HELP, Zebras been mating, female all puffed up!!

[Tania]

hey all.

The female and male have been mating after the first clutch has fledged. The male hasnt yet made his mind up where to put the new nest. The thing is, I dont know if a hen can hold an egg until the new nest is made, or if shes unwell. Shes very round around her sides, puffed up and not doing much else. I have added some liquid calcium to the water just in case shes egg bound.

Is this normal to see if shes carrying an egg or is she unwell? Shes very quiet and not flying around much.

Thank you

Tania

[DanteD716]

Okay, start builidng the nest for them, get a nest basket, make a nest shaped bowl out of coco fiber, or tissure, and put it up close to a perch so they can jump in, the hen does not need to know you made it!! Do they have cuttlebone? My zebra hens love cuttlebone

[Tania]

yes they have cuttlefish, grit, etc.. I will make them a nest. Thank you for your help

[cindy]

Tania you need to add a heat lamp to provide extra warmth, it will aid her in passing the egg. She may drop it from the perch . Also give a drop of Calcium plus if you have it to the edge of her beak and add it to the water. Boiled egg, crushed shell helps.

Add damp towels, drapped around the back of the cage the moisture from them and the heat will provide humidity to help her pass the egg.

If there is no nest add one with a bit of bedding, you can hang two so they have a choice.

[Tania]

Ok, Ive done the nest and fed her some calcium... phew I hope this works.. Ive given extra heat too...

Thank you for all of your valuable advice. Ive tried to add a pic of her as she is now. Shes very wide around her middle and she looks very uncomfortable. she still managed to fly away from me!!

[DanteD716]

Is she fawn? Pretty. I hope she gets better. Cindy gave good info, I forgot about a heat lamp can you give a calcium drop directly on the beak?

[ac12]

You already gave her calcium, don't overdose her.

[Tania]

Ive given her calcium drops on the beak and put a few in the water, or should I just refresh the water incase she has too much??? She opened her beak when I put some in so a few drops may have gone in. I hope I havent given her too much....

Their cage is by a radiator thats turned off, so I will turn it on just not too high.

Thank you guys

What did anyone make of the pic??

Yes I believe she is fawn, thank you

[Tania]

Oh sorry, forgot to mention. I have given them some baked egg shells. Shall I give boiled egg too? I will what I have done be enough for her?

[cindy]

Direct heat like a lamp is best, that way she can sit close to warm herself and move away incse she is to warm....she looks normal or possibly a lightback in the picture, what color are her tail bars?

[Tania]

Ok, I will use the direct heat lamp.

I believe her tail bars are white and black.

[cindy]

She looks more to be a normal...fawns tail bars are tan/fawn color. Split to fawn males can have black tail bars but females do not carry the gene so they can not be split.

It appears her belly area is buff, lightbacks generally have a white belly.

[DanteD716]

Hm, maybe she is normal. I thought cawn because at ppetsmart therebwas a fawn hen, but she looked almost normal, her color was very strange