Male wont let the female in the nest box.

[Sops1306]

S

• Cockatiel Breeding

Male cockatiel wont let the female near the nest box.
TagsNone

Jump to LatestUnfollow

1 - 5 of 5 Posts



S
Sops1306
·Registered
Joined 5 d ago
·
3 Posts
Discussion Starter · #1 · 5 d ago

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me, for some reason my male cockatiel (leo) won't let the female cockatiel (crystal) any where near the nest box.
They have been housed together for nearly 2 year ago now and Leo is usually plasid, in fact it's normally crystal that bully's him, I.e jumps on him, moves him out the way of the food untill she's eating, follows him around, now the past couple of weeks she's been showing a lot of interest in the next box, in and out ect and doing the mating call to him, however a few days ago I caught him in there for the first time and she was not happy about it, however since then he's completely took over it and won't let her any where near it. He comes out and charges at her if she's anywhere near, I can hear him scurrying around nibbling the inside but I've never seen him this aggressive before, they share treats but don't preen each other and he's quite a lot older than her. She's always been more interested in him than he has with her,
I know I need to keep an eye on them and they havnt actually been fighting as she moves out the way of him but he's awfully protective of that box.
This will be there second attempt at eggs and he was not interested the very first time ( for both of them ) it was unsuccessful as they wernt fertile.
Do I need to be worried. Is this normal behaviour, will he just let her in once he feels its ready for her? I've done a lot of research and if it carrys on I will split the cage in 2 and put him on the bottom but I don't want to do that. As it's a very big cage with ample room.


Update I don't know if I have done the right thing but sometine either last night or today the female laid an egg. However the male cockatiel was displaying the same behaviour and not letting the female in the box. So tonight I took the decision to split the cage in 2 and have the male at the bottom, I just didn't want them fighting inside and smashing the eggs, has anyone experienced this? Have I done the right thing? Should I let him back up with her in the next few days?
I honestly don't think they are fertile because of the way the male is.
I had originally posted this on another cockatiel forum 3 days ago but no one responded to me. Any help would be much appreciated

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Are you trying to breed? I think you should take out the nest box because they can cause so many issues.

 

[Sops1306]

They have always had a nest box and she is has layers an egg now. The nest box has been I'm for 2 year

 

[Tiel Feathers]

He is being hormonal and protective of his nest, so I would just take it out. Just because it has worked for two years doesn’t mean it’s working now.

 

[Sops1306]

Well that's not an option as she has already started laying eggs

 

[Sops1306]

Any other advice would be great as the breeding box won't be coming out

 

[Zara]

I agree with Deanna. Remove the box because it is causing problems between your birds. And their safety and wellbeing should come before any breeding you want to do.
You can boil the eggs, then place them on the cage floor in the corner for her to tend to there. A little kitchen paper under the eggs will help stop them from breaking.
Monitor the birds closely after the box is removed and the eggs are on the cage floor, and see how the birds get on with each other.

 

[Sops1306]

I have already separated the 2 bird. I don't have no intention of moving the box. Especially whilst there are eggs in it. I'm looking for advice on where to go from here do I keep them separated?

 

[Sops1306]

I have also bought an Incubator in case she disowns them, I'm as fully prepared to do what needs to be done including feeding g ever 2 hours if needs be

 

[Zara]

I'm looking for advice on where to go from here

Sounds like you just want someone to tell you that you are right?

I personally don´t understand why breeding your birds comes above their welfare and becomes priority but whatever.

Keep them separated.
Your hen is more likely to struggle to care for the eggs and herself so you will have to monitor her extremely closely to be sure she eats. She is also at risk from sitting too long and having issues with blood circulation.

Be sure you have bought everything on the list;

-Hand rearing formula
-Feeding utensil - I use syringes but always recommend feeding spoons to a novice, you might have to buy these online.
-Candy thermometer to check formula temperature + a spare
-brooder
-heating pad if your brooder is not a professional one
-Aspen shavings - Course pine is ok if you can´t get aspen. Never fine pine, and never ever cedar.
-Thermometer (digital) for monitoring brooder temperature
-Hygrometer for monitoring humidity inside the brooder
-Weighing scales - you can use a gram scale or a 0.01 scale
-Pedialyte, or natural unflavoured coconut water
-Papaya
-Nursery cage with plenty of perches (to move the birds into after they fledge)
-Clean hand towels (I have some I use only for birds, I recommend that)
-Q-tips (cotton buds)
-Pots to make the formula in, and create a Bain Marie

Importantly, as you have an incubator for the eggs, if you end up going that route, it means hand feeding from day one, and that means your chicks won´t have the digestive enzymes from the parents so you will need a supplement to give them this, and it is extremely important.

I would also consult with your vet and speak about any supplements that your hen may need.

Clear your calendar for the next 4 months.

 

[Sops1306]

Of corse breeding them isn't more important than breeding once she has had this clutch, its her second attempt ( first attempt wasn't successful) I am more than willing to remove the box, this is the first time he has ever been aggressive with her, so it's all new to me, including raising chicks and having a clutch of eggs, they may not even be fertile.
Vets is no problem and neither is the stuff I will need,
Money is not a problem for me so it costs whatever ot costs and I have the funds for vets, accessories ect. I'm not looking for anyone to tell me I'm right I'm just looking for other people's experience of the cockatiels acting this way and what they did in there personal experience, I don't know wether to leave them separated or keep him away for a short time while she lays the rest of her eggs.