My African Grey

[Pacoparrot]

Hi - I have just joined the community - I am an avid bird fan and at present have 1 African Grey (female ) who shares her cage with a little Maroon Bellied Conure (sex indeterminate!). I Amazon (orange tipped I think,) who shares a cage with a yellow cockatiel (don't know what sex either of them are!) in a large indoor aviary I have 5 cockatiels, 3 budgies and a RosaBurkes Parakeet. Add cats and dogs and adult kids to the mix and it makes for a noisy place to live
Can anyone tell me why my Grey gets broody and lays eggs every now and then. She's sitting (miserably) on two eggs right now and she seems very unhappy. Besides getting her a mate does anyone have any ideas how to deal with her. She used to lay when I would go on holidays but had stopped for a few years. She's about 10 years old and generally happy and interactive.

[Barb]

Hi and welcome! Sounds like you have quite the flock! We love pics around here, so if you have any to share I bet people will love them.

As far as your broody hen goes, I am not much help. I know some people try to prevent nesty-ness by altering daylight periods, not giving any below the head pets, warm foods etc. But sometimes it seems like they either lay or don't lay and there isn't much to do about it. What do you do with the eggs once they arrive?

[Marrie]

From other how to stop nesty hen posts the tips have been:

Limit daylight hours
Limit excess of food
Limit shreddable / other nest materials (some even have to remove rope perches)
Don't give a happy hut or other "nest type" items if the hen seems nesty
No pets below the neck/head
Keep her on a strict sleep/wake schedule

I don't have a hen personally, just forwarding tips others have given in other threads. If you get her a mate it won't stop her laying eggs, the eggs will just be fertile ... then you'll have her on eggs and then feeding chicks, not to mention if she rejects the chicks then it is your problem to deal with and then you have to find homes for the babies.

[Pacoparrot]

Hi and welcome! Sounds like you have quite the flock! We love pics around here, so if you have any to share I bet people will love them.

As far as your broody hen goes, I am not much help. I know some people try to prevent nesty-ness by altering daylight periods, not giving any below the head pets, warm foods etc. But sometimes it seems like they either lay or don't lay and there isn't much to do about it. What do you do with the eggs once they arrive?

Hi Barb and Marrie and thanks for your suggestions- what do you mean by 'altering daylight periods'? I'm not sure if it's something I already do so would just like to check!!
When the eggs arrive I let her sit on them for a while till she seems to lose interest andvthen I remove them. If I take them too soon she'll lay again immediately so it's often hit and miss with the timing!! Will also limit her 'cuddles' from now on!!