# Constant mating!!



## Colleen (Jun 22, 2009)

Hello everyone..I've just found this forum and was hoping to get some help with my cockatiels.
I have a male and female bonded pair. I was told they were both males when I got them.
They are both such good birds and spent most of the day sitting on top of the cage and playing or hanging out with me when I'm home.
I have spent the last 18 mths trying to stop them mating but also allowing them some out of the cage time. So every time they started I would get up and stop them. I finally gave up and let them have a clutch. Topper laid 5 eggs but only two hatched so I took the others away. They have been wonderful parents and the babies are now out of the box and starting to feed themselves although not totally.
I thought this would be the end of it until next season..it is now full on winter over here and getting down to -4C. I do have a fully insulated house but I still have to wear 5 layers of clothes just to keep warm. I thought the cold weather would put them off.
So why are they still wanting to mate again?
But it gets worse and I am totally shocked over their behaviour..or am I just naive!!
I've had to separate them all only allowing brief periods during the day for the parents to feed the chicks and never together.
Stryker the male tries to mate with both the chicks. I was horrified when I saw what he was trying to do so put him in the cage with the budgies. He hates it!
When I separated him from the female she started trying it on with the babies too..yikes!!
I have moved the cage so much over 18 mths that they are both quite at home wherever the cage is. I've tried covering them just as it's going dark about 5:30 which means only brief play times since I work most days. I change things in the cage around and put new things in so their not so comfortable but that doesn't last long.
I don't know what to do..I love them both and they are such characters but I know I will have to give one of them away eventually or the female will be worn out and Ican't keep letting them reproduce. I am not a breeder and don't want to be. I also don't want them to be stuck in different rooms screeching at each other all the time.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated please!

Colleen


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

some things you can try is 
reduce the light to less then 12 hours a day
reduce the greens
if they are out of the box the chicks that is take the box down

i have one pair that even though i took these methods they sill want to mate so i put them in different cages


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## Colleen (Jun 22, 2009)

I've reduced the light and the box has been down for a week
I will try reducing the greens but I doubt that will work..thank you!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

No...I have found that many times reducing the light can create the nesting environment. Also don't cover the cage. Light is fine.

How old are the babies now?


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

srtiels said:


> No...I have found that many times reducing the light can create the nesting environment. Also don't cover the cage. Light is fine.
> 
> How old are the babies now?


Really? I always thought that less light made them think that it is winter time and not a good time to breed


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

No...dark also symbolized a dark area for nesting. especially if the cage is covered...then the cage is seen as the nestbox.


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## Birdlette (Feb 25, 2009)

I think 2 different cages is your answer... boys in the boys cage, girls in the girls cage... and never the twain do meet!!!


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## chewey (Aug 6, 2009)

ummm My tip would be get the male neutred or maybe get another cage


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## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

Seems like you are trying almost everything you can to prevent it. Your last resort may come down to permanent separation. You can still have the cages next to each other to possibly reduce the screaming.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> My tip would be get the male neutred


Nope, can't do that. It's much more complicated with birds than it is with dogs or cats, so it's only done when there's a serious medical reason for it - for instance chronic egglaying that is threatening a hen's life.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

the only thing you can do (which I had to do and its going on a year and half and Works fine) separate cages and separate out of cage times My males don't get with my females until I PUT them together! its my house , my rules - my birds would mate any where any time No matter if other birds were in the cage, if our hands were in the cage, They took to mating on a perch that sat on top of a cage in front of a huge picture window ( i have pics of them doing it in front of the window, along with budgies doing it in a cage full of budgies)

I was finding eggs every where had no clue who they belonged to because the female didn't pay them any mind 

oh and don't put a tiel with budgies - budgies are bullies and will end up hurting him or he'll get mad at them for trying to hurt him and hurt them!


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

chewey said:


> ummm My tip would be get the male neutred or maybe get another cage


Lol, if only.


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## Peanutbutter (Jun 29, 2009)

You will have to get both of your fids hormones down at about the same time.... otherwise their calls will just hype them up again. I've read a lot about how to get Holly to quit laying & she keeps doing it.... Now Meena (who turned out male) is chasing Holly around non stop trying to court her. I hope this helps up both.... I'd love to get more tips myself:

This article is really good: http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/birdinformation/hormones.php

1. The increased darkness, 12-14hrs a night, will simulate long WINTER nights.
2. Separate them as you see fit, but preferably into an empty cage within sight of their mate. Being able to see their mate might help limit the stress. No dim corners in the cage.
3. Limit seeds (almost NONE), nuts, and any other fatty foods. Limit fresh greens too. Winter is lean.
4. Increase pellets if they will eat them.
5. I've read No baths & one good, drenching bath each. No baths is more logical since winter doesn't have all the rain like in spring.
6. If you can pet them, only pet them on the head.

There are many tips, but thats all I remember offhand. Read the link above though, I thought it was very good..... other than boil eggs & give them back... never take them away -they'd think the missing eggs were stolen & try to replace them.


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## Mythara (Apr 9, 2009)

Peanutbutter said:


> You will have to get both of your fids hormones down at about the same time.... otherwise their calls will just hype them up again. I've read a lot about how to get Holly to quit laying & she keeps doing it.... Now Meena (who turned out male) is chasing Holly around non stop trying to court her. I hope this helps up both.... I'd love to get more tips myself:
> 
> This article is really good: http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/birdinformation/hormones.php
> 
> ...


Boiling the eggs will only take a few minutes. If they're out of the cage at the time, they'll never know the eggs were missing. 

Give them only enough food for that day - if there's not much food around, its not a good time to have chicks to feed.


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## MyMo (Sep 20, 2008)

What about replacing the real eggs with fake ones? Does it work?


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## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

MyMo said:


> What about replacing the real eggs with fake ones? Does it work?


I've heard that they work, but they are hard to come by. I have only seen them at one store and they were more of the size for budgies. However, if you can order online, that may work much better. Even online finding the right size may be a tad tough.


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## silverflower (Aug 15, 2009)

Did you add the nestbox before she started laying? If so, then you MIGHT not have any thing to worry about. I have a few pairs that will mate all year long, but will not breed, until I put the box in. Aside from the fact that he is trying to mate everyone, I don't see a problem with tiels mating, they just enjoy it! 

If she starts laying again, then you should worry about it.


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