Um....slight problem...I think we have a male and a female bird!
- Thread starter alyssia
- Start date
michaeltx
Moderator
are the cockateils?
yes they will still lay eggs though even in the food dish if they feel its the best place.
you will need to get a nesting box * one that opens up from the top is best* and suplement their diet so the female doesnt get egg bound cockateils are very prong to it.
The male will get the nest ready for the female she will inspect it if she doesnt like it then he will go back to fixing the nest again.
after a few weeks when she is ready she will lay the eggs and then they both will sit on the eggs till they hatch then both male and female will will feed and take care of the nest and hatchlings. Youll need to clean out the nesting box and handle the babies as they are growing so that they get used to humans unless you plan to hand feed them.
Its a site to see the babies after they hatch though they are so tiny and ugly as all get out and change daily!!!!
all this is IF they are old enough to actually breed though. they can go through the motions but arent fertile up to 1 to 1-1/2 years old for cockateils. They can have 5-9 eggs to set.
I had a white faced pair that laid 9 eggs every round. If before the hatchlings turn to fledglings the pair start to breed again you will have to seperate the pair. letting them rebreed over and over can be detrimental for the female.
there is more to it but the first thing would be to determine the age of the birds and to get a nesting box if they are old enough.
you can also take the eggs as they are layed if you dont want to deal with babies but I dont suggest it if you have the ability to raise them.
I probably just raised more questions that you had to start with though LOL
Mike
yes they will still lay eggs though even in the food dish if they feel its the best place.
you will need to get a nesting box * one that opens up from the top is best* and suplement their diet so the female doesnt get egg bound cockateils are very prong to it.
The male will get the nest ready for the female she will inspect it if she doesnt like it then he will go back to fixing the nest again.
after a few weeks when she is ready she will lay the eggs and then they both will sit on the eggs till they hatch then both male and female will will feed and take care of the nest and hatchlings. Youll need to clean out the nesting box and handle the babies as they are growing so that they get used to humans unless you plan to hand feed them.
Its a site to see the babies after they hatch though they are so tiny and ugly as all get out and change daily!!!!
all this is IF they are old enough to actually breed though. they can go through the motions but arent fertile up to 1 to 1-1/2 years old for cockateils. They can have 5-9 eggs to set.
I had a white faced pair that laid 9 eggs every round. If before the hatchlings turn to fledglings the pair start to breed again you will have to seperate the pair. letting them rebreed over and over can be detrimental for the female.
there is more to it but the first thing would be to determine the age of the birds and to get a nesting box if they are old enough.
you can also take the eggs as they are layed if you dont want to deal with babies but I dont suggest it if you have the ability to raise them.
I probably just raised more questions that you had to start with though LOL
Mike
alyssia
Active Member
Thanks for the info...yes, they are cockatiels. Luckily I think they are way younger than a year and a half!
What is egg bound?
If they do have babies and we don't hand feed them, what extra food stuff do we need to get?
Is their anyway to stop them from mating besides having them in seperate cages?
And I wouldn't throw the eggs out....my kids would freak.
Thanks for your help!
What is egg bound?
If they do have babies and we don't hand feed them, what extra food stuff do we need to get?
Is their anyway to stop them from mating besides having them in seperate cages?
And I wouldn't throw the eggs out....my kids would freak.
Thanks for your help!
michaeltx
Moderator
I will look tonight and see what its called but there is a supplement for female birds full of calcium and other things they need.
Egg bound is where the female creates the eggs inside her but cant lay them. If this happens you wont know about it till its to late normally so adding something to their diet to keep it from happening will keep you from that heart ache and headache.
I havent been able to figure out away to keep them from doing it with out the nesting box. alot of times they wont but if there is no nesting box the lay the eggs in the food dishes ect.. and can be pulled.
AWW the food supplement I was thinking of is called petamine you just add it to the food and I always added a second dish of just petamine for the female. and good muti vitamin added to the water dish is a good thing to for everday nutrient boost.
Mike
Egg bound is where the female creates the eggs inside her but cant lay them. If this happens you wont know about it till its to late normally so adding something to their diet to keep it from happening will keep you from that heart ache and headache.
I havent been able to figure out away to keep them from doing it with out the nesting box. alot of times they wont but if there is no nesting box the lay the eggs in the food dishes ect.. and can be pulled.
AWW the food supplement I was thinking of is called petamine you just add it to the food and I always added a second dish of just petamine for the female. and good muti vitamin added to the water dish is a good thing to for everday nutrient boost.
Mike
alyssia
Active Member
Originally Posted by nwdyr
http:///forum/post/2780257
All this bird talk , coralkeeper just got one . I have been thinking about it , now after these 2 threads........yea I will HAVE to get one now
Good luck with yours!
Thanks!
http:///forum/post/2780257
All this bird talk , coralkeeper just got one . I have been thinking about it , now after these 2 threads........yea I will HAVE to get one now
Thanks!
coral keeper
Active Member
Originally Posted by nwdyr
http:///forum/post/2780257
All this bird talk , coralkeeper just got one . I have been thinking about it , now after these 2 threads........yea I will HAVE to get one now
Good luck with yours!
lol
http:///forum/post/2780257
All this bird talk , coralkeeper just got one . I have been thinking about it , now after these 2 threads........yea I will HAVE to get one now
lol
nw2salt08
Active Member
You have to be careful though. With their first batch of babies they may not try to raise them on their own but rather ignore them. I had that happen to me when I was raising them. I ended up setting up a nest outside of a nesting box and putting a lamp up over the cage to keep them warm.
And if that's the case, you'll have to handfeed them every 2 hours with a specialized bird formula with a dropper. Make sure to go slowly...very slowly. They can't take much at first. I still have one of the offspring at my mother's house(she wouldn't let me take him with me when I moved out.) He's now 5 years old and the most lovable bird because he has been imprinted since birth. Hopefully this isn't the case for you. It can be very time consuming. But the bright side is if you continue to raise them they do get better at taking care of their own young.
poniegirl
Active Member
Hi Kelli, I kind of already mentioned this in another thread...it is possble you have two males and any "nonsense" could be a show of dominance?
If they are a pair, she will lay eggs anywhere, including the bottom of the cage.
Are both birds well trained and have they formed attachments to you and your family? I ask, because, honestly, you may want to consider birth control until you have established bonds with them. Throwing out eggs is difficult. Trying to help a pair of birds raise chicks (you will have to clean nest boxes, etc..) that don't want you to is next to impossible.
I don't think the birds will try to nest a loose egg. If you provide a nest box, you are absolutely committing yourself. If they are a pair they will "nest with a vengence".
It is an incredible thing to witness and be a part of, but get ready!
If they are a pair, she will lay eggs anywhere, including the bottom of the cage.
Are both birds well trained and have they formed attachments to you and your family? I ask, because, honestly, you may want to consider birth control until you have established bonds with them. Throwing out eggs is difficult. Trying to help a pair of birds raise chicks (you will have to clean nest boxes, etc..) that don't want you to is next to impossible.
I don't think the birds will try to nest a loose egg. If you provide a nest box, you are absolutely committing yourself. If they are a pair they will "nest with a vengence".
It is an incredible thing to witness and be a part of, but get ready!
alyssia
Active Member
Originally Posted by PonieGirl
http:///forum/post/2780747
Hi Kelli, I kind of already mentioned this in another thread...it is possble you have two males and any "nonsense" could be a show of dominance?
If they are a pair, she will lay eggs anywhere, including the bottom of the cage.
Are both birds well trained and have they formed attachments to you and your family? I ask, because, honestly, you may want to consider birth control until you have established bonds with them. Throwing out eggs is difficult. Trying to help a pair of birds raise chicks (you will have to clean nest boxes, etc..) that don't want you to is next to impossible.
I don't think the birds will try to nest a loose egg. If you provide a nest box, you are absolutely committing yourself. If they are a pair they will "nest with a vengence".
It is an incredible thing to witness and be a part of, but get ready!
I never thought about that. I didn't know that they try to exert dominance that way!
How on earth do you get birth control for a bird? I'm assuming I have to get it from the vet?
Romey has strong attachments to us already, but I don't think Sophie, or Kiwi, whatever we name "her" does yet. Honestly, I don't really want baby birds, but I don't think I could bring myself to throw the eggs away, and my kids would be crushed!
http:///forum/post/2780747
Hi Kelli, I kind of already mentioned this in another thread...it is possble you have two males and any "nonsense" could be a show of dominance?
If they are a pair, she will lay eggs anywhere, including the bottom of the cage.
Are both birds well trained and have they formed attachments to you and your family? I ask, because, honestly, you may want to consider birth control until you have established bonds with them. Throwing out eggs is difficult. Trying to help a pair of birds raise chicks (you will have to clean nest boxes, etc..) that don't want you to is next to impossible.
I don't think the birds will try to nest a loose egg. If you provide a nest box, you are absolutely committing yourself. If they are a pair they will "nest with a vengence".
It is an incredible thing to witness and be a part of, but get ready!
I never thought about that. I didn't know that they try to exert dominance that way!
How on earth do you get birth control for a bird? I'm assuming I have to get it from the vet?
Romey has strong attachments to us already, but I don't think Sophie, or Kiwi, whatever we name "her" does yet. Honestly, I don't really want baby birds, but I don't think I could bring myself to throw the eggs away, and my kids would be crushed!
keri
Active Member
Originally Posted by alyssia
http:///forum/post/2780935
Another question: This "nonsense" seems to be going on quite a bit. Are they like rabbits? lol Will they do this all the time when they're together?
Yeah, mine did.
My female also laid an egg while she was sitting on the shower curtain rod. (that one didn't make it
) so no, they are not always picky about where they lay - she had a nest box in it with eggs at the time, she just felt that that was a good place too I guess! Giving them a safe nest box to lay in will ensure they don't make omelletes on your floor
edit: if you replace each egg she lays with a "dummy" egg (a wooden one from a craft store or something simmilar) she's less likely to just keep producing egg after egg after egg. My female once laid 18 eggs in a row, I took 7 of them away, leaving her with 11 and 9 of them hatched.
http:///forum/post/2780935
Another question: This "nonsense" seems to be going on quite a bit. Are they like rabbits? lol Will they do this all the time when they're together?
Yeah, mine did.
My female also laid an egg while she was sitting on the shower curtain rod. (that one didn't make it
) so no, they are not always picky about where they lay - she had a nest box in it with eggs at the time, she just felt that that was a good place too I guess! Giving them a safe nest box to lay in will ensure they don't make omelletes on your flooredit: if you replace each egg she lays with a "dummy" egg (a wooden one from a craft store or something simmilar) she's less likely to just keep producing egg after egg after egg. My female once laid 18 eggs in a row, I took 7 of them away, leaving her with 11 and 9 of them hatched.
geridoc
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by alyssia
http:///forum/post/2780932
I never thought about that. I didn't know that they try to exert dominance that way!
How on earth do you get birth control for a bird? I'm assuming I have to get it from the vet?
Romey has strong attachments to us already, but I don't think Sophie, or Kiwi, whatever we name "her" does yet. Honestly, I don't really want baby birds, but I don't think I could bring myself to throw the eggs away, and my kids would be crushed!
DepoProvera will disrupt egg laying. but it must be given by a vet in an injection, and is pretty expensive.
http:///forum/post/2780932
I never thought about that. I didn't know that they try to exert dominance that way!
How on earth do you get birth control for a bird? I'm assuming I have to get it from the vet?
Romey has strong attachments to us already, but I don't think Sophie, or Kiwi, whatever we name "her" does yet. Honestly, I don't really want baby birds, but I don't think I could bring myself to throw the eggs away, and my kids would be crushed!
DepoProvera will disrupt egg laying. but it must be given by a vet in an injection, and is pretty expensive.
alyssia
Active Member
Originally Posted by Keri
http:///forum/post/2780947
Yeah, mine did.
My female also laid an egg while she was sitting on the shower curtain rod. (that one didn't make it ) so no, they are not always picky about where they lay - she had a nest box in it with eggs at the time, she just felt that that was a good place too I guess! Giving them a safe nest box to lay in will ensure they don't make omelletes on your floor
edit: if you replace each egg she lays with a "dummy" egg (a wooden one from a craft store or something simmilar) she's less likely to just keep producing egg after egg after egg. My female once laid 18 eggs in a row, I took 7 of them away, leaving her with 11 and 9 of them hatched.
Holy cow! Eighteen eggs?
I read about the fake egg trick somewhere else too, I'll try that.
http:///forum/post/2780947
Yeah, mine did.
My female also laid an egg while she was sitting on the shower curtain rod. (that one didn't make it
) so no, they are not always picky about where they lay - she had a nest box in it with eggs at the time, she just felt that that was a good place too I guess! Giving them a safe nest box to lay in will ensure they don't make omelletes on your flooredit: if you replace each egg she lays with a "dummy" egg (a wooden one from a craft store or something simmilar) she's less likely to just keep producing egg after egg after egg. My female once laid 18 eggs in a row, I took 7 of them away, leaving her with 11 and 9 of them hatched.
Holy cow! Eighteen eggs?
I read about the fake egg trick somewhere else too, I'll try that.