Does petting my Jenday Conure make her think I'm her mate or lay eggs?

Female conures will lay eggs even in the absence of a male. Don't remove the eggs as this will cause her to continue laying. Provide a commercial pelleted diet (Harrison's, Roudybush, Lafeber, Pretty Bird or Exact) supplemented with a fortified seed mix and fresh greens and vegetables. Place a cuttlebone or mineral block in her cage as well for extra calcium. Limit exposure to daylight and drop room temperature by a few degrees to get her out of egg laying mode. Leave the eggs in the cage for at least 2 weeks or until she loses interest in them. You can also replace the real eggs with "dummy" eggs. Find them in the Bird Section of the local Petco. The plucking can be caused by stress, boredom or infection (bacterial, fungal or parasites). Consider having her examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian to diagnose and treat any underlying medical condition. The tail bobbing may indicate difficulty breathing which should also be addressed by your veterinarian. In the meantime, clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Use paper towels on the cage bottom and change them daily. Bathe or mist her with warm water to encourage preening and to promote healthy plumage. Provide a variety of toys and puzzle feeders as well as play time outside of the cage to keep her from plucking.

A female does not need a male in order to lay eggs. Once she matures (at around 1 year old), she will begin to lay eggs. They will be infertile in the absence of a male. If placed together and conditions are right, they may mate and she will lay fertile eggs. They typically lay a clutch of 4-6 eggs with 24-48 hours between eggs. Incubation lasts about 3-4 weeks.

Good conditions for mating are usually what spur breeding in captive birds. This includes a place to build a nest and lay eggs, a balanced diet suitable for rearing chicks and producing healthy eggs, extra calcium for egg production and a mate willing to pair and create babies. If you are attempting to breed your conures, making sure to read up on breeding and rearing of parrots is a good idea as you may have to provide extra care such as egg incubation and baby-rearing if the parents are unable to do it themselves. Hand-taming is another good thing to research to help raise babies that are comfortable being handled by and around people.

A single female will lay eggs even without a male as you've discovered. It should not harm her. Consider leaving the egg in the cage until she loses interest in it. Removing it too soon may trigger more egglaying. Offer a pelleted diet, fortified seed mix and a cuttlebone or mineral block to ensure she has adequate amounts of calcium in her diet.

Feed a good quality pelleted diet (Harrison's, Roudybush, Lafeber, Pretty Bird or Exact) supplemented with a fortified seed mix and fresh greens and vegetables. Provide a cuttlebone or mineral block. Always have fresh water available. Provide an appropriately sized nesting box and suitable nesting material (straw, Aspen shaving, shredded newspaper, etc.).

Thanks for reaching out about Jojo. There are several things that can be done in an attempt to encourage her to lay fewer eggs. A veterinary visit is recommended as soon as possible to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan, especially if she almost died last time. A review of diet and husbandry with an avian veterinarian is recommended at this time. At home, remove all items that she could perceive as a mate (mirrors, toys, etc.). If she is handleable, stop petting her, especially along the back, as this can stimulate reproduction. Photoperiod manipulation, as she needs 14-16 hours of dark, quiet sleep time, undisturbed. Lastly, there are a few hormones that an avian experienced veterinarian can discuss. Good luck.

It is possible the stress of chronic egg laying may be affecting her appearance and feathers. Remove any nesting boxes in the cage. If she's laying in the seed bowl, use a smaller container that she cannot sit in. Limit Camille's exposure to daylight to 8 hours or less. Use a dark cage cover or sheet to block light if necessary. Use a calcium fortified seed mix. Leave the fake eggs in the cage for at least 4 weeks.