eye contact with a screaming bird so as not to reward the undesired behavior.
When I was about 10, we found a baby screech owl with a wing injury.  After waiting until we were sure there were no parents caring for the bird, we took him home and nursed him back to health.  We knew nothing about the care of a wild bird and found advice about its diet from a family friend who was knowledgeable about wildlife. Willy was the sweetest bird and he became a member of the family.  It was a wonderful experience that I am grateful to have had.
When we learn at an early age to respect and appreciate nature, it is something that we carry throughout our lives and pass along to our children.  They, in turn, pass it along to theirs.  What a wonderful world this would be if all of humanity were on the same page.

Think, for a moment, about all of the life-stages a human being goes through from birth to old age, and the way each stage effects and changes the person that you are:  from the complete dependence of infancy to the confident and very mobile 6 year old; from the hormonal teen years to early adulthood, the child bearing years; from adulthood to middle age; from middle to old age, where health might start to decline.  Then consider the long life span of our companion parrots.  Parrots go through life-stages just as people do.  In 10 years, your parrot will likely be a different bird than the one you have now.

We all know to expect behavior changes as a parrot reaches sexual maturity.  A young bird might start getting nippy and territorial.  You can equate this to the 11-14 year old child that has begun rolling her eyes at everything you say.  Yesterday you were a hero, today you are an idiot that knows nothing about the world.  You will remain an idiot until she reaches 21 and realizes that your claims about “how hard it is out there” were not fabrications and scare tactics designed to gain cooperation and control.  The respectful behavior returns, but you will never again be the hero.  Changes are part of life and we do best when we learn to roll with them.

A parrot’s demeanor, attitude and level of tolerance changes as it ages.   While some changes in your parrot might be a reflection of a changing home environment, this is not always the case.  Any intelligent being has the capacity to change.  Some changes might be welcomed, others frustrating, and you might find it necessary to put new strategies into play as your bird goes through its life.

As I get older, I find I have less patience for things that were once very important to me, things that I now find to be trivial and unworthy of my efforts.  It makes me laugh to think how much time I have spent fussing over my hair, applying make-up, dressing up to go to the supermarket.  Events I once thought were the end of the world are now met with a simple sigh.  I have changed, but the essence of who I am, my morals and ethics, have remained the same.  I’m still me, just different.

Tinky, my 16 year old cockatiel, has gone through several attitude changes in his years.  I have had him since he was a baby.  When he was young, he took everything in stride.  If he wanted to come out and play, he would kick up a fuss and let me know.  After a few minutes, when he realized he wasn’t going to get his way, he would quietly move on to something else to do.  No big deal.

When he was older, about 8, he became much more serious about life.  Things that would normally instigate rowdy play were suddenly annoying to him.  For a while, he preferred to play outside his cage independently, always within sight of me, but less physically interactive. Then, he went through a period where he couldn’t bear to be away from me.

Now, in his golden years, I find he has very little patience for nonsense.  Nonsense being defined as anything that doesn’t suit him that day, anything that doesn’t go his way, and everything else.  He can be quite stubborn, and has no trouble voicing his opinions.  But he is still, and has always been, fun and lovable Tinky at his core, although there have been many versions of him along the way.  I have enjoyed every second of our journey together, whoever he happens to be at any given moment.  I even love the crotchety, old man he has become.

Just another example of what happens when you follow what we teach

If you’d like to learn how to do this, and more with your bird, click below to check out our different parrot training packages:

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Best Wishes,

Chet