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Spring is in the air!
Spring can be a particularly difficult time of year for some birds and bird owners. Is your fid
(feathered kid) is in a full hormonal rage? Where do you turn? What can you do? There are
some things that can help reduce hormonal behaviour.
Try any/all of these…
remove all paper from the cage
“starkly” furnish cage (just basic with perches, dishes, etc.)
change the position of the cage in the room frequently
change the position of perches & dishes regularly
avoid putting the cage in dark corners
move mate to another cage or even another room
avoid stroking the lower back and top of tail
prevent access to dark areas/corners in and out of cage
increased supervised time out of cage
distract when hormonal responses appear
Before and After Eggs
Ask your avian vet about Lupron injections which help with hormonal behaviours. These are
usually provided in a series of three injections. Be sure to provide lots of calcium as egg
production lessens the birds calcium supply.
Calcium comes in the form of Manu blocks, certain foods (i.e.: broccoli), and can be provided in
a powder or liquid form from your avian vet. Egg laying can also lead to problems in the hen.
Egg bound hens are a common problem for cage bound birds. It is very important that the hen
have as much room as possible to exercise in order for her muscles to be toned for her all-
important purpose of laying eggs. Lack of physical exercise and minerals can cause the egg to
be “stuck” and unable to smoothly move down the tract. This can increase the hen's chances of
suffering an internal infection.
*** As with any health concerns, please seek help from your avian vet immediately. ***
I don’t want any chicks!
Do not remove any laid eggs immediately if the hen is showing an interest in them. If a male has
been present, you can still prevent chicks by putting a tiny pinhole in each end of the egg and
giving it a good shake.
Do this away from the bird when and place the eggs back in the bottom of the cage until she
becomes bored with them. It may be a few days or a few weeks but eventually she will be bored

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and leave them alone. At this point you can remove them from the cage. Allowing her to keep
the eggs will accomplish two things. It will help her to stop laying more to replace the missing
ones and it will also allow her to go through her natural nesting instinct. The above guidelines
should help you both get through hormonal time periods.