# My cockatiel is acting strange!



## Sky<3 (Jun 16, 2008)

Hi 
I got my first cockatiel this June.We think she's a girl because she doesn't sing much.She's a cinnamon pied.Lately we have noticed her in the corner of her cage making strange squeaky birds noises that we've never heard from her before...She doesn't seem sick and other than that she's normal.Is she in heat of something I thought she was still too young to be in heat...I don't understand this behaviour...Is it normal?
I also noticed that she is rubbing her behind on against the corner.


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

she is either A) Masturbating (yes birds do it and I got the not so nice view of our Male Quaker doing this to a toy the other morning) or B) trying to or getting ready to lay an egg

how old is she?


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## Sky<3 (Jun 16, 2008)

I think she's around 4 months I brought her in june and the petstore( I was going to go to a breeder but I fell for her) I went to didn't know of course.Isn't 4 months too young for egg laying,I could be wrong she could be a little older not much though.She does it in the morning mostly and her bottom is slight pointed upwards.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Sounds like she is trying to mate with her cage. I would just keep an eye on her and look up egg laying issues. Here is a link about egg binding http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=15&cat=1829&articleid=3060 Well it may never happen it is always good to read if you have a female bird.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

You may be able to slow her down a bit with a little less light. Long days trigger hormones. She is way too young for egg laying. I'm frankly surprised she would even be exibiting this behavour! Could she be older than you were led to believe?


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

I have 2 young budgies, at the time they were 4 months and 5 months old (they are in a aviary setting my males are known males they already have blue ceres (most had them at about 3 months old) my females are known females (have the brown "in condition" cere) one male and female baby tried to mate, Then i caught my other 5 month old male "mating" a sheet 

my lovebird hit 6 months old - and Went into Breeding mode (I DID NOT LET HER breed though) but she kept trying any way 

so its very possible her 4 month old is "maturing'' and is trying to mate/ masturbate with her cage 

from her description her bird is in the same position as my quaker when he's mating with his toys

but if it a girl, you defiantly want to try to get her to stop - so she doesn't end up laying eggs this young.


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