My "thought-to-be" male quaker Paulie started laying eggs 2 weeks ago, boy was I surprised!! All the eggs were slightly thinshelled, Paulie eats NO calcium or cuttlebone and his beloved "brekky" (breakfast) goes untouched if I sprinkle mineral powder on it.

So the vet suggested HCG (chorionic gonadotropin) shots to stop the cycle. Its worked!!! She stopped at 5 eggs. She got her third shot yesterday, we go back in 10 days for another (and I hope the last).

Is anyone familiar with this med and do you know of any ill effects from it? Paulie is back to her ol' self-playful and loving. Is there any harm from using this?

Oh, the vet did say this is different than the expensive Lupron they have to give tiels to stop their laying, I just want to be sure that its safe. Thanks. Bren

No idea, but most quakers only lay 4 to 6 and stop. It might of worked just as well if you had let her lay and then set the eggs a couple weeks.
Never heard of anyone giving their parrots shots to stop laying.
Glad it seems to be working.

Well, the problem was that all Paulies eggs were so thin shelled that everyone of them broke, it didn't seem like she would be able to complete a clutch. The last was also smaller so we were fearing low calcium.

Do you think she would have stopped laying even without completing a clutch? Bren

I have heard of this...and its not that uncommon...What it is I believe is a male hormone (I think) I've heard of it being used to stop the hens that are "over achievers" Not all birds will stop at one or two clutches...Some turn out to be just like chickens that once they start they will continue to lay till the daylight hours are shorter than 12-14 hours a day, This is very hard on them as it totally depletes the calcium in their bodies, and it will actually start leaching from their bones weakening them as well. The fact that her eggs were soft shelled anyway was a sign that she's low in calcium and that could cause egg binding which can be fatal.

Did your vet mention to you about keeping your birds daylight hours reduced by covering her You might ask him/her about it and see what they recommend.

Thats a good idea about the lights also what are you doing to get some calcium in her? I do use a mineral block with my breeder pair. And they are eating lots of veggies and they get a boiled egg once a week with the shell. All of this to keep her healthy.
Mine are still laying but the season is almost over so Im not worried yet. She rested for 7 months after last season.

Yes, he did. And I have closed all blinds except 1 window, I haven't covered her cage though.

I do believe that my kissing on her so much has caused her to do this. She loves for me to place my hand on her back and give smooches on her bare chest (she is the plucker mutilator that I rescued last year). I've been putting my whole head in her cage and loving on her, she loves it!!! She dances back and forth when I ask "Do you want some Sugar??" I know I've got to stop doing this, but its hard to knowing she didn't get any love in her last 2 homes.

You know, her plucking has stopped since she's been getting the shots, or laid the eggs, one of the other seemed to help. She is still collared but could reach her legs, she's stopped picking them now.

Thanks for the feedback. Bren


Well, thats the problem, she NEVER eats a cuttlebone or a mineral block!! I've got at least 3 or 4 hanging, clipped to the side and bolted on. I made her some birdie bread and crushed the egg shells in it, she loves her birdie bread. The vet gave me some Nekton mineral powder with calcium, if I sprinkle it on anything, she refuses to eat it. Bren

Avian vet researcher Tammy Jenkins said this about HCG in her landmark study of featherpicking in 1999 ( http://www.featherpicking.com/Basics_of_FP.htm ):

"HCG (human chorionic gonadatropin) is widely used and seems to have little in the way of side effects. Practitioners report variable results with HCG. In my hands, it is very effective with certain birds. To get a good effect, I seem to need to use HCG on a weekly or biweekly basis."

Bear in mind that '99 was a long time ago and much more is surely known about HCG now. My vets use Lupron, tho I don't know if they might also use HCG in some circumstances. Three of my birds have had Lupron injections. My Alexandrine did well with her series of 3 injections last year and isn't nearly as sexually obsessed since. And she let her neck feathers regrow almost completely.

Last month one of my male tiels completed his series and, so far, very good results. He's not hounding his wife to make babies, so she and I are very grateful for Lupron.

My quaker Tunia showed only a little effect, I regret, from her Lupron series last year. She still pulls out her neck feathers I'll call my vet Monday morning and ask if he feels HCG might help her. I'll let you know what he says

You'll want to increase the amount of calcium your girl eats. Are you aware of how oxalic acid makes calcium unavailable to her? If not, you'll want to do your reading and change her diet to maximize calcium absorption. Here's an article I like a lot: http://holisticbirds.com/Hbn02/autumn02/pa...dpp3.htm#oxalic

gail

I am not really familiar with HCG as much as I am lupron but if its stopped egg laying thats a good thing. This year seemed to be the worst fot the tiels at the shelter I work at as I would say more than half of them were laying and ended up getting lupron.

For added calcium you can always grate some cuttlebone over her food too.

Everone gave you good advise so I wont be redundant.

hugs

Sage N Tunia-what great articles these are that you posted!!! It is so interesting that I percieved her picking getting less with the shots and I wasn't even aware it might improve. I feel hopeful that perhaps we can get Paulie past this, she is such a sweet loving birdie.

Another thing I got from the article-it says birds may lay with weight gain, well my Paulie was very sick when I got her, she was 90 grams. She now weighs 135grams!!!! I did figure the improvement in her health probably allowed her to lay, she was too sick previously.

ImpduJour-do you know my vet says he has seen more egg laying this year than prior. That is very strange to me, seeing we have been in a horrible drought down here in Alabama. Bren

Bren, I agree with scraping cuttlebone into the food. If she won't eat it, scrape it into the birdie bread. Scrape it into anything you can think of.

Max, my female, never uses her cuttlebone either and that's what I do. I scrape it into her fresh good on a daily basis. This way I know she's getting some into her.

Another easy way to get some calcium into her would be almonds, they are very high in calcium and most Quakers love them.

Good luck!