How do I get my cockatiels to stop breeding?

Question

I have two cockatiels that just won't stop having babies. They first started having babies around easter of 2005 and have been non-stop since. As soon as the babies are old enough to walk out of the breeding cage they start doing it again. Sometimes as often as three times a day.

We've tried removing the breeding cage and nesting box but they'll lay eggs next to the couch and try to hatch them there. I'm worried about the health of the mother since I've heard they may pull calcium from their bones to form eggs. She eats lots of cheese and chew the calcium block plenty though.

I can't and won't separate the pair since they are in love and will cry and scream if they can't be together. Does anyone have suggestions on how to stop them?

I also have two parakeets, one lovebird, and another cockatiel. Thank god they are all males and can't breed with each other.

Answer 1

This is an *excellent* question (gave you a thumbs up on that).

Snowballland has some great answers and is much more experienced with cockatiels than I. As a child we had two, one of which died of leukemia. So many years ago, was that really right? Then I got another as an adult when I went to buy a parakeet for my boyfriend's girls with his mother. That cockatiel screamed for my attention. Of course, I went up to his cage and cooed at him. He did a little dance for me. Just couldn't have a bird (I thought) in my apartment. No pets. I walked away. He screamed. I came back and he danced for me. It was love at first sight. And for as long as he lived.

Sorry I can't answer your question. I've show and bred both dogs and Ragdolls, but your couldn't resist your post. Will never forget my little Nick. What a GREAT bird!

Hope someone more knowledgable answers your question. You are seriously looking out for your birdies. Oh geeze, I'd love to have another Nick. :-)

Good luck! :-)

(Purrrrrs from the Ragdoll Lady - LOL)

Answer 2

**Laughs!** Welcome to the chaotic world of horney cockatiels! I had this exact problem with my first pair of cockatiels. Little stinkers would lay anywhere if it was even slightly shaded. At one point they laid a clutch behind the fridge! Ghah! Cockatiels are popular breeding birds because they're easy to breed. Too easy in some cases. Sometimes they'll give you eggs if they look at a shadow, I swear! **Sighs** Speaking of breeding, my present pair is at it , proving how opportunistic the species is. If given half the chance, they'll do the mating dance and find a place to put their eggs.

There's a few things you can do to reduce breeding interest. The first is to limit their daylight hours to 8 hours a day. Secondly, remove any boxes they may have in their cage. Thirdly, try to reduce the amount of warm mushy food they get. You should to thing especially if they get a lot of warm high protein foods like eggs and peanut butter. With my birds, I find they're super sensitive to light in any amount. Sometimes covering their cage will put them into breeding mode as the dark cage looks like a nest box to them. I find that my birds are less likely to breed if they're caged for long periods.

I should also note that cockatiels are one of the few species that will mate for the pure pleasure of it. Amusing. Very amusing, LOL!

Answer 3

The only simple solution is to seperate them, and remove all nest boxes and nesting material. Secondly you can try to make them think it is winter by reducing the daylight hours they get to 8 or 10 per day. Stop feeding fruit and give then seed only with a vitamin supplement and calcium to help the hen recover from all the laying. If they think it is winter they will revert back to normal behaviour.
If birds in captivity are given extended daylight hours they will keep on breeding, just like battery chickens are given lighting for 16 hours a day so that the lay all year round.
It sound like your birds are in the main living area of your house and you live a life until late at night as we like to do where you switch on the lights when it goes dark. Normally your birds would go to sleep then but they think it is midd summer so should be breeding, also haveing heating on gives them more proof that they should be breeding. Try altering their enviroment as advised and you will see improvements more to your liking.

Answer 4

I would like to know a answer as well. I just went through nhelping to raise my first clutch. I don't plan to be a breeder, my Polls laid 8 eggs, 4 hatched and now I have 4 cockatiel babies ato about 10 to 11 weeks old. Mom and dad are mating again already. I fell in love with my babies, I didn't hand feed but bonded with them from day one, they of course are very tame. Mom and dad were given to me. Dad, Screech is sorta tame he will step up on my finger and listen to me talk but won't allow me to pet him. Mom, Polly is scared and won't come near me. Good luck

Answer 5

Hummmm.
Wished I could find me a luv bird like that!

Check with a Vet.

Answer 6

stop the cheese! give lots of the calcium block. call a vet maybe there is something you can treat the water with to sterilize them.

Answer 7

Other than the seperate cages, which you don't want to do, I don't think that there is anything you can do.

Answer 8

take out their box or nest

Answer 9

I found these websites, glgl with this

Answer 10

maby get two cages next to each other?