Excessive or chronic egg laying is when a hen (female parrot) is laying prolonged, excessive and larger than normal clutch sizes. There are lots of reasons for excessive egg laying. The presence of a perceived mate, be it another bird, a toy or you can be the cause of excessive egg laying. Limit the amount of physical interaction with your parrot. Touch only her head. Stroking the bird under its wings, down it back or under its tail near the vent is a no-no. You are making your parrot sexually frustrated which can also cause screaming, feather plucking and biting. An increase in daylight can bring on hormonal changes too. If your hen begins this chronic egg laying pattern, reduce the length of her day to 10-12 hours. Provide her a quiet, dark place to sleep for 12-14 hours. This may help to break her egg laying cycle. Diets rich in phytoestrogen such as soy & flax, and warm soft foods can bring on nesting behaviors. There may also be underlying physical issues that over stimulate hormone production that your vet can check for. Excessive or chronic egg laying can cause multiple health problems in parrots. They can become egg bound, develop osteoporosis, which eventually can lead to broken bones, lose weight and feathers and eventually become malnourished.

It is always wise to know the sex of your parrots. A simple DNA test can be performed by your avian vet when you take your parrot in for its annual exam and blood work. So, what is egg binding? Egg binding is the inability of a hen to pass or expel a developed or partially developed egg through the reproductive system at a normal rate. Eggs can be formed and laid without the presence of a male. If diagnosed and treated early, the outcome is usually very good. If left untreated, the parrot could die.

This is an actual Quaker egg.

What causes egg binding in pet parrots? Egg binding is very common in parrots with other health problems like obesity, lack of exercise and poor diet.

If you know your parrot is a female, here are signs of egg binding; however, these will vary depending upon the severity:

• Abdominal straining
• Wagging or bobbing of the tail
• Wings drooping
• Standing with a wide stance
• Lack of appetite
• Leg paralysis or lameness (the egg is putting pressure on the nerves going to the legs)
• Abdomen distended
• Dirty vent area
• Feathers fluffed
• Weakness
• Difficult breathing
• Sitting at the bottom of the cage
• Prolapse is possible
• Occasionally sudden death

How is egg binding diagnosed?

Your avian veterinarian will make the diagnosis based on history, clinical signs, physical examination, radiography (x-rays) and/or ultrasound. Sometimes it is necessary to stabilize your parrot before proceeding with extensive examinations. If you think your parrot is egg bound and your vet’s office is closed, contact the local emergency clinic to see if there is an avian vet on call. If there isn’t an avian vet on call, try the following until you can get your parrot to your avian vet early the next morning:

1. Give liquid Calcium directly into the bird’s beak with an eyedropper. Liquid calcium is rapidly adsorbed and can revitalize nerves and muscles that allow the hen to push the egg out.

2. Keep you parrot warm. Place you parrot in a smaller cage or travel carrier, and sit the cage/carrier on a heating pad. DO NOT put the heating pad inside the cage/carrier. Try to get the temperature between 85 -90 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Moisture is also very important. Humidity should be around 80%. Steam from a shower will help, but don’t give your parrot a bath. Place the small cage/carrier in a small bathroom, shut the door and turn on the shower, running very hot water to make steam.

4. Try to get your parrot to eat her favorite food and drink a little water or Gatorade. Also, water with aloe vera juice might help get the egg moving. Aloe vera juice acts as an internal lubricant.

How to treat egg binding:

Treatment will depend on lots of things such as the condition of the bird, the severity of the signs, where the egg is located, the length of time the bird has been egg bound and if the egg has passed either whole or partially. Your avian vet will know what to do for your parrot. She might need to stay at your vets in an incubator for a few days.

Things to prevent your parrot from becoming egg bound:

1. Feed a high quality diet of fresh fruits and veggies including lots of dark greens, like turnip greens, arugula, kale, collards, mustard greens, dandelions, chicory, cabbage, pak choi/bok choy, sprouted grains, legumes, and sprouted seed. Peppermint, spearmint and basil have surprisingly high amounts of calcium. Celery seed, dill seed, fennel seed, unhulled sesame seed, cumin and coriander seeds are an excellent source of calcium too. Stay away from spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens as they prevent the absorption of calcium. Cuttle bone and crushed oyster shell are NOT good sources of calcium, as they are indigestible by birds.

