# What is she/he doing?



## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

I adopted Sweety Pie last Oct He/she is around 6yrs old now, just recently I have noticed her on the bottom of the cage all puffed up her wings open slightly and her tail open on the perch, what on earth is she doing, she is eating and drinking fine and is fine , oh i forgot, she seems to be swaying when she does this? What is she doing?


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## peacefrog (Jul 12, 2008)

*what is she doing?*

I had a tiel (Margo) that did the same exact thing- no idea how old she was, took her in from a friend that took her in...and so on. We think about 6 or 7 yrs. Turned out she was in the process of laying eggs- 4 in total- there was no male mate so of course they weren't fertilized. Because of her poor health condition & many stresses in her poor life she passed a bit after laying the eggs. Keep an eye out for eggs but don't take them out untill they are all layed 4-6 usually or she will keep laying to try & fulfill the amount she is expecting.


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

thank you, how long does this usually take? I am worried about her, but as I did not have her/him this time last year I dont know if this is a nornal act, at least if I see eggs, I will know its a girl and can stop refering Sweety Pie as he/she.
thanks 
Pat


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## poppabill (Dec 11, 2007)

If she keeps doing this for a couple days with no egg, then i believe a vet call or visit is necessary...be happy.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

What mutation is sweetypie if she is 6 years old you might be able to tell visually depending on the mutation or by behaviour males usually are the whistlers and the chatter boxes females are more quiet.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I was thinking she might be nesting too. I would up her calcium by offering some mashed hard boiled egg and scraping cuttle bone over her food.


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

Sweetie Pie is a latino i think that how you spell it, she has never been loud she makes an eek noise now and again. 
UPDATE: when I took the cover off the cage this am, she was still on the bottom of the cage, no egg that I can see yet.


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Visually you can't sex a lutino sometimes you can by the bars or spots underneath but some are so light there impossible to see I have one that I cannot see any on and she is female but if she is 6 years old and just makes the eek calling sound then you have a female, if she is still sitting on the bottom of the cage you really need to keep an eye on her today sitting on the bottom of the cage for to long is not a good sign if she is in the process of laying eggs you need to watch out for egg binding its potentially fatal if you don't get help in time here is an article for some things to watch for 
http://birds.about.com/od/birdhealth/f/eggbinding.htm


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

UPDATE:
Sweetypie is still on the bottom, her wings are open a little, breathing is normal she has eaten and drank water a couple of time, she is now kind of lunging at you when you get near to the cage.? there is no sign of straining to pass an egg: Pat


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Thats good that she is not in distress, the lunging at you could be because she is getting ready to lays eggs and she is defending her area at least it sounds like all signs are there of getting ready to.


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

sure sounds like a defensive nest mode to me


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

UPDATE:
last night I thought "if she is sick i will move her away from my budgie, (male) I put her in the bedroom, I looked in a short time later, and there she was up on her top perch looking at her self in the mirror, so I thought she was ok" I put her back next to the budgie and within 1 minute she was back on the bottom, so i am wondering if she is trying to impress the budgie or showing off to him, she is not sick, she is eating and drinking fine.


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

it may also be a clue that she wants to be with you alone without the budgie


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

UPDATE: last night i thought if she was sick i would put her in the bedroom away from my male budgie, i looked in at her a few minutes later and she was on her top perch looking at herself in the mirror, acting just like normal after a while like this i put her back next to the budgie, within a couple of minutes she was back down on the bottom of the cage, lunging again at me. Do you think she is showing off to the male, even thought he is not the same breed?
its now 1 pm and she is still on the bottom?


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

How is Sweety Pie? Is she still on the floor of has she passed the egg?


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

No, she is still on the bottom, eating and drinking ok then gets back on the bottom. I do notice there is no a lot of poo though, I read this is another sign of nesting.
thanks everyone for your concern, I will keep you posted


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I would try and keep her in a different room away from the budgie. Sounds like she has a crush on your budgie  Mabey that will help and she will get off of the floor. It is worth a try.


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

do you mean that or are you just making a joke?


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

no she is serious  cockatiels do not always choose other cockatiels as there mates, I have one cockatiel that thinks our dog is his mate he courts her just like he would another cockatiel.


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

OK, I am trying different rooms, but they would not really mate if they lived in the same cages would they?


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

From what I have heard they can go through the motions but have never been successful due to the size difference I read from one person that she had a female cockatiel and a male budgie together and the female laid an egg and the male budgie was very protective of her, fed her and stayed by her side nothing ever came of the egg obviously but they can and do form close bonds together.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

I don't think it is possible to have them mate and have babies successfully. I would not house them together although I did see someone who had a finch/canary baby that they purchased. breeding different species of birds is a big no no


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## yellowbird (Oct 31, 2007)

UPDATE:
after a full week of the sitting on the bottom of the cage, and lunging at us every time we passed her, my friend brought her male cockatiel over, i am looking after him while she is on vacation, I had no sooner got his cage possitioned and looked accross at Sweetie Pie, she is on her swing checking out Cookie, and has climbed all over the cage ever since, I guess she just wanted to be near a male, can you believe it??
Pat


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## Laura (Jul 30, 2007)

Good to hear she has perked up  just make sure you don't let them out together they could mate and then will come eggs it would be to hard for her to take care of them on her own after he is gone home.


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