i got a pair of cocktails both gray female and male
the female is ready but the male keeps rejecting her and they can’t sit beside each other one second without picking at each other
should i change the male to another one and try mu luck ?
they are together for a week now
the male wont sing or any thing he is just jupy and all over the place
i got them as paid but i think the seller lied to me
Hi Alosh,
You are probably right to suspect that the seller was less than forthcoming with the real situation of this pair of cockatiels. I always say nobody sells a good, proven pair unless they are getting out of the business of breeding. Sometimes a breeder will say they are downsizing, but any pairs they sell will be their pairs with issues, not their good, producing pairs.
As for this pair, to be fair they have not had time to settle in. The female sounds like she is hormonal right now, so that is driving her over her fear of being in a new place. The male is definitely not settled in, and not focusing on her. I would first split them up, but keep them in cages, side by side. If the male immediately calms down, then it does sound like they are not compatible. If he continues to be nervous and jumpy, then keep them separate until he settles in better. It can also be a case where he is too young. Cockatiels should be at least 2 years old before you pair them up. I know a lot of people start them at a year old, but serious cockatiel breeders who breed show birds will tell you to wait until the birds are between 2 and 3 years old. At this age the birds have had time to fully develop both physically and mentally. Younger birds aren’t really ready to settle down and care for eggs and chicks – they just want to mate. So give this pair a couple of months and then if they still show no interest in each other, you can consider getting different mates for them.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
