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Question:

January 31, 2023

Separating cockateil parents and their 7 month old.


Worried about a previous question posted by shad, i want to separate my 7 month old female cockateil from her parents(ages not confirmed), who are going in for a second batch of eggs. She has been staying with her parents since the time she was born, is it alright for me to separate her now?


Answer:

Hi,

Yes, you definitely need to separate her.  Offspring should always be removed from the parents as soon as they are weaned. In most cases, the parents will begin to pick on and attack the weaned offspring, which is nature’s way of preventing related birds from breeding. But things do not always work right in captivity and sometimes the parents tolerate the offspring, but later want to breed with them, which should never be allowed. Since the parents are nesting again, they are very likely to become aggressive towards her because she is now an intruder. She is at risk of being hurt or killed by them now. Or she might try to take over the nest box for herself and break the eggs that her mother laid. If necessary, move her cage to another room when you separate her. She will put up a fuss to begin with, but this is the way it has to be and she will learn. If you intend to keep her, do not let her breed with any of the offspring. If you end up with another female, and you are sure both birds are female, then sisters can live together.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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