Please tell me this is *not* nesty behaviour

[zlatushka]

Baby (as she now prefers to be called LOL) has taken to demolishing the clothespins which I use to clip fruit and veggies in the cage. That, in itself, isn't really alarming to me. What does worry me is that the takes the bits she gets off and piles them up in one of the cozies :roll:

I keep removing the bits from the cozies, so she isn't able to hoard very many. Also I have started removing the clothespins after they've devoured the latest offerings.

Anything to worry about, or just my own overactive anxiety about her becoming a young mother?

[bellarains]

Rachel,

Hate to say it, but it sounds like what we call "Henny Penny" behavior around here.

You might try using plastic clips, or stainless steel clips. If you aren't taking the cozies out during the daytime, I would do that also. Of course, you can only put nature off so long, and it will take it's course eventually no matter what you do:rolleyes:

[hungrycorgi]

I just got a female last month (as a companion for my male) and have noticed that she is the one who chews and shreds things more than the male. Could be a difference in personalities, but I suspect that she is more 'nesty' due to the fact she's a gal. I know the inevitable egg laying will happen some day, but until then all I know is my male bird is as happy as can be to have a girlfriend. Aww!

From Sarah, Tiki, and Cherry.:)

[DebSpace]

Oh goodness me, Rachel, love is in the air. :lol The thought of it happening at my house scares me to death, but I know the possibility might very well exist in the future. Sounds like her name isn't the only thing Sonn...uh, Baby is changing lately. ;) Seems like I saw another similar thread about best ages for beginning a brood. If Baby is too young, then about all you can do is change things around in the cage frequently, not give her anything shreddable, and keep your fingers crossed until she is old enough. Keep us up-to-date on the situation.


I found it - it was from Susan just a few days ago. Here 'tis:
http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/showthread.php?p=56079#post56079

[zlatushka]

arrrrrrrrrrrg! It's all y'all's fault for having so many nesty hens right now. I'm sure Baby must have been reading over my shoulder or something!:rofl:

Well, I hate to admit it, but I am thinking she's trying to set up house. We've started the normal "you-really-don't-want-to-even-think-about-building-a-nest" routine. Moving stuff around and limiting light etc etc. So...hopefully that will help discourage her for a while. They're still right next to each other aobut 95% percent of the time. Then of course, I've caught them doing the swishyswish. And I've heard a few instances, but didn't catch them when I got over to the cage. Friday looked awfully guilty though. :lol Yesterday I caught them pulling paper toweling up through the bottom grate.:roll: I guess she decided the wood splinters were too poky. LOL....

ah... well that's the news so far. Hopefully we won't have any eggies for Christmas...

[Buy A Paper Doll]

<points and giggles>

You want me to tell you it's not nesty behavior? OK. It's *not* nesty behavior.

<giggles some more>

Time to take those cozies out of the cage. Perhaps since she listens to Eden so nicely, have her say "No. Baby." enough and maybe she'll think Eden is saying "no babies" ...

[mjm8321]

**snicker**

Just a quick note about the lighting business; my lovies are winter breeders big time and the limited daylight actually seems to bring on nesting behavior.
Change cages, location, no shredding toys, etc... but she still might get nesty. They can be quite determined little beasts. ;)

[Keltoth]

As much as I hate to say this (*sigh*) - I would go ahead and move them back into seperate cages and only let them mingle during supervised out-of-cage time.

Sonnet ...er, Baby won't be five months old until November 23rd, and I am terrified that she will pull a Roxie on you and lay eggs too young and then be unwilling/unable to feed the resulting chicks, should you choose to let them hatch - to say nothing of the chance of egg-binding in a too-young bird being much higher than in an adult bird of proper breeding age. If they are already doing the swishy-swishy, I would definately cage them seperately. It will be sad and noisy and hard to do, but I just would not risk the chance of her laying eggs this soon after her hatch-date.

I speak from experience; if I had it to do all over again, I would keep Roxie and Skie seperated until Roxie was at the very least 10 months old. The LAST thing you want is a chronic egg-laying young hen... :(

- Eric

[zlatushka]

Well, I separated them. They look so... pitiful:cry:

Haven't been noisy at all, but they're huddled as close to the bars and each other as they can get, and they give out these soft little chirps now and then. He seems more upset about it than she does. *sigh*

We'll see how they do. Hopefully I won't get a finger taken off when I try to put them back in their respective cages after social hour this afternoon...:roll:

[zlatushka]

Got them back in without too much trouble. Friday put up a bit of resistance, but eventually allowed himself to be shooed into his own cage.

This is going to be a long several months... but definitely better than a too young hen laying. I had to take the paper out from the bottom of the cage, she was trying to pull it up through the bars again.

[Keltoth]

Make sure you keep a close eye on her for signs of Torpedo Bottom; aka NOOOOOoooo!-butt (at least in my home, anyway). If she has been doing the swishy-swishy already AND is trying to gather nesting materials, it might already be to late to do anything to keep her from laying eggs. You might want to head over to PetSmart and pick up a parakeet nesting box, just in case you need it in 10-ish day's time.

If she does lay eggs, they all come out alright without binding, AND you decide to let her raise them, go ahead and put Friday back in with her. At that point, he will need to help care for the chicks, and maybe him being much older than her will make up for her lack of experience. Even if this isn't the case, you'll want him there to feed her, for sure.

I'll be watching for news the next couple of weeks.

- Eric

[wilkiecoco]

i have absolutely nothing to add, as i know nothing about hens, :blush: but i love the new pictures of you, and the new family, you posted. you have a mighty cute pair of lovies! (and the humans are great too):whistle:

[zlatushka]

thanks :)

special thanks to Linda and Perran --who between them figured out how to get it posted for me!

[DebSpace]

How you get the pictures in your avitar to do a slideshow thing? That is too cool.:cool: Speaking of nesty, Nip is acting hormonally neurotic the past few days, too. I'm just started allowing them playtime together a few days ago, but I can certainly see a change in her behavior. Yikes! Poor little Friday>o - so close and yet so far....:lol

[zlatushka]

How you get the pictures in your avitar to do a slideshow thing? I just strung them together into an animated .gif file. The program I use is Ulead GIF Animator, but there are several others that do the same kinda thing.

[DebSpace]

Thank you!:)