My husband's baby and our first cockatiel has just laid her first
egg. After the panic subsided, I checked previous articles and found out this
is entirely normal. However, the articles stated that they usually lay 3-6
eggs at a time (one every other day). 'Spike' (of course, we thought it was a
male) has only laid one egg. Now my husband is sure that she is egg-bound.
What are the symptoms of being egg-bound?
Charlotte
Charlotte,
3 to 6 eggs is an average clutch and as with any animal, that can vary. It's
possible she may only lay one egg. Also, every other day is the laying
routine, but again, she could skip a day at times.
An egg bound hen becomes fluffy looking and will usually stay on the bottom of her cage. It is oftentimes possible to see the skin protruding around the area in front of the vent between her legs. Hens will sometimes thrash around in the cage in an attempt to dislodge the egg.
Egg binding is extremely life threatening, so if you fear that may be the problem, get to a vet ASAP.