I have a pet cockatiel (male) named Sydney. Sydney and
his mate Piper have consumated their relationship and
created two adorable cockatiels. The babies are now
2 1/2 months old and we are waiting for our second clutch
to hatch. My question is will my Sydney ever be the loving,
talkative bird he once was? Since the "children" he has
been downright nasty with screaming and biting.
I can usually cure him quickly of the biting with a
little water in the face but it doesn't last for long.
Is it the frustration of children that has got him? How
can I get my bird back?
Thanks,
Laurie M.
Dear Laurie M.,
It is only natural for Sydney and Piper to be protective of their babies/eggs. We have, at times, had to wear gloves to feed handfed breeders.
All is not lost. The quickest and best approach would be putting Sydney in a cage by himself, preferably out of sight from Piper. He'll probably pitch a tantrum at first, but he'll get over that quickly. He has "bonded" with Piper and needs time to withdraw.
You mentioned they had babies 2 1/2 months old and were sitting on eggs now. We hope you let this pair rest real soon. That's a lot of stress for them to endure and we never recommend "setting up" the same pair more than twice a year.
Lyn and Judy Thacker