Cockatiel HELP

[Beccakistler]

Hello,
I'm new here and need some advice.
I have what i *believe* is a female cockatiel called Ruby. She is nearly 2 years old. She is a very happy bird and live in our bedroom where she has free reign but sleeps in her cage at night. She also claimed one of our sock drawers as a "nest" / nap area.
it is dark in there so she likes spending time in there when shes tired or bored. BUT. Lately she spends all over her time in this drawer and is incredibly protective over it. She has never laid eggs and so far i havent seen any. But she obsesses over it and only comes out occasionally to drink and eat. I think its currently breeding season but im concerned because she spends so much time sat in the dark alone. Is she ok will it affect her Heath and personality. Should I stop letting her be in the drawer? She has no mate but seems very hormonal. What should I do?
There are no eggs. Just a bit worried about her. Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[Akoni]

Egg binding in cockatiels can be serious; my mother-in-law almost lost her cockatiel hen to this. So you'll want to prevent her from laying eggs now and in the future. The first thing you need to do is get rid of her nest by closing the sock drawer or preventing her from getting access. Allowing her to practice nesting is only encouraging this hormonal behavior. It's also helpful to make sure that she gets 12 hours of darkness and sleep time in her nighttime cage. This mimics winter hours, which is not conducive to breeding season. You can also stop feeding her warm soft foods for the time being and rearrange her cage free space and cage.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I never let my tiels in any dark, nesty areas. I would follow @Akoni 's advice.

 

[Beccakistler]

Hi,
Thank you Akoni for your very prudent advice. I really hope she hasn't got egg binding . That's awful! Is there any chance she could be a boy? Can they display nest like behaviour. Only because she is quite a good singer her colouring is vibrant. I've heard it's quite hard to sex cockatiels. I will try to get to a vet asap. To be checked.

 

[cassiesdad]

I've had male tiels that become hormonal and begin to build nests. I've even had boys that are better "Moms" than the actual Mom...sitting on the eggies long after the female had abandoned them.

Egg binding is quite serious...I lost my Cassie (LSC) from the effects of it. If you suspect Ruby of being that way, it's good you get her to an AV ASAP.
Maybe Ruby is a "he"...birds can sometimes fool the best of us...

 

[Akoni]

I really hope she hasn't got egg binding . That's awful! ... I will try to get to a vet asap. To be checked.

Signs of egg binding:
-labored breathing
-abnormal wet droppings or constipation
-straining
-fluffed up feathers
-sitting on the floor of the cage
-loss of appetite

You didn't describe any of these signs in your initial post so don't worry too much if she's just broody. I just wanted to inform you about egg binding so that you know what to look out for as sometimes nesting means eggs are on the way which sometimes means a risk of egg binding.

Is there any chance she could be a boy? Can they display nest like behaviour. Only because she is quite a good singer her colouring is vibrant. I've heard it's quite hard to sex cockatiels.

Yup- like Bob said, my male seeks out places to nest too. Males will usually sing and chatter inside their nests.

Is your avatar a picture of your cockatiel? If he/she is a normal gray, it's possible to sex visibly if you're certain of his/her age. If you post a better picture of her without the color manipulation in your avatar, we should be able to tell you.

 

[Monica]

If Ruby is the bird in avatar, I'm going to say that Ruby is a male.


I have an egg-laying female that knows how to wolf whistle. It's a shame I don't know how to myself! I've also met some people with egg-laying hens that talk! And heard of some breeding hens that could out-sing the males!


Generally speaking, cockatiels are easy to sex!



Agree though, best to avoid nesting behaviors. Even if Ruby is in fact a male and will never lay an egg (unless Ruby is a hermaphrodite? and has the capability of laying an egg??), it's still not good to "allow" the behavior. It can cause behavioral and physical damages.


Some people *do* allow the behavior, but they *know* how to get the bird out of the behavior as well... I don't recommend it, personally.