BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Birds Single Sitting Cockatiel

I have a proven pair of tiels that have taken a long time to get it together after they were moved to my house. They have had several sets of babies together for their former owner, who passed away suddenly, but I don't know their history. The hen has started laying and attempting to sit (set), but the boy won't leave her alone: <img src="/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" />he chases her all the time, even in the nesting box. He has pulled out a wide ring of feathers around her neck and while I was told some neck-baldness is to be expected in active breeding, this seems pretty extreme. Can a hen sit and hatch and raise chicks by herself? I took the male out today, after 2 days of chasing the hen. I was afraid they would break the egg(s) or that they wouldn't hatch from nobody sitting on them. The nesting box is on the floor of the cage, since that is where the former owner had it. They wouldnt go near it when i had it hanging. (The cage itself sits on a table, so it's not floor level). I put food and water right outside the door of the box, but havent seen her come out since I took the male out. Help???

This is very unusual behaviour for cockatiels.

Since both birds normally sit on the eggs, she will probably not hatch them herself - although it is possible she will.

What else changed for them when they came to your place? Are they in the same cage? Were there other birds in their previous home as well?

Keep offering other foods, but maybe cut the pieces very small & mix small quantities in with the seed.

I would probably leave her to sit on the eggs until she either deserts them or they hatch. You may have to be prepared to handfeed the babies if they do hatch.

Are you sure she isn't coming out of the nestbox when you are not there? If not, are you sure she is stil OK? She may have been injured by the male.

The hen does not normally come out of the nest often, but will quickly come out twice a day to eat & drink.

Please let us know what happens with these two.

Thanks for your response.

I have had this pair since December, and nothing has changed recently. He has just seemed to start chasing her around more and more until it was constant.

I saw the female out of the box today and she ate and drank. The male is in his seperate cage in the same room, and while HE does not seem particularly happy, the female doesn't seem to mind it. She went close to his cage and watched him awhile and went back to the box.

There are three eggs. I am not going to disturb her, other than to change her water and food. I know they have raised several clutches to adulthood....

Good luck. It might work out.
Please keep us updated.