# Is This Even Possible!??



## SftWrmRain (Sep 8, 2009)

Hi everyone! Yesterday I took two of my cockatiels out of the big flight cage and put them into a separate cage that already houses 2 of their flockmates. I put them there to begin to bond so that I could eventually set them up for nesting.

I was absolutely *shocked* to walk into my bird room later that day and find them MATING! I had NO reason to believe they even knew the other existed in the big flight, and here they were mating hours after being first placed together! Ok so that was my first big shock.

Next, since they were obviously bonded enough to mate, I figured there's no real reason to put off their separation into a nesting cage. I did so yesterday late afternoon and they immediately went about tending to it, with the male singing his little heart out and the female and he spending a lot of time together in it. Great, I thought.

Today, for kicks I decided to peek in the box to see how they had arranged their pine shavings, and found an egg already laid! Huh!?!?? Is that crazy or what?? Is there ANY chance that egg could be fertile, and what are the chances the egg could be fertile, but not by her new boyfriends' sperm? I do know there was another little boy who she continually asked to mate with her, but he's just 6 months old so I separated her from him to prevent their pairing. If they did mate at some point, do I need to be worried this egg, if fertile, is his??

Can't believe I'm asking this. I feel like my hen is a bit of a street walker if you know what I mean! LOL


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I know how you feel, my Cinnamon is like that, always begging the boys. I read somewhere in a book that males can be fertile at 6 months old its just not recommended to breed them that young. So there is a definite possibility that its the other boys egg. How long ago did you separate them? It could be the new ones but I'm not sure about that.


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## Belinda (Oct 9, 2010)

Lol, love at first sight. Perhaps they did know each other in the flight cage and had already chosen each other, it was just coincidence you paired them together? Perhaps she's more "amiable" than most tiels. Would it be a problem if the other tiel was the father?


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## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

i wouldnt worry about it and let the new pair get on with it, if she has bonded with the new male and mated, the male will be none the wiser and probably assume responsibility and help the hen out, thinking it's his, lol


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

roxy culver said:


> I know how you feel, my Cinnamon is like that, always begging the boys. I read somewhere in a book that males can be fertile at 6 months old its just not recommended to breed them that young. So there is a definite possibility that its the other boys egg. How long ago did you separate them? It could be the new ones but I'm not sure about that.


 6 months they are still babies 
well you do see kids with kids theses days


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## shelagh (Nov 2, 2010)

Hen's baby, daddy's maybe, lol!


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## SftWrmRain (Sep 8, 2009)

Belinda said:


> Lol, love at first sight. Perhaps they did know each other in the flight cage and had already chosen each other, it was just coincidence you paired them together? Perhaps she's more "amiable" than most tiels. Would it be a problem if the other tiel was the father?



In the big flight, everyone has kind of their "area" they like to sleep, and hang out when not out flying or whatnot. The pair I just put together didn't spend their time even remotely near each other, and I have never seen them display any desire to bond or anything at all. I stay at home during the day and spend most of my day in and out of the bird room, and tend to notice right away when two birds are beginning to show interest in each other. This is why I thought their quick "courting period" was so shocking. In fact, this male is 6 years old and I caught him mating ONCE and only once in all this time, and that was the last time he was with that girl too. LOL I definitely think she likes to get it on for lack of a nicer way to put it like you did (lol). She came to me WITH the young tiel she kept begging to mate with (from the same breeder), but at that time he was just a couple months old. It seems she was just "comfortable" with him, but her animal instincts came out when paired with the male she's with now!

The only problem with the egg being fertilized by the young boy is that he's split to whiteface, and with her being Dominant Yellowcheek, whiteface is the last mutation you want to mix with if you want good quality representations of the mutation. I was just wondering if this egg ends up being fertile, is it possible it could be fertilized by her new mate, and laid so soon after? I won't worry about it until I see the egg is fertile, and even if it is, I will know since it will be the only possible way to get a normal (non-cinnamon) baby. Both Hailey and her new mate are Cinnamons so at least I'll know at hatch who the "baby daddy" is. LOL


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## SftWrmRain (Sep 8, 2009)

Jenny10 said:


> i wouldnt worry about it and let the new pair get on with it, if she has bonded with the new male and mated, the male will be none the wiser and probably assume responsibility and help the hen out, thinking it's his, lol


I hope so! I hadn't even though of that side of it. I was just hoping the egg is fertile and by the right daddy! LOL


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

It takes 48 hours for the egg to ovualte and develop in the oviduct. So if the pair were in their cage less than 48 hours, then the egg is not the pairs egg. It could be fertilized or not, depending on if you have had hens start dropping eggs in the flight or not. A male can fertilize as young as 3.5 months old.


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## SftWrmRain (Sep 8, 2009)

srtiels said:


> It takes 48 hours for the egg to ovualte and develop in the oviduct. So if the pair were in their cage less than 48 hours, then the egg is not the pairs egg. It could be fertilized or not, depending on if you have had hens start dropping eggs in the flight or not. A male can fertilize as young as 3.5 months old.


*See I thought that was the case, so I don't expect the egg to be fertile. And yes, on day 1 they were moved to a cage with another pair, mating hours later, moved to their own private cage a couple hours later. Overnight day 1, the egg was laid and she began actively sitting on it immediately (that's what made me suspect something and look in the nest to start with).

I have had two hens drop eggs in the flight, but Hailey hasn't ever done so. But, she has been actively seeking to mate, so it doesn't surprise me she had triggered the hormones necessary to begin egg production.*


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Ah...it will be interesting if it is fertile. if so, she was up to some Hanky-Panky in the flight.

As to pairs in general, if they hit it off as soon as they are in the cage the soonest to expect an egg can be as short as 3 days.


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