| Birds lay eggs; that's what they do. But did you | | | | can replace your child.I couldn't think right so I had |
| know that this could be deadly for your pet?My | | | | to call on a friend. As we raced down the |
| beloved bird is a cockatiel. She's a beautiful bird | | | | highway towards the veterinarian, I kept talking |
| and a great companion. About twice a year she | | | | to my bird hoping to keep her awake and maybe |
| gets in a mood to respond to her God given | | | | get that little 'peep' to tell me she was going to |
| natural activity of egg laying. The first time she | | | | be okay.We rushed her into the emergency room |
| ever did this it was really cute.The problem was, | | | | and the vet rushed her behind those swinging |
| the egg wasn't fertilized, so it wouldn't hatch. So | | | | doors. Had I seen the last of my bird?They came |
| after a while of the egg not hatching, she | | | | out and asked me to step back into another |
| determined the trick was to lay another egg, only | | | | room, where I waited to hear the news. I was |
| to get the same results. This led to more eggs | | | | waiting for the 'bird nurse' to come out and break |
| until she had six or seven eggs she was watching | | | | it to me, when the door opened and I only saw |
| over.When I first got her I did some research on | | | | her back. She walked backwards through the |
| the Internet about cockatiels and bird care. So | | | | door and as she cleared the door she turned |
| when this egg laying event was happening, I | | | | around to reveal the white cage I had brought |
| remembered reading something about it depleting | | | | my pet bird in.Inside that cage was a vibrant, |
| them of calcium. I went back and read more | | | | confused and curious cockatiel who saw me and |
| about it. Sure enough, laying eggs depletes them | | | | let out a loud chirp as if to ask, "What's up?" My |
| of calcium and that is deadly to them.I decided I | | | | bird was going to make it and doing just fine!She |
| had to take away her eggs. I didn't want to lose | | | | had gone into a seizure because of calcium |
| her over this. So, away they went. I made sure | | | | deficiency from laying the eggs. They gave her a |
| she watched me do it so she would know it's | | | | shot of calcium to revive her. They also gave her |
| dangerous to lay eggs in her cage. They won't lay | | | | a shot that was supposed to keep her from |
| them if they are not comfortable with the nesting | | | | laying eggs. They said it might need to be done |
| area.That didn't stop her. She started again and I | | | | every month.Sure enough, several weeks went |
| took them away again. After a few rounds of | | | | by and she was back in the egg laying business. I |
| this, I decided to pull the bedding out of the cage, | | | | didn't know what to do. I couldn't keep taking her |
| thinking it would make it less 'homey' for her and | | | | to the veterinarian every month for expensive |
| she would knock of the egg laying. It did stop for | | | | shots, but I couldn't go through that again.I sat |
| the season, but a season later she got the call to | | | | looking at her cage one day thinking about how I |
| lay again and we resumed the battle.As the days | | | | could make it less desirable for her to lay eggs. |
| and weeks went by, she insisted she was going | | | | Finally, the light bulb went off.I jumped up, went |
| to lay the eggs and I insisted she wasn't. But, she | | | | to the pet store and bought her a cage big |
| was winning, in spite of my removing them. Then | | | | enough for a parrot (remember, she's only a |
| it happened...One day I walked by her cage and | | | | cockatiel). The reason I wanted this was because |
| there she was, in the bottom of her cage, still and | | | | of the big grates on the bottom of the cage. She |
| silent and her limbs and head were twisted into a | | | | can still walk around the bottom of the cage, but |
| nearly grotesque position and I couldn't tell if she | | | | she cannot nest an egg there because it falls |
| was even still alive. I was devastated; even to | | | | through the grate.Oh, she tried. She tried one |
| the point of not being able to react.The evidence | | | | time. She laid that egg and stared at it for days |
| seemed clear that I would lose her. This was not | | | | as it lay underneath that grate and she couldn't |
| a goldfish, but a friend. We talked and played | | | | get to it. That was the last egg she ever laid. She |
| every day. We ate and went to sleep at the | | | | doesn't need the shot either. She's in fine health |
| same time. She sat on my shoulder and cheered | | | | and we're enjoying each other more than |
| me on as I worked at my computer. There | | | | ever.Isn't that grate (uh, great)? |
| would be no replacement bird; no more than you | | | | |