GC eating her egg

[birdsinhand]

Hello, I have a Pineapple GC that laid an egg two days ago. The next day I went to check on it she had broken it and eaten the contents. Does anybody have an answer to what would have caused her to do that. I have read she knew it was infertile and therefore recycled the nutrients.

[marie83]

If shes hand reared she probably just didn't know what to do with it, possibly instinct told her it was infertile, maybe she accidently broke it. Who knows, I wouldn't say it matters though.

[Eric&Rebecca]

Having had similar egg laying birds (cockatiels) the do destroy eggs if they know they are infertile. They eat the insides to replace nutrients lost by laying and producing the egg. Sometimes I have heard of birds eating their own eggs (and even their own young) because of a nutritional disorder or because they are unsure of what to do with them.

[birdsinhand]

I think she ate it because it was infertile. After she ate that one she laid another one and then threw it out of the box, I found it on the floor of the cage. She has since laid another egg and it must be fertile because it is still in the box in one piece.