Ask Lafeber

New cage.

Can I move my male and female cockatiels into a new larger cage along with their 7 week old chicks?

Hi David,

This is a definite no! Breeding birds should not be disturbed or moved from the time they start exploring the nest box until their chicks are fully weaned. The chicks are very close to being weaned now, so you only need to wait for a couple more weeks or so. Once the chicks are weaned, no longer being fed by the parents at all, you have to separate them from the parents anyway. Otherwise the parents will start to pick on them in an effort to drive them away. This is an instinct that prevents related birds from breeding in the wild. As the chicks get older, they may breed with the parents or with each other, so you can never cage them with the parents, and you have to keep the male and female chicks separate when they get old enough to determine their gender. Hopefully you have homes lined up for them already.  After the chicks are weaned, you can move the parents into the new larger cage, but do not give them the nest box again for about 6 months. They need this time to rest between clutches. In the wild they would only have one clutch per yer, but with the perfect conditions in captivity, they will overbreed unless you take the nest box away and force them to rest. They should not be allowed to have more than 2 clutches per year.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda