cockatiels and first time breeding

I got what I thought was a male cockatiel about a year and a half ago, I got a female so I could have babies. I know shes a female beacuse she had eggs when I bought her. My male seems to spend more time in the nesting box than she does and he doesn't seem to be interested in her but more in his food dish. :? Is this normal? Also my female leans forward a little bit on the perch and makes a series of small short chirps. Is this some sort of mating call?? Please reply if you have any explanations. Thanks

 

Hi when cockatiels are ready for breeding the female will do as you say lean forward and dip her back and make short chirps.
The male will bob along the perches with his head down and his wings lifted a little and if you look they make the shape of a heart.

The male is always the first into the nest and will not allow the female to enter until he thinks its a suitable nesting site only then will he start to call her in a will make tapping sounds on the inside of the nest....

How old are your birds?
Have you introduced soft foods?
How much light per day are they getting and is the room temp kept the same?

Mike

 

When my female does the chirping thing, my male shows no attention, she usually does this when he is inside the nesting box. He was the first in the nesting box but I still hear tapping on the inside of the nesting box and they are ususally in there together. When my male sort of I guess humps (is the only word to use) his food dish, she acts like she is trying to tell him "I'm over here" and she nudges his chest but he bites her. My male is about a year and a half and my female is about 10 months. The only soft food I've ever given them was boiled egg whites. They don't get any extra light but I cover them at night and uncover them when I wake up. Should I have any extra light? the room temperature is usually the same. I'm new at this and I don't know if I posted this right. Hopefully I did.

 

Hi take away the nest box as they are both too young to be reproducing if they are allowed to breed and lay eggs this usually ends in disaster.

Both birds need to be 2years old or older 18months being the youngest but still this is taking a chance as the female does not stop developing until she is 2years old.
Your male seems to know that she is only a youngster and thankfully he has not mated with her most females under 18months old will not lay any eggs or enter a nest box.

Mike

 

I am not positive she is only 10 months but the pet store told me she was 6 months when I got her. She had 2 eggs in the bottom of her cage (no nesting box or anything) at the petstore. They said she had only been there for less than a week. But, it seems like she would've had to be there way longer than that to be comfortable enough to lay eggs. Thats why I even find it hard to believe she is only 10 months old. The guy I talked to there acted like he knew nothing about cockatiels and he was making it up as he went along. I have no idea. So, if a female isn't mature yet, is it normal for her to be interested in having babies?

 

From the age of 6months old all female birds show interest in breeding and laying eggs but this is dangerous as it puts a strain on her body and weakens her bones resulting in egg binding and usually death.

Its always best to wait until around the 2year mark before attempting to let them breed.

 

At the pet store I was sold some dry oyster shells and they told me that it will add calcium to the female so she won't lay soft shelled eggs and it won't put a strain on her body... so that I wouldn't have to wait til they're 2 years old. They also said I could have eggs within 30 days but I had her for 3 months before I put them together.

 

THats the thing about petstores they know nothing about animals and they sure do not know about breeding them.

No animal wether its bird or dog should be bred from until 2years of age this is when there bodies stop growing and bones have formed.

Allowing a young bird to raise a clutch of chicks will put her life in danger not to mention put the chicks in danger of the parents killing them as this happens with young parents as they do not know what they are doing.

My advice is if you plan on breeding then its worth the wait and do it right this is just my opinion.

I have bred budgies, cockatiels and dogs for years and i have taken up breeding zebra finch's again

Mike

 

I didn't know you were breeding finches now, Mike. If you didn't live overseas from me, I would definitely ask you for some birdies!