# Maggie may be getting broody



## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

Maggie usually wants out of her cage the instant somebody gets up in the morning. She bangs on her door and coos and paces until somebody opens it. This morning, she didn't. I didn't immediately realize it because, of course, all the other birds were hollering to be let out. I went around and opened cages, including hers, and went on about the business of getting ready for work, and then realized Maggie hadn't come out. She was sitting in the corner in the back cooing, all snuggled down on her tummy. When I remarked to Hubby that she hadn't come out, she hopped up and did come out and flapped over to a play stand as usual. 

Her last family told me she laid eggs on a somewhat regular basis, and she's been with us since right after Christmas and hasn't laid one. I don't WANT her to, mind you, but I was a bit puzzled as to why she hadn't. 

She has calcium-enriched grit and consumes it regularly and I try to give her other things, like veggies, but she usually won't eat them. She might peck at them a bit to be polite, but that's it. I know if she lays some eggs to leave them until she gets bored with them. Is there something I can give her to eat that she WILL eat to make sure her little body doesn't get depleted if she lays eggs? We have a full spectrum light in the birds' room, too. Her regular diet is budgie mix and tiel mix seeds with millet for a treat (she doesn't eat much of that, but she likes to peck at it and toss it around). I've tried giving her wild bird mix, but she throws most of it out of her dish, and she will occasionally eat some of the Quakers' pellets, but she isn't crazy about those, either.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Maggie should be getting a pigeon mix with the things she needs to keep her healthy. At least a dove mix with additives, like maybe split peas, lentils, brown rice, safflower seeds........
A budgie mix is designed for what Budgies need, not for what pigeons need. She should also have crushed oyster shell in a dish to take when she wants it. They also need vitamins which contain Vitamin D3, especially if they are kept inside.


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