HELP! My grey had an egg.

[ashley]

We Just bought an grey about one month ago, she is 13 and came from a family with one other female grey. Last night within about 30 seconds she went from normal to looking and acting like she was in extreem pain and needing to pass something. Then about three minutes later she passed an egg on my BFs shoulder. It smashed on the floor so we threw it away, I called the previous owners and she had never laid one at their house before. This morning she is kind of listless, just sitting fluffed on her sleeping perch, leaning to avoid us and not get on our hand to get out. Is this normal? Is she sore, missing the egg? Im very worried she may be getting sick??? she did eat and drink after she laid the egg but didnt throw her toys around like she does every night.

[Dave007]

Everything you said is normal. These things can happen once in a greaqt while but they uswually happen to adult birds. Yes, she is tired, a bit listless, a bit sore. It's normal for her to not wanna play with things..THis can happen because of an overactive gland. She'll stay that way for a while.and won't show much interest in things. What may also be bothering her is not seeing the egg. There may be a chance that she'll lay another one and you should leave it alone until she shows absolutel no interest in and that may take a week or so. Don't put any nesting material in the cage. If she's an out of the cage bird, leave the cage door open. Do all the things you normally do. Feed her the same foods--but no grainy foods.

By the way this same thing can happen to a male bird too.

[ashley]

Thank you so much, I woked for a vet for six years but they do not do birds. They told me to feel free to come take a picutre of her to see if there are any left but I figured as long as she is eating and interacting with us a little she is ok and I wont add that stress. She stilll puts her beak on the floor and concentrates like she is about to start pushing but she snaps out of it and begins walking around again. She ALWAYS goes in the bathroom with us and hangs out and scratches the rugs while we shower. She will sit on the rugs now but has not scrtched once since she had the egg. How long do I need to wait before taking a picture to see if she has anymore? what is they likely hood she can get egg bound and what are some of the signs?

[Dave007]

Well, first off you won't be able to tell if she's gonna have another one and as far as egg bound, that rarely happens to a grey. So trying to take pictures is a waste of time. Letting her stay on rugs is like giving nesting material and you should stop that practice. If you feel that she has to go to the bathroom with you, provide a stand for her, not the bathroom rug. That applies to other rugs in the house.

If your other bird is really strong pals with the bird and is stimulating her, they need to be kept apart for a while. If she lays another egg, it should be left there until she shows no interest in it. That may take up to 16 days.

[ashley]

Ok so we built her a perch that we can move around the house so she can be with us. My next question is four days later she had another egg. How long will she continue to have these? If she is down on the floor she actslike she is trying to have another egg, Is this because she thinks anything soft of the floor is nesting material? So she needs to just not get on the floor because it will always stimulate her or will this pass with time like a mating season? There are no other birds at our house to stimulate her. We put a box in her cage for her to have another in if she needed to but she doesnt get in it, so if she has another which she looks like she is trying to do now, do we just lay it in the bottom of the cage?....well she did just have another on the floor. Ok no more floor time for her I guess, I just dont understand why she is having them days apart??