# Male cockatiel not ready



## Birds987 (May 16, 2016)

I have a 2 year old male White Face cockatiel and a female white face pied cockatiel. She has shown female signs of wanting to mate but he doesn't show much interest in mating with her. They spend time together, eat together and she will groom him. Before I added a box she was showing signs of wanting to mate. I added a box and they don't take an interest in it but I believe she is ready to mate and he isn't. He is older than she is. She is over 1 year 6 months old. She hasn't laid infertile eggs. They have cuttlebone and get fruit and veg variety regurly, he isn't as interested as she is and just prefers seed. Will it just take some time for him to be ready? Will give them time if that's what they need.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I would suggest taking down the nestbox until there's more progress in their relationship. If she's ready and he's not, the nest is an invitation for her to lay infertile eggs.


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## SilverSage (Oct 19, 2014)

It can also lead to frustration on her part and that can lead to unpleasant behaviors. Also keep in mind that not all bonds are mate bonds and not all birds choose to breed.


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## EllenD (Oct 9, 2016)

They may not mate at all. Just because you put a male and female couple together that are of breeding age does not at all mean they will mate. If the male isn't interested in that particular female then he won't mate with her, and there's absolutely no way to force him or encourage him. He may tolerate her or even like her "as a friend", but birds are very much like people when it comes to mating, if they're not both into it, it won't happen. At 2 years this male is physically ready and able, but if the female is paying attention to him and he's not responding to her then chances are he won't mate with her. Putting a nesting box in their cage will not help one bit, and I too would take it out unless you see them mating or at least see the male feeding and preening the female and showing interest, but I don't see it happening. You could put him in with a different female and he might immediately be ready to go, and she might not want to mate with him...It's trial and error.

"Dance like nobody's watching..."


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## asad393 (Aug 4, 2016)

Birds are not like animals. Just because you have put male and female together dosent mean they will mate. Firstly remove the nest box and give the pair more time

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## ninfatiel (Jul 22, 2016)

Some males may be very picky. Make sure they are getting 15 bright light hours. Remove the box,continue with soft foods and so on and try again in couple of weeks. Some couples may be encouraged to breed by everyday spray-shower,it imitates natural rain season in Australia-a good time of the year to raise babies with plenty of food around


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## Birds987 (May 16, 2016)

The female only sits on the roof of the nestbox, she doesn't care about the box. They just like to sit on it. She hasn't entered it at all. When they were first introduced he would call every time she left the perch he was on. They weren't acting bonded at all at first and I do know it is normal for them not to take interest as soon as put together. He was the one that would call, now they both call when they aren't with each other. The box never made a difference to begin with and it still doesn't, she doesn't notice it at all. I am more than happy to give them time.


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=36810


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## Birds987 (May 16, 2016)

I've recently put the box back in but put it somewhere different. They both enter it, sometime together and they are fine. They sometimes break some of the wood on the inside and have thrown most of the feathers out of the box. They eat together and are never far away. They act bonded with the occasional go at each other that only ever lasts a few seconds, she grooms him while he sleeps. He doesn't do much, he will eat or sleep and when he isn't doing any of them, he is in the nestbox. The box hasn't encouraged her to lay infertile eggs, I have recently checked. They act bonded. They are fine with the nestbox but still the usual results. I believe he is a picky male tiel. She is still wanting to mate but he has no interest. I will give them time. They are slowly making progress.


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