# Weakness after Egglaying



## cknauf (Aug 27, 2012)

This is actually in reference to my budgie, but since (a) I'm not active on the budgie forum and (b) I'm sure these concerns apply to cockatiels too, I thought I'd ask here.

Hormone control has been extremely ineffective with one of my female budgies, Khia (the other two show no signs of hormonal behavior). She laid her first egg last night. The egg is fine--smooth, firm, no cracks or streaks. However Khia was very tired and and shaky for a while after laying. Is this normal or a possible problem? She perched for a while, fluffed up and shaking slightly with her eyes closed. After maybe 30-45 minutes she started moving around and playing with her mate, but every so often she'd fluff again and nap for a short period.

I'd imagine some fatigue is normal after laying an egg, but I've never had a hen lay eggs before so I'm not sure what normal behavior should be.


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## Tielzilla (Mar 31, 2009)

yes it is normal after laying an egg, as long as she is active now and seems to be getting on with it, then you have no worries


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

Does she have any calcium resources in her cage? If you notice that her eggs are getting softer than usual then she needs more calcium 

It's normal for the hen to be in a little pain after the egg laying just like humans 
Just keep a close eye on the next eggs

Have you seen them mate at all?


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## cknauf (Aug 27, 2012)

The budgies have recently been going through about a cuttlebone every two weeks, and they have 3/4 seeds 1/4 nutriberries, approximately, plus fresh foods. I don't think calcium intake _should_ be a problem. Now that she's laying I've given her egg food as well.

I've only seen her mate once, although she's been flirting around with two different males. She's currently separated from the flock with her probable mate, because one of the other females started harassing her when she was laying.


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

That's great! Are they sitting on the eggs?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I would imagine some fatigue is normal after all the straining she has to do to pop out an egg. My hens usually laid at night or while I was at work and then sat on their eggs so I've never really seen them out and about right after. Does she have access to sunlight or FSL?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Some fatigue is normal after laying an egg, but extreme fatigue and weakness could be a sign of a calcium deficiency. Calcium is used for muscle function in addition to everything else, and if she doesn't have enough calcium right this minute she might not be able to use her muscles effectively. Vitamin D is essential to proper calcium absorption; she'll get it from the Nutriberries and the cooked egg but not from the cuttlebone. Birds can manufacture their own vitamin D if they're exposed to natural sunlight, so taking her outside for an hour would help if her D levels are low. There's also the option of getting a liquid calcium supplement that contains vitamin D, preferably a brand made for birds. Not every pet store has it on the shelf but I've had good luck with Petco.

It wouldn't do any harm and might do some good to give her some Pedialyte or Gatorade to drink. This will help restore her electrolyte balance, and it can make a huge difference in the energy level of a bird that's sick, injured, or weak. There are also a number of recipes on the internet for a simple homemade version, for example http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/rehydration (ordinary water is fine, the purified water is for people who are traveling and can't cope with the local tap water).


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