2. Ask your vet to recommend a calcium supplement. A good one is Calciboost. This is a liquid that provides the needed calcium, magnesium and D3 in an easily absorbed form. You add it to water or place on soft food. http://www.allbirdproducts.com/newproductpages/calciboost.html

3. Cut out all soy and flax from her diet, as they are phytoestrogen items and will stimulate excessive egg laying.

4. Begin an exercise routine for your “couch potato” hen, to strengthen her muscles.

If your parrot is laying eggs and you don’t have a male parrot, the eggs are not fertile. Let your parrot keep the eggs until she has no interest in them. If they break, try substituting plastic eggs, golf balls or small wooden balls. Another good idea is to place a beach towel on the crate of the cage and over with newspaper, so the next egg doesn’t break and you can also make sure the whole egg was expelled. Parrots usually lay eggs every other day until they have a small clutch of about 3-4 eggs. If you have a male, the eggs should be considered fertile. Poke a small hole in them with a needle or place in the freezer, or hard boil them.

Trixie, Blue and Gold macaw sitting on her wooden eggs.

Also, your vet might suggest Lupron injections. They are expensive and don’t always work, but it’s worth trying.

Even when your bird lays eggs with seemingly no difficulties, their health can still be at risk. During the process of forming an egg, calcium is robbed from other areas of the body, such as the bones, muscles and nervous system, and can result in a condition known as hypocalcaemia. Some of the symptoms of hypocalcaemia are muscle weakness, difficulty climbing, gripping a perch, and loss of balance. The symptoms can progress into neurological issues such as twitching, spasms, toe tapping (often seen in Eclectus parrots), or the more serious seizures of an epileptic nature. These birds are also at a much higher risk of bone breakage or bent bones, known as rickets. Low calcium may even be at the root of many behavioral problems such as excessive fearfulness, aggressiveness, feather plucking or self mutilation. (It should be noted that parrots of both sexes who have a poor diet history can be susceptible to hypocalcaemia.)

As with anything related to a healthy diet, there is a synergy or balance of multiple items to be considered. Such is the case with calcium. You can feed your parrot the most calcium rich diet possible, but if there is a lack of vitamin D, calcium cannot be absorbed and metabolized. The best and safest source of vitamin D is natural sunlight. Full spectrum lighting can be used at times when the weather will not allow you to get your parrot out into the sunshine. Vitamin D supplements can be used in cases of extreme deficiency, but use caution as too much can cause renal failure.

Isn’t it ironic that we bring these wonderful parrots into our homes, give them tons of love, security, environmental enrichment, and great diets thinking we are doing “all the right things.” Then suddenly we’re faced with nesting and egg laying behaviors which can sometimes be life threatening. It’s especially ironic when for many years some of these parrots were thought to be male!

Similar to last year’s event with Dr. Brightsmith and his research into the macaws of Peru, Sam Williams showed nest and hatch data over a period of years, except with a species that hasn’t gotten the same level of attention from the eco-tourism industry. Because Bonaire comprises such a small geographic space, the Amazons tend to overlap with human populations a lot, which brings with it a set of problems above and beyond the poaching issue. An interesting insight into the issue was that the locals don’t have a word for “poaching”, so in his campaigns to educate the island’s the researchers describe the taking of the hatchlings in terms of “stealing” and “kidnapping.”

According to the team’s research, one year, of the 90-odd laid eggs that were documented, only 30-something lived to the fledgling stage and 10 were taken illegally; in a population of wild birds where very few actually mate, this is a huge hit on the ability of the population to grow.

