Ask Lafeber

How do i get my cockatiels to mate

Hi i am sivan.

I have a male white faced cockatiel he is old and a female albino cockatiel and she is old enough too and they haven’t mate yet it’s been 3 weeks i got him a female i don’t know how to get them to mate should i put them in different cages or should i remove the Nest box?. The male goes inside the nest box but the female has no interest in going there yet… So if you have any advice please let me know i really want them to breed 🙏.

Hi Sivan,

The first rule of breeding birds is that you must have a LOT of patience. Three weeks is not long at all. Most pairs take months to bond, and a year or more before they decide to breed. Some pairs will never bond – they choose a mate in the wild and do not always like the mate we choose for them. And many pairs simply do not make good breeders, no matter how well bonded they are. The best thing to do is take the nest box down for now. The nest box is the last step. The pair has to bond first, and show interest in breeding. They are not bonded until you see them sitting together most of the time, grooming each other, feeding each other and finally mating. Once you see them mating, then you can give the nest box back to them. But give them plenty of privacy and time to bond, and understand they may not bond. But their best chance is if you leave them alone other than to feed them or clean the cage.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda