OMG...HELP!!!

[deezee11]

I feel so bad!!! I keep a plain corrugated box in my African Grey's cage for enrichment. She has a great time chewing them up and playing inside. This morning I peeked inside to see what she was doing and she was laying on an egg. Before whenever she laid an egg on the bottom of the cage, I just removed it, but now she is in her "nesting box" and thinks she's got a little baby in there. She looked at me like "Don't you dare!!" My heart is breaking for her.

What is the best plan of action...remove it and have her hate me? Or, can I drain it and fill it with something so it doesn't break and let her continue to sit on it? Will it mess her up psychologically if a baby never comes? I hate to remove the boxes permanently, as she usually has so much fun with them.

I would appreciate any guidance you can give me!! Thanks!!

[liz]

Leave it there. If she does not have a mate she will eventually give up on it. In the mean time reduce her protein levels. Protein makes them hormonal and will eventually damage their livers.

Increase fruit and veggies and reduce seed and nuts.

They have an instinct to make nests. Mine love cardboard boxes but they do not lay eggs. Right now I have little thumb nail size pieces of cardboard on my dining room floor. It doesn't bother me as long as they are happy and not pestering me.

I caught a bug and don't feel well. Let them do what makes them happy. Sooner of later I will sweep it.

Don't worry about her unless she lays another egg. If so you will also have to increase her calcium.

[Wolf]

What is your Grey's name? If she does not have a mate the egg is not fertile and will not hatch and after a while she will give up on it and return to her usual self. Right now she will attempt to protect her egg, so let her have it until she rejects it. I do not know what her diet is but if you are feeding her pellets for dinner she probably is getting enough calcium. The laying of eggs and even sitting on them is not a bad thing and may even be good for her. The drive to reproduce is a normal, if strong drive, so I would not get too concerned about it. If you will tell us what you feed her and when you feed it to her, we can help you with her diet.

[deezee11]

Thank you so much for the advice! She (Murphy) is still sitting on them, but now at least I know she will eventually give up. I will certainly watch her diet!

[Wolf]

What you can do that will ease your mind and still allow Murphy to function in a natural manner is to order a set of fake eggs for her. It comes with enough fake eggs so that you can pull the real eggs out and replace them with the fake eggs. If you were to just remove the real eggs before she has given up on them she would just lay more eggs and that could lead to her having health problems.

[liz]

With little Amy many years ago I did not know about fake eggs. Her eggs were turning colors and she still had not abandoned them. A cockatiel egg is the same size and color of a white Jordan almond. Yes she sat on the almonds for a while until she gave up that they would not hatch.