Pippin Lays an Egg...

I mentioned previously that Pippin, my lovebird, came into my home over 6 years ago. Originally, Pippin was my roommate's charge (my roommate moved to France and now has Jazzy - see Dweezeljazz). At the time, we both thought Pippin was a boy, through and through. After all, Pip even learned to talk a little, learning words from Chipper. This is rare for a female lovebird.

The notion of her male gender was dashed to smithereens when, 5 years ago on an early spring morning, I lifted the covers off her cage and found Pippin -- and an EGG!!! And she continued to lay them once a day for weeks. (I saved a few, blowing out the infertile yolks, and placed them in a tiny basket.)


I can't tell you how shocked I was. And it took me weeks to change my stubborn brain cells that kept telling me "It can't be!" But, really, if I had only looked a bit deeper and gotten past my preconceived ideas, I would have seen very plainly that Pippin was every bit a she.

Unfortunately, once a hen lovebird starts to nest, it is very hard to wean them off the fulltime brooding track. It's not the best for hens to continuously lay eggs, as it takes a real toll on their bodily resources, and they can become fatally eggbound. Pippin laid these eggs for a couple of years each spring. But success!! No credit on my account, though. She just simply stopped a couple of years ago,though she remained "nesty" and territorial for quite awhile.

I finally hit upon the idea that we play "chase" with wadded up pieces of paper. I throw them, and she chases them madly with her signature lovebird "chuckle." I also have a straw ball with a bell inside that makes fun noises when she rolls it. Now, whenever I pass by, I play chase with Pippin and it keeps her mind going in new directions. And it keeps her quite fit and engaged.

It's great to see Pippin leaving her "raising baby" phase and having so much fun. OK, Pippin, play ball!