I have 2 cockatiels, Pikachu (male) and Bean, (female.) They've just recently started breeding, and I've been trying to research what (if anything) I need to do. They never really seemed like a bonded pair to me, though, and it's odd because the person that I adopted Pikachu from was getting rid of him because he wanted a breeder bird and he wouldn't breed. They've been in the same cage together for about two years, and never showed signs of being bonded or mated, (no preening each other, no heart wings or courtship behaviors from the male) and they never seemed to have much interest in each other, though they get along fine most all of the time. But yesterday, they started mating. When I woke up this morning, Pikachu was hitting his beak on the cage bars, and then they mated again.
Should I expect eggs anytime soon, and what would be the signs and what should I do if she were going to lay eggs? I wouldn't mind her laying eggs, actually, but I know I'd have to keep an eye on her health during this time, and that there's a possibility they won't be nurturing parents and I'll have to hand feed the chicks. I haven't kept birds for a very long time, only a few years, and I'm just not exactly sure what to expect with mating, egg-laying, ect. I've noticed a few abnormal behaviors in both of them, particularly the female. She's been climbing around the cage chewing the bars as if she wants to shred them, and throwing and digging the food out of one of their food bowls. I have 2 but they mainly use one, she's doing this to the lesser-used one. Are these nesting behaviors or something else, and what should I do to make this process easier for them? Just not really sure if it means I should be preparing for her to lay eggs, or if the mating doesn't really mean much after all. Just want to know to be prepared, and any advice for this at all that anyone has would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Should I expect eggs anytime soon, and what would be the signs and what should I do if she were going to lay eggs? I wouldn't mind her laying eggs, actually, but I know I'd have to keep an eye on her health during this time, and that there's a possibility they won't be nurturing parents and I'll have to hand feed the chicks. I haven't kept birds for a very long time, only a few years, and I'm just not exactly sure what to expect with mating, egg-laying, ect. I've noticed a few abnormal behaviors in both of them, particularly the female. She's been climbing around the cage chewing the bars as if she wants to shred them, and throwing and digging the food out of one of their food bowls. I have 2 but they mainly use one, she's doing this to the lesser-used one. Are these nesting behaviors or something else, and what should I do to make this process easier for them? Just not really sure if it means I should be preparing for her to lay eggs, or if the mating doesn't really mean much after all. Just want to know to be prepared, and any advice for this at all that anyone has would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
