Tricky Kakariki

[Loz]

At the moment, Chocobo noises consist mainly of "gnawing wood".
She's trying to dismantle the sofa, time for me to inspect her progress ...

[ladybird]

She definitely keeps you very busy bless her 😜

[Loz]

She keeps herself very busy, too!



I'll be replacing that strip of wood very soon, I see.

[tweetiepiesmom]

How old is your house? Not to alarm you but a cautionary note from the vets webinar yesterday was about lead based paint and birds chewing wood. Lead based paint was 'outlawed' in the US in the early 1970's. New homes after that didn't use lead based paint but people with older homes simply painted over it. Apparently, lead based paint tastes sweet which is why children and birds chew on things painted with lead based paint. The vets pointed out the birds chew on the window sills, door frames, etc., chewing down to the lead based paint. The vets do see birds with toxicity and the owners swear its not from the cage or toys not realizing its from the wood trim in their house. Hopefully, not an issue for anyone on the forum.

[Loz]

That's good advice TPM and a needful warning.

Budgie-safe paint only in my house and the wood has been seasoned several years before Chocobo sees it. I can't make the place 100% safe, especially for my crazy hens but 99% plus a load of decimals is as good as I cam manage.

[Loz]

Look who's spending time in the nest Daddy built for her!



I don't want to disturb Chocobo by getting better pics.

She's had a couple sessions in there now. With any luck that's where she'll do her nesting. I'll be interested to see if she wants to spend the night in her cage or her new, safe hidey-hole.

[Marianne Marlow]

Wont this make her lay more eggs though?

[Loz]

Eggs will come, even if I kept her in her cage 24/7.

Unlike budgies, the advice with chocobos seems to be let her get on with it. Obviously I'd prefer she didn't!

She's gone to bed in her cage now and I've shut her door so no budgies get in to bother her.

[ladybird]

I am sure she would like a friend to play with😜😉🫣

[Loz]

I'm fairly certain you're right ladybird

She's quite enamoured of Eeyore, it must be said.

[Marianne Marlow]

So we can see in your profile pic

[Loz]

I love that pic so much. Star-crossed lovers with all the odds against them.

[Loz]

Chocobo is quite happy with the site I've provided her:



She has spent the past five or six nights there and much of the day too, but she pops out for regular visits and chats. Eeyore & Mr Hibs got quite close to the nest site just now, perhaps within a couple of feet and I was poised to step in but Chocobo did not behave aggressively. I'm sure she would have had the exclusion zone been breached.

The tally at the moment is three eggs discarded (prior to the nesting site being provided) and three non-fertile eggs in the nest. Chocobo is eating and drinking regularly. Her poops are legendary - I thought a dog had got in the house. Many of the poops have substantial white masses in them, and I interpret this as from re-absorption of some egg material. Certainly, she's not been laying as quickly as her previous clutch.

All-in-all I have no concerns over my golden girl's health, she seems in a good place all things considered. Not quite her usual lively self, of course but in no way listless or over-tired. I hope this session isn't as long as the previous one though!

Edit: I had just sent this post and look who popped out to have a look at it!

[ariella]

I’m astonished at just how many eggs she lays. She seems to have been in a permanent state of broodiness this year. Has she done this before loz?

[Loz]

I'm still in my first year of Chocobo stewardship, ariella.

13 eggs in a clutch is pretty normal. I really wasn't expecting two sessions this year though!

My reading suggests that laying isn't as hard on chocobos as it is on budgies. I hope that is true, poor girl!