My cockatiel pair are about 7they always lay eggs but then leave them alone this time they have been sitting on them at the bottom of the cage , I really did not think they would hatch because none of the others did but did not want to distress them by removing, today I have two babies the male goes down and spreads his wings and looks at then the female looks at then from above I’m not sure what to do
Hi,
Unfortunately, chicks rarely do well on the cage floor, and it doesn’t sound like the parents are feeding them. It’s almost impossible to keep a cockatiel chick alive when you have to feed from day 1. You can try getting some baby parrot formula and check online for any videos to show you how. But it’s very hard not to aspirate them, and even if you feed them correctly, they still usually die after a few days. You should have already been feeding the parents a nutritionally balanced diet like pellets – a loose seed mix will not provide the nutrition they need. Also offer leafy greens, chopped veggies and some fruit, plus a daily egg food – you can cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. The parents need a lot of food throughout the day when they have chicks to feed. It doesn’t sound like this pair is a very good breeding pair, however. A lot of pairs are not. If they have refused to use a nest box, then you should discourage egg laying. If they lay eggs again, always throw them away. Laying eggs too often can eventually kill the female, so you should make changes to try to get her to stop.
Keep in mind that to lay eggs, she needs longer daylight, warmer weather, abundant food, and a quiet, private environment. The goal is to reverse these conditions.
Limit her light to 8-10 hours by covering the cage early each evening
Do not give her anything to use as a nest – no bird huts or tents, no box, bowl, etc. If she decides to sit in a food bowl, remove it and replace with smaller cups.
Do not give her anything to shred such as paper or cardboard.
Rearrange the toys in the cage frequently.
Move the cage to a different place in the room. Move the cage about once a week, or whenever she shows signs of nesting – settling on the cage floor for example. This disrupts her idea of having a stable place to lay eggs and raise chicks.
If you feed a lot of fresh foods, stop offering any for a couple of weeks, and then only offer them in small amounts about 2 or 3 times a week. You can resume normal feeding later when the birds aren’t being hormonal.
If she is let out of the cage, do not let her get in any dark cozy places and don’t give her free roam. When you let them roam around, this mimics searching for a nesting site.
When you handle her, limit any petting to only the head and neck – do not pet a bird on the body. Only a bonded mate is allowed to groom the body. We can’t be a mate, so touching the body is off limits.
If there is no metal floor grate, then do not use any bedding or paper in the cage tray – leave it bare and clean it daily.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
