by merlin » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:03 am
Dear Sharon,
A lot of pet greys go through this issue. Lucy does NOT want to breed... but this is a hormonal issue. You must let her body continue the hormonal process, now that it has started. She will need to do the egg laying, sitting on it for a month and then you throw the eggs away. If you do not allow this, her body will just keep laying eggs.
Let her keep the egg in her box. Add some soft materials to make it comfortable for her. She may lay 2-4 more eggs. They generally have 3-5 eggs in the wild. First timers may only lay 1 or 2. Then, let her care for the eggs and sit on them for about a month. Then, throw them away.
In this process she will be dedicated to the eggs and possibly aggressive with you to "keep her nest safe." Don't worry about it but keep food close and water to make sure she still eats and drinks. They can become very dogmatic and focused only on the nest, forgetting about most else. Watch the backyard birds... they are doggedly dedicated sitting in those nests for a month in the heat.
Lots of teen grey hens seem to lay eggs... generally they start in their teens. So, it is common, but we do tend to promote it with the way in which we treat our birds. Whenever she acts hormonal, like whimpering, place her somewhere else and change the activity. Keep boxes that could be nest boxes away from cage... maybe to chew up when outside the cage, but not in. Don't do familiar petting, such as anywhere else on the body, except the head. Those are more sensual areas. Let her know you love her but don't talk up how much you love her at this time. These are just a few ideas. The key is to change the activity when she starts to moan and groan.
Do not worry. This does happen. Keep me posted.
Blessings,
Maggie-
www.AfricanGreys.com