Is "Egg Bound" A Thing? Should she have laid an egg by now?

**FlyingFree** · 02-18-2019, 09:00 AM

Hi guys,
I wasn't quite sure where to post this question, but can a female bird get "egg bound?" I've had a female budgie for about 6 years now and she's never laid an egg or shown signs of having a egg in her. I even kept 1 male with 2 female budgies in the same cage before the male and other female died. I don't know if female budgies are supposed to lay eggs even if they aren't fertile. I can find no information online about female birds of any species getting "egg bound" but know females can lay eggs even without a presence of a male bird. I had a cousin over recently who said her aunt's female cockatoo died from becoming egg bound. This scared me! What is it and is it something I should be concerned about happening with my little girl? What are signs of it happening? What do I do if it does happen?
Thanks for any info you might have!

**maxollie** · 02-18-2019, 10:15 AM

Single budgies can lay eggs, and yes, they can get egg bound. Even though your budgie is six years old, she still could lay eggs. Always provide plenty of cuttle bone in the cage, and also feed some fresh green leaf lettuce and fresh cilantro.

Signs of egg binding: setting on floor of cage, puffed up, and straining to push out the egg. Sometimes the egg will break inside of hen, and that is a huge emergency. Both of these require an avian vet visit pronto ASAP. Since she is six, that too is a red flag, because she is older. Watch for her cere which is the spot right above her beak, going from a light tan or ivory color, to being crusty brown color. If that happens then she is into hormones and could lay an egg. Sometimes hens lay eggs right off a swing they may be perching on, or the egg may be laid off a perch. Hens who have never laid before, can lay eggs most any time or place.

**FlyingFree** · 02-18-2019, 10:29 AM

Thank you for replying!
I know this is terrible, but I've never actually taken my birds to a vet of any kind because we live in the middle of nowhere. We take our dog to a vet that's about 45 minutes away, but I'm not sure if that place specializes just for just dogs and cats... I'll have to ask my mom.

I have never seen Misty, or Sunny our other female budgie who passed away, showing the signs or symptoms you described for laying eggs. Is it normal for females not to lay eggs? You said they "can lay eggs" does that mean that they will not necessarily lay eggs? Like it's up to the individual bird?
I've always kept a cuddle bone and mineral block in her cage and she chews on them a lot. And she's into lettuce now as well.

**You said they can lay eggs off of anyplace including a swing, that reminds me that she chewed her swing up and I need to make her a new one. Haha, she loooves her swing!**

**maxollie** · 02-18-2019, 10:47 AM

Budgies LOVE swings!! And my budgie Muffin, is a single male budgie. He has three mirror girlfriends..Bailee, Bella, and Pearl! He loves all of them, and spends lots of time with them.

Vets are very expensive, and it is not unusual for bird owners to not take them to a vet, unless it is a dire emergency. It really is Nature that decides when and if a hen will begin to or then continue to lay eggs. Quite honestly, in my view, you are better off to not get egg laying started, because a single hen can become a chronic egg layer, and lay eggs all the time. This is very stressful and a danger to her health, because egg laying causes the body to deplete calcium, and the hen needs sufficient time to replace the calcium in her body after she has laid a clutch ( batch) of eggs. Chronic egg laying means a hen lays eggs about once every 4-6 weeks, rather than seasonal, which means the hen lays eggs every fall and spring, which is best for her health.

And if you have a pair...male and female.... Breeding a pair is a real challenge. Many things can go wrong, and it is very important to read and learn all about breeding before one would ever try it.

**FlyingFree** · 02-18-2019, 12:13 PM

Oh my that can be a lot of eggs! I have no interest in breeding. We got our first to budgies when they were babies and thought they were both male, then we thought they were both female, then once they became adults it was a male and female. We never wanted mixed genders due to not wanting babies. I'm so glad Misty hasn't gotten into that!

You say "I'm better off not getting egg laying started." So it is something that can be induced by the extra minerals ingested by the cuddle bones and mineral blocks? I always though those things were for nutrition and beak health, but can it cause her to get into egg laying? Should I take them out of the cage or are they still good to have?

**maxollie** · 02-19-2019, 11:07 AM

No, it is not either of those! It is just a Mother Nature thing! Hormones are the answer! Some hens do not lay eggs, but sooner or later they will do so. Keep those two items always in the cage!

Another thought is maybe you have a male. Budgies often mimic the opposite sex, on occasion.

**FlyingFree** · 02-19-2019, 03:05 PM

Well I know Misty is a female because her cere goes from white to dark tan. The male we had had a bright blue all the time.
I will always keep the cuttle bone and mineral block.
Thanks for your replies!