More nesty and other behavior!

[bbslovie]

Hi, When Bea first started getting nesty she started chewing up all of her rope perches into bits and pieces, little stinker! I removed all of the rope perches and her beloved boing and replaced them with branch type perches. Now Bea has started shredding this wooden ladder in her cage. She almost chewed through an entire rung while I was at work! I took that one out and put a different one in made of branch pieces and she immediately started shredding that by removing all of the bark! :rofl:

Both of our birds have toy balls in their cages and today I found Bea "presenting" to one of the toys! She had been spending more time on the on the bottom of the cage chasing after the ball and the other toy down there. She's not showing any signs of illness, eating, pooping all just fine. I think she was just getting cozy with the toys. :whistle:
I've removed the ladders, do I remove the toys on the bottom of the cage too? :confused: Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

Barb :)

[bbslovie]

So I removed the toys and she still wants to hang out at the bottom of the cage. She's "practicing" flying, flapping her wings which she's done in the past. I'm a little worried about her wanting to spend so much time there though. I've taken her out a couple of times and instead of riding around on my finger or shoulder she just wants to climb down. What's going on with her??? She doesn't appear to have torpedo butt... please, anybody have a response?

Barb

[linda040899]

Sounds like Bea has a case of female hormone overload!!! Nice weather is coming so it could be that something is signaling to her that the time is right to lay eggs.

Nesty hens tend to spend a lot of time on the bottoms of their cages so this does not surprise me. She shredding anything she can find in order to build a nest. At some point, you are probably going to have to give in and let her do her thing. Since this is very natural behavior, seeing all the shreddibles being removed could be very frustrating for her.

If you pick Bea up, lay her on her back and feel between her pelvic bones, you might get a clue as to what's going on. If she's going into laying condition, her pelvic bones will be spread apart the width of your index finger. The area will feel soft and somewhat swollen. She could be carrying an egg high up but you won't see it or feel it until it gets closer to laying time.

[bbslovie]

Thanks Linda, I feel much better knowing that this is normal nesty behavior. I gave her back her ball so she at least has that to "play" with. I'm considering giving her the boing back... I'll let you know if I notice anything else. I sure do appreciate all of your advice!

Barb :)

[bbslovie]

Thanks Linda, I feel much better knowing that this is normal nesty behavior. I tried to check her pelvic area but the little dickens wouldn't hold still long enough. I'll have to keep trying. I gave her back her ball so she at least has that to "play" with. I'm considering giving her the boing back... I'll let you know if I notice anything else. I sure do appreciate all of your advice!

Barb :)

[bbslovie]

I think she's fine. She played with her drum with the ball in it and threw that thing around the cage like crazy!

Barb :)

[Gill]

Bobble has been the same, always at the bottom of the cage chewing up everything and anything!! I thought taking it away would stress her so let her in the end :)

[bbslovie]

Hi, so Bea is just about 13 months old, is this too young for her to be laying? She's doing her best to chew on the really nice branch perches that I have for her. She's still spending time on the bottom, chasing after the ball and drum, eating and pooing just fine...

Barb

[bbslovie]

Hi, do hens gain weight before laying? Bea's weight has increased in the past few days from 48/49 to 53!

[linda040899]

Hi, do hens gain weight before laying? Bea's weight has increased in the past few days from 48/49 to 53!
Yes, they do gain a bit of weight. If you feel the area around the cloaca, it's soft and swollen so that's the extra weight you are seeing on the scale. :)

[bbslovie]

Hi, so how soon would Bea start laying and what should I watch for? She's still eating, drinking, pooing, although they seem kind of watery. She was up on a perch and breathing a little heavier than normal but I kept watching her and she just took a little nap. I guess I'm being a little overly cautious but I just don't know what I should expect and what's normal and what's not when they get ready to lay. :confused:

[BarbieH]

Keep an eye out for that torpedo butt. That will be a clear sign that she is going into laying condition. At that point, do not handle her is at all possible or practical. This could cause a developing egg to break within her, and it can cause death very quickly.

If you do need to handle her, stay away from the lower half of her body. In our links there is a picture of the safest way to handle a lovie.

I've found that manzanita perches are the most impervious to a lovie's beak. However, a nesty hen will even be satisfied making a nest out of the food from her dish. At some point it's impossible to stop her, so the best thing you can do is to help her be safe. Make sure she gets plenty of sunshine and non-dairy calcium, and ready access to a cuttle bone.