What’s wrong with my cockatiel?
July 31, 2010 by
Filed under Concrete Bird Baths
She is approx 14 mos. old & she has ben laying eggs (unfertilized) about every 2-3 days for the past 3 wks or so. She has the run of our caged in lanai, but lately she’s been picking on my concrete wall & eating it as well as my painted aluminum outdoor furniture. I purchased a new cuttle bone for her thinking that maybe she needed calcium but she doesn’t pay attention to it. She eats well (mostly cockatiel food) & I even boil her eggs which she loves to eat. Is this some kind of sympton or what? I’m worried that she’ll get poisoned with the paint or metal. Has anyone experienced this with their bird before?
I think it is very dangerous for your bird to ingest the things you discribed, but your bird probably just like the new things to play with or the texture. Try giving you bird a waded up peice of paper to chew on or even constuction paper will work and add variety. She probably just want’s something new and different to play with. You can also google cockatiel toys.
Also, don’t take away the eggs that she is laying. She will continue to lay to replace the eggs. Let her sit on the eggs until she is done with them. This will take about 21 days, then and only then it is safe to throw the unfertalized eggs away.
She must not be allowed to chew on the things that you are describing. If she starts to act odd at all, rush her to the vet. She can get metal poisoning from the paint. Most paints have zinc in them that is toxic to our birds.
Start giving her dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, dandilion, etc to help replace the calcium she is using to lay eggs.
Reduce the ammount of daylight she gets to 12 hours or less, this will help stop her egg laying cycle.
Keep an eye on her, if she becomes eggbound she needs a vet ASAP. If she does not stop laying, also see a vet.
Try adding fresh veggie to her diet, give her something new to peck at that is good for her. If she has never had veggies, they may seem strange to her but keep offering them..frozen peas and corn are best, low sodium..put some ina small bowl microwave for 2 to 3 minutes and let them cool before offering, try cherrios, corn bread, broccoli, clover sprouts, hard boiled eggs ( regular size )..My guys even like cooked chicken, cooked brown rice, steamed carrots. The only food NOT to give is avacados and the seeds inside apples.
She has a serious calcium deficiency and is danger of getting osteoporosis She needs vitamin D and calcium. Consult an avian vet or website. This is very serious
sometimes she gets mad if you take the eggs away and stop giving her oiled eggs because then she will start eating her eggs because shell thing it boiled eggs.star buing her some wood like the one she stands on because when they eat they brush thier beakks and sharpen them maybe thats the problem