Hi, I have 1 white face cockatail and 1 grey cockatail. I saw them mated I installed a box in the cage. They entered to the box they spend most of their time in the nest but one day the male escaped so, can the female lay eggs and incubate by itself or should I place another male cocatail in that cage to breed again.
Hi Sheheli,
I’m sorry your male escaped. He could still be in the area and might return to his mate if he can hear her calls. I would take the nest box down and hope she doesn’t lay eggs right now. It is very hard on a single hen to try to incubate and raise chicks. It rarely works and some hens have died because of the toll it takes on her health. It’s hard enough on her when she has a mate to help. Which is why you have to remove the box after each clutch and allow the parents to rest for a few months. You should limit each pair to no more than 2 clutches per year – in the wild, they would only raise one.
Since she was already bonded to another male, she is not likely to accept a new male right away. I would leave her alone, with no nest box, and if you already have another male, you can place its cage next to hers. They need time to get used to each other before you think of putting them together. Not all birds will get along, so she might not even like the next male you choose for her. In the wild, the birds would choose their own mates from a flock. If the birds show interest in each other by vocalizing and interacting – staying close to the other bird – then you can try putting them together.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
