I have a male and female cockatiel that are kept in the same cage and recently the male has been plucking the head and neck feathers of the female. Should i separate them? Why is he plucking her feathers?
2007-02-11 04:22:54 · 5 answers · asked by Barrel_Racing_Cowgirl 3 in Pets ➔ Birds
He is an agressive male most likely if he is just randomly plucking. If he is doing it while mating, it is because he needs a grip while on top of her.
Please separate them if you do not plan on breeding (and there are a lot of unwanted cockatiels, so probably don't breed). If you are planning on it- get a nest box. Until she starts incubating eggs, he will keep mating- and thus plucking the feathers by accident.
2007-02-11 04:30:54 · answer #1 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The feather plucking could also be a result of aggressive cleaning. The male can be plucking them out when he cleans her feathers. In my cockatiels, the feather loss due to mating is usually found on the back and wings. I also suggest separating them for a while if you are not planning on breeding them. If you are, then maybe some time away from each other during the day could help.
2007-02-11 04:35:43 · answer #2 · answered by doggbit2000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had the same situation with mine, only the female plucked the male bald. His feathers never grew fully back. Try and separate them for a time during the day, but dont separate them permanently. They may be grooming each other.
2007-02-11 04:55:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They pluck because they are bored so you might want to rearrange the cage a little( move the toys around or buy new toys).
2007-02-11 04:44:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is in the mood for love. You need to set them up to breed or separtate them.
2007-02-11 04:36:38 · answer #5 · answered by Jusme 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