Rainbow Lorikeet

Hi everyone, I have been reading this site for a few months now but never actually posted before.

My husband and I bought a Rainbow Lorikeet at the end of May 2007, she had been handreared and was 8 weeks old when we got her.

After only a couple of weeks she was our best friend and we've never looked back since. We've not had any sort of problem with her.

She has a cage but lives most of the time out of it as there is nearly always one of us at home the entire time. She has always been happy and friendly.

Then about 4 weeks ago she started making sort of crying noises at night when she was in her nesting box. It was only for a few minutes at a time and we though she might grow out of it. We then went back to the UK for the Christmas period, when we came back she took a day to forgive us but even after that she would spend hours at a time in her box crying. We couldn't even tempt her out with toys etc. Then this morning my husband found 2 eggs in her box.

We've taken them away as they can't be fertile. She is a fair bit lighter this morning so I have been feeding her up a bit, and I haven't heard the crying yet. She has always been happy with us and 'normal' even since christmas.

Is this normal behaviour for Rainbows?

Thanks,
Cate.

Hi
Don't worry about it, mine make crying noises whilst in their nest boxes.
(It sounds like you should get a male and allow them to breed).

Dave

If the crying doesn't bother you, leave her be. My only concern would be her losing weight and possibly becoming egg-bound. If she keeps laying eggs and you keep pulling them, her calcium could drop considerably and she'd then be in bad shape.

If the crying bothers you, the easiest thing to do would be to pull her nest box. She'll be fine, birds don't nest all year round naturally anyway. She'd stop her nesting behavior and probably stop laying eggs.

Or, as Dave_D said, you could get her a mate

Thanks, getting a mate is tempting. Mind you it would double the noise wouldn't it? And would and it make her less friendly/affectionate with us?

Taking her box away sounds the best thing for the moment. Should we let her have it for a few months in the spring and then not at all for the rest of the year?

Yeah, it would double the noise for sure Lorikeets are so friendly anyway, you may not even notice any change in attitude if she had a mate.

If you want to give her access to a nest box for a few months a year, she shoud be fine. Just keep an eye on her for the things I mentioned. If she does lay eggs, let her sit on them for a bit so her body doesn't immediately start producing more.

Thanks for your advice. I took the first lot away straight away and I think she is making more from her behaviour. I will let her lay these, let her sit on them and then take them and the box away. I'll keep an eye on her for loss of weight etc.

Thanks again.

Remember when she's in the laying cycle to provide extra nutritious food with calcium to prevent any deficiency or egg binding.
Mark