# Preventing Egg Laying



## audrasupernova (May 12, 2012)

My female cockatiel (who has had a previous issue with chronic egg laying and even a prolapsed chloaca) is starting to act hormonal and stimulating herself again. :/ 

I've been trying the modifications through her environment and reducing the amount of daylight, and etc. However, her vent area seems to be swollen, and I'm hoping that doesn't mean there is an egg in there...that it's just from her rubbing her vent on the bottom of the cage. 

Does anyone have any feedback on "Avix Releaves Supplement for Hormonal Imbalances"?


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## Darkel777 (Jun 7, 2013)

I don't know about supplements, but the easiest way I have found to reduce daylight hours is to plug a UVB bulb light to be placed behind the cage into a timer socket and cover her cage whenever the bird isn't out. That removes the chance of any human error forgetting to cover the cage or leaving a light on in the room keeping your hen up. I've learned this sort of thing is very touchy and controlling hormones was very hard until I resorted to this measure.


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## audrasupernova (May 12, 2012)

I've been trying covering her up for at least 14 hours, and it doesn't seem to be balancing out her hormones. She takes any chance she gets in her cage to start stimulating herself. I really don't want her to start laying eggs since her prolapse back last August ):


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## Vince (Feb 18, 2014)

My Avian Vet suggested this previously....
Try artificially extending the "nights" by keeping her in a dark room for 3 days & only giving her access to light for 3-4 hours for each of those days. The evening are best so you can spend some good time with her.. Also restrict her food to only during those light hours, but give her access to water ALL the time. She will think she is in for an intense winter with limited food & her reproductive hormone's should stop....also change her cage up a bit & give no access to anything that may resemble a possible nest site...
And strictly no touching below the neck...

Hope this helps....
I always worry about my girl & egg binding...
It worked great for us....she was getting herself off constantly as well :/


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Also, if you rearrange her cage frequently, she may not be "comfortable" enough to want to nest.

Also, here's a link on the subject: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=32330


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## audrasupernova (May 12, 2012)

Thank you so much! This is good advice. It will be hard not to snuggle and spend more time with her, but I have her health in mind.


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## audrasupernova (May 12, 2012)

I can feel that she has an egg right now, so I'm not sure if I should break out the "dummy eggs".


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## Vince (Feb 18, 2014)

When Cheekee laid her first egg & we immediately did what the vet had suggested in my previous post & she actually stopped at that one egg & had no more.
We have been careful since in that if we see any amorous behavior we just increase the dark period strait away & it seems to shut it all down strait away.
That was maybe 9 months ago, and have not had an egg since.
Obviously every bird will be different to how well it responds to things.....
Do persist....and the light manipulation is probably harder on us than it is on the birds..lol
You can keep check on her though while you do it, they wont sleep the whole time, they just think mega winter is coming! I forgot to mention that the ideal temp at the time is about 24 degrees Celsius.....we blocked out all light to a part of a room with sheets & had a climate control air con on. We gave her the light period from about 5pm - 9.00pm. The vet said when you do it is not really critical, as long as its about the same time each day...
Cheekee did not seem at all stressed during it....but she was very happy during the light time & hanging out with the family


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## audrasupernova (May 12, 2012)

Thank you for the advice Vince! I'm going to try keeping her out to play from 5-10pm, and do the intense light modification. 

She laid an egg last night, but her vent is definitely more noticeable still. Her vent is more of a red tint and the area around is still just a little puffy. 

I'm keeping an eye on her especially since she had surgery for a cloaca prolapse back in August 2013. One thing I did notice is that her breath smells funny almost like sour, and her feathers around her neck and head have a sulfuric smell.

???


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## Vince (Feb 18, 2014)

No worries at all....hopefully someone with a better idea chimes in on the breath & smell. I could only offer advice on what I mentioned because it was an issue that did cross our path & I did all I could in the way of seeking help to sort it. I have no idea on the smell....but if I had to guess it does sound like a hormonal thing?
Cockatiels....never a dull moment....lol


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## SoCalTiels (Oct 8, 2013)

I just recently lost a cockatiel to a prolapsed cloaca after three incredibly expensive surgeries to save her life. I don't want to scare you, but this is absolutely serious. I didn't take chronic egg laying as a serious life-threatening problem until this. I figured, after every prevention technique, that she would come around and stop laying. Her previous owner had gone through seven seasons of this with no problem. But that didn't happen.

She passed away after three surgeries in two days. The pictures I took are horrible, and would not want to even share with this forum. And I know it was my fault for even putting her through that, but I honestly thought it would save her. I never ever want an owner to go through what I did. 

Your bird has already suffered a prolapsed cloaca, from your info, and that is something incredibly serious. I don't know. But you have to stop the egg laying at any cost. With birds that have a prolapsed cloaca previously, its is an incredible risk for them to lay eggs at all.

I want to say this. I think your best option is a Lupron injection. It takes about a week or so to kick in fully, but its essentially a form of bird birth control. For me, it cost about $50 ish and and I believe the medicine itself lasts about a month, but its supposed to take their system out of egg laying mode for a bit and they hopefully don't return to it for awhile. I was preparing to pay for it for the rest of my birds life. The cost didn't matter, her life did. She just didn't make it that far, and I am going to regret forever. I'm honestly crying too much even writing this.

Losing a companion is the worst possible thing imaginable. Losing one to something you could have prevented is worse. Spaying/Neutering a bird is so beyond expensive, but that shot could save your birds life. I'm sorry, but that is what I can personally recommend. Go for whatever anyone's opinion is, but thats mine and that is an experience that I can't unlive. I hope, more than you can even imagine, that things turn out okay for your bird. It didn't for mine.


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## Vince (Feb 18, 2014)

That is so sad....and such good advice SoCalTiels...
If nothing else maybe the experience gained by the loss of your beautiful friend may save the life of another...
That is what is so invaluable about this forum....having the opportunity to stay one step ahead of a small problem before it may become a big one


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