Poachers also create other long-lasting problems when they cut down the trees in which the Amazons built their nests. The Parrot Watch team is trying to figure out how to help replenish the availability of suitable nesting sites. These parrots nest in trees as well as cliff faces, but man-made nest boxes that mimic the right shape and size of natural nests have had only limited success. Wild parrots, being fairly neo-phobic, just weren’t interested in exploring and making a home in these objects for the most part. Perhaps in the future they’ll have more success in figuring out what makes a “hole” a “home” for these Amazons.

Sam also shared some amazing videos that were taken within the nest, including a clip of eggs being laid, a chick hatching, and Amazons fighting with iguanas, plus some gorgeous photography of the Amazons and other native fauna. The video and nest photos were taken with the recorder and data loggers that Phoenix Landing purchased for Parrot Watch earlier this year.

In terms of next steps for him and the project, Sam talked about the need to get the local population of Bonaire to take ownership of their island’s conservation effort.

Phoenix Landing’s Adoptable Pet Parrots

As always, several adoptable parrots were on hand to meet potential adopters… and add to the auditory experience. Two of the umbrella cockatoos had to be moved around the room because the sound of Cockatoo screaming was drowning out the lecture.

In addition to several cockatoos, we also had two Blue & Gold Macaws and a number of smaller birds including lovebirds, cockatiels and a Poi.

Another Fantastic Lecture (and Potluck)

A big thanks to Sam for his presentation and all the volunteers who put together the fantastic potluck.

We still have a lot of classes for the remainder of the year, but be especially sure to join us on December 12 for our event with Rebecca K. O’Connor, who will be talking about her book “A Parrot for Life“. The discussion will include advice on how to avoid problem behaviors; prepare your parrot for life’s surprises; integrate changes into your parrot’s life seamlessly and train for a healthier relationship. Rebecca’s books will be available for sale.

As with any training, the first thing is to make a plan.  First, pick a cue word or signal.  This cue will eventually let the parrot know when it’s a good time to relieve himself.  (At our house it’s “shazam.”)   The next step is to decide where will be the best location for this action.  I’ve found that having a specific area that’s only used for this purpose seems to work best; I like to use a sturdy-handled basket lined with layers of newspaper.  The handle serves as a perch, and the newspapers can be easily disposed of afterward.    (Be sure to habituate the bird to the basket before proceeding with potty training.)  What will the parrot’s reward/reinforcer be?  For this behavior, I usually use only verbal praise, but it might be a good idea to have a favored food treat ready, especially in the beginning.   

Learn to recognize your parrot’s body language just before he’s going to relieve himself.  Depending upon the individual, it can be quite clear:  moving the tail back and forth, squatting slightly, shifting weight, etc.   Just as the poop is released, say your chosen cue word.  If you use clicker training, quickly give a click; then offer positive reinforcement.  The goal is to eventually be able to cue the bird before the release occurs, rather than simultaneously as it happens; the bird just needs to make the connection between the cue and his action, which will probably happen relatively soon.  Hint:  I’ve found the easiest way to facilitate this mental connection for the parrot is to offer the cue when I know he needs to go…i.e. when first coming out of the cage in the morning.  I suggest trying to get your bird out of the cage before that first big dropping of the morning, setting him on the basket, and cueing as he releases.    These days, unless I happen to sleep in, our birds will actually hold the morning dropping until I bring them out to their baskets.  They seem to like the idea of keeping their cages clean almost as much as I do.  (Of course they won’t hesitate to go inside their cages if I’m late getting to them!)

With planning and patience, this form of parrot potty training is easily attainable.  One word of warning:  I was new to parrot training years ago when I first taught this behavior, and I made the mistake of going really overboard with the verbal praise I use as a reinforcer.  As a result, my sweet African grey thought for a while that she could get the praise anytime she pooped, and that made her want to go even more often!  I had to redirect my training a bit until she realized the importance is for her to go on my cue.  I’ve heard of other parrots who will only relieve themselves in the trained location, and this is certainly an example of taking the training way too far.  Remember:  parrots are evolved for flight, and it is nature’s intent that they’re not weighted down by waste. This training method is designed to help you get ahead of the behavior, not to postpone it.

Good luck to all, and may your clothes and sofas stay forever clean!