What to Do If Your Single Parrot Lays an Egg

Many people often assume they have a particular sex of bird. While sex isn't really something to be concerned too much about, aside from choosing an appropriate name for the bird, sometimes we as bird owners can be quite surprised.

Let's first identify what we mean by "parrot". The term parrot is defined as: any of numerous hook-billed, often brilliantly colored birds of the order Psittaciformes. This includes anything from Budgies to Parakeets, Cockatiels to Cockatoos, Conures to Macaws. We often consider parrots to only be the huge talking birds but the little guys are classified as the same.

Finding an egg at the bottom of the cage is a definite clue that you've got a female on your hands. Female birds can lay eggs even without mates in the cage. The eggs are obviously not viable but the birds may lay as a result of some environmental stimulants found within the cage, outside of the cage, daytime and nighttime schedules and even the interaction with their human can stimulate egg laying.

At first, a newly lain egg may cause no concern. The owner might just remove it, tossing it away. But this is where problems often get to be out of control.

If a female bird has laid an egg, her hormones have been reacting and giving her the instinct that it's breeding time. She is following her normal bodily response to the breeding season. Most of these birds will proceed to sit on the egg and care for it as if it does indeed harbor a baby chick that will one day hatch. We as pet owners have to be the responsible ones and do what is best for her.

Don't simply remove and discard of the egg. If her egg suddenly comes up missing, she's going to be prompted to continue laying more eggs. Egg laying is extremely difficult and hard on the body for a female bird. Forming eggs takes an enormous amount of calcium which is depleted from her body. Passing and caring for the egg causes emotional and physical stress as well.