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| Question about Pets:My pet lovebird laid an egg in the bottom corner of the cage! What do I do now? |
You don't need to do anything. If it is her first egg, chances are she will not quite know what to do with it and may try sitting on it for a day or so and push it aside; or she may not sit (incubate) on it at all. If she is truly going to lay a full clutch of eggs, you will probably find another egg has appeared in about 2-3 days, which is how long it takes the hen's body to produce another egg. She may lay up to 5 or 6 eggs, but on average, about 4.
The first egg may or may not be fertile but you won't be able to tell until after she has been incubating the egg for 4-5 days. If she is incubating it and will move off it long enough for you to pick it up and "candle" the egg, you should be able to see small red veins begining to grow inside the egg.
When I say "candle" and egg, I DO NOT mean to literally put a candle under it. It means that you need to pick the egg up (if she will even allow you near it) and take the egg into a darkened room (preferably with carpet in case you drop it) and hold a flashlight up very close under the egg. If it is fertile you will start to see the veins after the 4-5 days. If that is is fertile you should carefully place the egg back into the cage in the same place that she laid it and leave it be.
Just be aware that she and the other bird (male or female) may get VERY territorial and protective of the egg(s) so don't be surprised if they try to attack your hands. Its only instinct.
You may want to get a nestbox but DO NOT attach it now. Because it will be something new in their environment they will most likely be a bit afraid of it and probably won't go near it and may even abandon the egg(s) that they are currently incubating. Save the box for the next round of eggs, even IF these ones are indeed fertile.
If these eggs are not fertile (you will know by candling them), just allow her to incubate them as long as she wants to. She will probably get bored and realize they are not going to hatch. Once she abandons these eggs, then put up the nestbox and allow her and her mate (if its a boy) to get used to the box before more eggs are laid.
Also be aware that you may have two hens and they both may start laying eggs which will (of course) not be fertile. As I said earlier, the usual clutch of eggs is 4. If you find 8-10 eggs in the cage at one time you will know for sure you have two hens laying eggs!
Good luck - any other questions, please feel free to email me directly.
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