I got up this AM and uncovered the birds. Sweet Pea, my lutino female, was running around the bottom of her cage like crazy girl WTH. I opened her door to put her up on a perch. what do I see there is egg in the on the grate. she laid a egg sometime during the night or early this morning. the egg had huge crack in it from tip to base from hitting the grate and white had drain out of it. it was thrown away. she will be 2 years old in September. and this is her 1st egg. she was acting a bit off so called the vet and we talked tonight. reduce her amount of light by 1 hour and make sure she get extra calcium for the next month. anybody have any ideas how to keep this to minimum ? I have lost birds from over laying and don't want that to happen with this girl, I love her so much.

We've got an article on hormone control here: http://www.littlefeatheredbuddies.com/i ... mones.html

When you're reducing the hours of light, it's important for it to be dark enough in the cage to seem like night. If it's just kind of dim in there it can make things worse, because a dim enclosed space feels a lot like being in a nest.

her cage cover a black queen size flat sheet with two dark side covers to prevent light from the hallway and kitchen getting in. there is barely enough light in the back of the cage from small night light, 5 watts. this is to keep the night frights to a minimum. the two cages are side by side but Bebe is reluctant to come out of his cage. they are never out at the same time ever. they can see each other and hear each other. I put them to bed at 8 pm tonight and turn their timer back to 8 pm also. I remove all the toys that hang and her swing because she was rubbing her back on them. they are out of her sight, 100%. she was not happy about that either. she has no shredder toys as of now and with the grate, no paper that is with in easy reach. so I think after talking with her vet and all suggestions from the article you posted, I'm hoping I have it covered. fingers crossed of course.

The best way to test the light-blocking ability of the cage cover is to drape it over your own head and look toward a bright light to see how much light gets through. My experience is that most covers let through more light than I expected them to, and it might be necessary to add another layer. It's OK to have a little light coming through, but it shouldn't be brighter than a night with a full moon.

the birds are in my living room and after they go to bed, I turn down the lights to a 25 W and 50 W bulbs and the sound from the TV. their area is the darkest part of the living room. I live in apartment and there is no other space for them to be in. I do have another blanket that I can add to front of her cage if it is not dark enough.

The sound doesn't really matter, but the amount of light hitting their eyeballs definitely matters because it has a direct effect on their hormone levels. It's OK if there's light in the room as long as it doesn't reach the bird's eyes.

there was another eggie this AM. laid on wooden platform perch, high up in the cage. this one was whole and has been moved down into large food dish with paper toweling in the bottom of the dish.

How is it going with the egg? Any more since then?

she laid a 2nd egg the day after the last one. I put the eggs in flat concave dish, but she knocked one out and put a hairline fracture in it. it was broken by the next morning. the other egg is now in the frig. she has not laid any since then. I also turn her cage around everything that was on the left side is now on the right. vice versus for the other size. I reduced her light again for seven days.

after talking to my avian vet, I have moved Sweet Pea's cage to the dark side of the living room for 2 weeks. she is also going to bed at 6 pm every night. after the 2 weeks are up she can move back to her normal spot and go to bed at 7 pm. she has 4 covers on her cage. she is not happy camper right now. nippy and down right crabby at times.
if this does not work, we are going to try the light bomb; 100 watt bulb above her cage 24/7 for 4 days. no covers during that 4 day period.
I am hoping the 1st solution works because the 2nd one is the last chance version.