Ask Lafeber

Baby cockatiel leaving nest

If one of my baby cockatiels have on there own left the nest box should I put it back in or leave it.

Hi,

The cockatiel chicks will leave the nest one at a time, because each bird is at least a day younger than the one before. As soon as all of the chicks have left the box, take the box down so the parents don’t try to start a new clutch. If they do, they will let the chicks starve to death instead of weaning them. Once the chicks are weaned, they need to be moved to a different cage – do not leave them with the parents. Do not give the nest box back for 6 months, to allow the parents to recover from laying eggs and raising chicks.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda