“Worrying weekend” is an understatement.
On Friday morning I uncovered the Puddings & Toyboys & found Raspy attempting to push an egg out. (Egg No.1 arrived on Monday). She would push then rest, push then rest, almost like she was having contractions. I was not too concerned at that point although I did recall Atilla popping out a couple of her eggs with relative ease back in January. I put Raspy into the Ferplast so she could lay the egg without distractions from the toyboys.
After about half an hour Raspy was still pushing & I could see an egg shape. Things did not seem right to me. I now put her in the travel cage. I rang the vets for advice & was told he would ring back when he was free. After about half an hour she stopped pushing but there was still no sign of the egg. I rang the vets & Mr Exotic Vet answered. He suggested I give her another one & a half hours & to ring again. That would bring us to midday.
At midday, the situation was the same. Raspy had stopped pushing but I was convinced the egg was still there. How long is it supposed to take to pass an egg?? For the third time I rang the vets, & was told to bring her in as soon as possible.
As she was already in the travel cage, I quickly bundled her up & took her out to the car for the short trip to the vets.
On arrival, we were seen virtually immediately. As Mr Vet put his hand in the cage, Raspy made her feelings very clear, very loudly. She did her usual wriggling act but Mr Vet coped well & examined her.
He said she looked in good conditions & was not showing any signs of distress. The egg was quite high up. She was not egg-bound. He was going to give her a hormone injection but did not think she needed it. Her vent area was inflamed. It is possible the egg will be absorbed by her body. He reckoned that she would either lay the egg, or it would be absorbed, within a day. I was to contact him if she becomes distressed – excessive tail bobbing, droopy wings, not perching etc.
I told him I had planned to get a nest box as the previous few days she had been going mad trying to find somewhere to nest. Mr Vet encouraged me to do this.
So, consultation over & we made our way out. Raspy did indeed seem relatively okay & was preening in the car on the way home.
In all that time she had not eaten anything but Bezukhov was feeding her so I knew she was not hungry. I dipped spinach leaves in the water with calcivet & she drank from those several times. She had not pooped.
In the evening, she started pushing again for about half an hour but then gave up.
That night both Raspy & Bezukhov slept in the Ferplast. I checked on Raspy at intervals through the night. She sat in the same place & seemed ok, no excessive tail bobbing or anything. On the Saturday morning she was bright eyed, jumping around & even wanted to come out the cage & have a fly but in-between those times, she was dozing all fluffed up, like she really needed the rest.
She had managed to poop a few times that morning, so at least something was getting through. Her vent area was not right & was still red & inflamed looking.
Poor girl. I spent the whole day watching her & taking the cue from her as to what she wanted to do, come out for a fly or whatever. I made sure that only Bezukhov was out when she was out as Cagney can stress her sometimes.
Saturday evening, I decided to attach the nest box to the Ferplast. Raspy ignored it – I do not think she was in the mood to explore. However, beady-eyed Atilla spied it but that is another post!
Sunday was much the same as Saturday but Raspy was more of her old self. She was still having extended resting times but also managed to fly around a bit. I let all Puddings & Toyboys out together & Cagney (surprisingly) behaved himself!
In the evening Raspy even managed to eat some seed.
I can only assume the troublesome egg has been absorbed. However, is there another egg to come???
Puddings & Toyboys 