Male aggression

[Jupiter&Venus]

I have a pair of Cockateils, Jupiter and Venus.. they are both about 12-15 months old, live together, seemed very bonded until the eggs came! About 2 weeks after the Venus laid the eggs Jupiter started biting her when she wanted to go in nest box. Today I came home and there is a baby and he’s become very aggressive with her. He’s sharing the parenting but when she tries to go back in after eating, eliminating etc.. he has been even more aggressive with her. There are 3 more eggs from the first batch and tonight there is now a new egg in there! What do I do with him? They were very good together before the eggs came, eating bathing grooming playing staying near each other.. now tonight I had to intervene for him to move for her to go back to the baby.. any advice will be helpful! Thank you!

 

[sunnysmom]

 

[Porter]

You need to separate them for the moment.

 

[Lady Jane]

@Monica

 

[Jupiter&Venus]

Thank you.. actually once the baby was 24 hours old.. he seems to have calmed down! He’s staying out of the box and just going in to give her breaks and allowing her back in.. Ive put a bigger nest box in and he’s been doing his “duty” checking that out and getting it comfortable because they are going to have to move there.. the nest box they have been in is to small especially if all the eggs hatch.. they are doing a great job caring for this baby.. I think the bigger nest box has given him something to do and now that he has his “job” to make it safe for them.. he’s occupied.. now I have to wait until the right time to move the baby and unhatched eggs??????

 

[Monica]

If he's still causing issues, you may need to separate them and monitor the mother to see if she can raise the chicks on her own. Some hens can, others need help.

Moving the eggs and babies may upset the mother, so if you choose to do so, keep an eye on the family as yo may need to move them back. If/when you choose to move them, place the new nest in the same location as the old nest.



Do you have hand feeding experience? Equipment for hand feeding?

 

[Jupiter&Venus]

I tried to separate Jupiter to another cage and they both went nuts.. Venus wouldn’t go to the baby at all while he was gone and she just kept looking for him.. when I put him in her view she just sat there next to his cage.. and he almost hurt himself in the new cage.. so I put him back. There are 3 other eggs that should have hatched by now and when candled seem to not be viable.. Jupiter is more interested in those eggs.. so I moved the eggs and left the baby with Venus.. he seems happy with that.. although they are both caring for and feeding the chick.. he takes very good care of it when it’s his turn.. it looks like out of 4 eggs only the one was viable fertile chick so as long as he remains happy with the infertile eggs I think we are ok.. I’m not worried about needing to feed the chick at this point because they are both very good with him/her?
Other concerns now is getting them to eat a more balanced diet.. they eat seed, wheat bread.. but they are not interested in fresh fruit and veg which I offer every morning when I get up and remove before I leave for work.. and I offer again 2-3x at night..
Neither of them like humans.. they don’t allow me to touch them.. I think there was abuse BEFORE I got them.. they came to me fearful and no matter what.. they still do not like hands.. they are vocal with me and interact through the cage but not with my hands inside.. so hand feeding is not an option!

 

[Jupiter&Venus]

When I moved Jupiter out of cage I got bit really hard.. lol... they have both been with me since July 29 2017... they came as a pair!

 

[Monica]

Just because they are afraid of hands doesn't necessarily mean that they were abused... it could simply be because they were parent raised and never were handled or interacted with, or perhaps they were once tame and friendly, but then their people ignored them and they went "wild".

Parents may be more likely to try new foods when they have chicks, so don't stop providing fresh foods! Might also try sprouted seeds, too, as an introductory into fresh foods.


Do keep a close eye on them and the chick.

 

[Jupiter&Venus]

Venus let’s me see the chick everyday.. and thank you for letting me know they were probably not abused.. they are very young both only about 12-15 months old and they have been with me for 7 months of that.. I am very patient with them and give them a lot of attention and time and I’m hoping eventually they will come around..
I will try the sprouted seeds.. thank you!
They do love their wheat bread and Cheerios but fruit and veg are still a challenge.. I will not give up!!

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Get yourself some 15 bean soup mix, white and wild rice, grits, cream of wheat and oatmeal. Take the flavor packet out of the soup mix and cook the beans. Once the beans are soft, add a quarter cup each of the other ingredients, add water, and cook again until the grains are soft.To make the mixture nutritionally complete, grind up any kind of parrot pellets and mix with the beans and grains. Feed this mixture, warm, NOT hot, or at room temperature, and the pair will fall on it like wolves and shovel it into their baby. Instant total nutrition.

This is a recipe, given to me by a professional breeder, always worked like a charm to help support parents raising babies. My tiels would get parakeet seed mix, this "birdie gruel", pellets, green leafy veggies, whole wheat bread and whole wheat unsalted crackers. You can even use this for weaning food as well.

 

[Monica]

Have you tried making your own bread and adding in vegetables? There's tons of recipes! Or you could always look into the companies that sell "birdy bread".

If it helps, check out these threads!
Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
"Self-Tamed" Cockatiels | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[Jupiter&Venus]

Thank you both so much!!!! I appreciate the recipes and will be trying them this week!! I just want this baby to grow up healthy because I may keep it..
another question- can the chick live life long with the parents if it’s the only chick? I plan to remove all nesting boxes and areas to discourage any further breeding and hope this is it so I would like to keep the chick..
these are my first experience with birds as somewhat of a rescue.. I have dogs, cats and 2 bearded dragons.. I just want to do the best for them!
Thanks again!

 

[Monica]

Whether or not the chick can live with the parents will depend on the parents. Some parents will attack their chicks once they reach a certain age and others could care less.


About 12+ years ago I was given a family of cockatiels all living in the same cage. The age of the parents unknown, but at least 8+? And the offspring were about 6 years old. I don't know if they were always living together or not, only that the previous family got the parents in '98 and allowed them to breed. They kept two of the chicks that they raised. They might have kept them in separate cages but I can't recall... I just remember having the entire family dropped off at my front door, unannounced, with a really crappy cage that wasn't even designed for birds! I found new homes for the kids but kept the parents until their passing. When I had all of them, there were minor squabbles between father and son, but nothing major.

 

[Jupiter&Venus]

At this point I have removed all of the infertile eggs and my boy only cares about those eggs.. he doesn’t go near the chick now.. stopped feeding, stopped patenting it all together.. has zero interest.. but he sits on those eggs non stop.. Venus (momma) is doing a good job with the chick by herself and as far as I’ve read she can do it by herself since it’s only 1 baby.. I will see how things go after the 12 -14 weeks how Jupiter is after the chick is weaned..
Venus is slowly tasting your recipe.. I’ve offered it to her 3 different feedings and she’s just tonight starting to taste it but still mostly eating seed around it.. I think baby is good.. I check the crop 2x a day and sometimes it’s full and tonight when I checked it’s almost empty.. but Venus is eating so I know she’ll be in there feeding him soon!! She’s a good momma!!