# Cookie wants to be a Mommy



## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Cookie is determined to be a mommy. She does her mating call several times a day (although she has no mate) and began to hide in dark places around the house. Initially I tried to keep her from going to those dark spots, but when I do that she finds another one. She hides under the couch, under my dresser, in the kitchen pantry below the bottom shelf, anywhere that is dark! Furthermore, my husband checked her vent area to see if it's swollen, and it's not, but the "pelvic bone" is wide open! Does this mean an egg is coming?

I'm not sure how to handle this situation. She is VERY determined to lay eggs. She has become very aggressive/protective of her favorite dark spot, and chases me away when I walk by. She opens her tail and her wings and runs after me trying to bite me. 

The only way to keep her from going to the dark spots is if I keep her locked up all day, and she will scream bloody murder if I do that. I am home this week, but will be returning to work next week and she will be in her cage for most of the day. My question is, should I let her do her thing this week, because it's natural for her to do that, or should I completely keep her away from her dark places? It seems like she will lay eggs anyway, but I'm not sure which is better for her. I've never dealt with this situation before.

Last question: She had a mate that died back in October/November (Buddy), and they were mating up to the point where he got really sick and died. Is it possible that her eggs will still be fertilized?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

No her eggs wont be fertilized, the male sperm only lasts about 30 days inside a hen. I wouldn't let her do this and I would start her on hormone reduction http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=32330. Letting a single hen lay is not good for her health. Hens also tend to have wider pelvises for laying so that doesn't necessarily mean she's going to lay. I'd keep her away from the dark places as best you can and put her on longer sleeping hours. It takes about two weeks for that to take affect.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Ok...I will try my best to keep her from the dark places. I will also try the long night treatment and other hormone reduction strategies from that link that you posted. Spring is SO in the air, though, that I'm afraid the long nights won't work because she will be able to hear the birds outside very early in the morning. But I will try it nonetheless, and hopefully it will work! I will keep my fingers crossed. Thank you for the advice.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

As long as its dark she will think its still night regardless of what she hears lol.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Cookie has laid an egg!! I uncovered her cage this morning after 13 hours of darkness, and there it was, on the bottom of the cage, her first little egg! It was cracked on 2 different places and Cookie is not paying any attention to it. When I picked it up she came over and licked it (she licks things), and then started to break it open with her beak on the cracked part......
Should I remove the egg and continue the long night treatment?? Do I need to give her extra calcium or any supplements?


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

By the way, I picked up the egg to examine it, and there was blood on the other side! Is this normal?? Also, Cookie just had a big poop, and there was a little blood in it, too. The poop was otherwise normal. Here is a pic of the egg: http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/Carla819/media/photo1_zpse07cb203.jpg.html. Her tail is also a little droopy...I'm wondering if she hurt herself when the egg was coming out? She is also very cuddly today and won't leave my side for anything.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

She may be bleeding a little because its her first egg. I would remove the cracked egg, you don't want her to start eating them. Continue with the long nights, stopping her is very important to prevent egg binding issues.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

ok, will do. Do I need to give her any supplements? Calcium?


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

As long as she is getting a varied diet and plenty of FSL or sunlight (non-filtered/direct) then she should be fine.  giving supplements along with a varied diet can cause vitamin overdose.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

She eats seeds, colored pellets, nutriberries, and broccoli/kale everyday. She refuses to eat other veggies. The sunlight that she gets is filtered, although we are buying a harness to take her outside soon. What do you think?


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## cknauf (Aug 27, 2012)

Broccoli and kale are both high in calcium. Nutriberries contain D3, so she should be okay there.


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

ok, thanks! I'm hoping that she won't have another egg tomorrow...


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Cookie laid another egg, and it broke again. I think she lays them from her perch and that is why they break. From what I've been reading about cockatiel eggs, it's likely that she will lay about 5 or 6 eggs, but if they keep breaking, won't she lay extra ones to replace them? If they all break, she could become a chronic egg layer! At this point, should I cushion the bottom of the cage, or do something to prevent the eggs from breaking? Also, she doesn't seem to care about them.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

If they're breaking and she's laying them off a perch, she may be doing it on purpose and aborting them (some birds will do this when they know the eggs wont hatch.) I would cushion the bottom of the cage and see if that stops them from breaking and maybe she will sit on them then. But yes, she may keep replacing them til they stop breaking.


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## Clair (Jul 31, 2012)

I have a question about this subject. My male cockatiel is all about finding dark places too. We've put sheets, etc over just about everything and he's being a sweet boy. My question is - how long does this "phase" last?


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

So, even though she knows that her eggs won't hatch, she is still looking for dark places around the house....Could it still be that she is aborting them? I will try to cushion the bottom of the cage to see if she will sit on them. Clair has a good question and I was wondering the same thing...how long does this "phase" last?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Unless you are actively doing the long nights treatment, this isn't a phase. It will continue through the bird's whole life because the conditions in the environment are making them think "o hey its spring, I need to look for a nest" even when its not. So by starting the hormone reduction techniques you are trying to trick them into thinking its winter and not a good time for babies.

edit to add: Even though Cookie is looking for dark places to nest, she's still laying the eggs off a perch instead of going to the bottom of the cage to lay them. So yes, she's still trying to abort them (and it could be because she hasn't found the place she feels is safe enough to lay but she's stimulated enough to start laying.)


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

NO egg today!!!  Does that mean that the long night treatments are already working? She also hasn't done her mating call for 2 days, but she is extremely moody today. 

So, from what you said, it is best if long night treatments become a permanent thing for Cookie?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes if you want her to not lay, she needs to be on this treatment to prevent it. 

Sounds like she may be done laying and that its starting to take affect!


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## CookieTiel (Feb 6, 2012)

Great!! I hope so! Let's see what happens tomorrow and the day after. I will post again if any changes occur (if she lays another one). Thank you!


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