# How to stop male nesting behavior



## Francesca (Apr 30, 2015)

I received some great advice in an earlier post as to how to stop Frankie boy's sitting in the food bowls. So covering him for less daylight hasn't worked (one week so far). 
He sits in his food bowls and lays on the food chortling and making peeping noises...almost all day. 
I can take away the big food bowls, but he will even sit in the tiny ones if I do. Does this pass?
He is the only cockatiel I have. Male (for sure). And just about 9 months. 
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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Have you tried rearranging his cage?


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## Francesca (Apr 30, 2015)

Yes, I did so the day before yesterday. I made sure to rearrange everything including his bowl locations, and he seems to just hunker down in the bowl and wiggle and chirp little soft chirps. He stays there all the time and eventually knocks out all his food. He seems to think he has a full time job, and he isn't eating as much. 
I've let him out of the cage to get him distracted, but once he is back in the cage...he goes right back to the bowls. He is even protective of the bowls if I try to nudge him out. Wonder why he is doing this with no mate around?


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## Francesca (Apr 30, 2015)

I don't know if this is something related, but I have let his wings grow out and he has learned to fly to my head and my kids' head when he wants to say hi. He has so much confidence now, but not aggressive. He really seems to enjoy the freedom to go to us when he likes it.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

He may just be going through an adolescent phase that will pass. Think of him like a pubescent boy.


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## Francesca (Apr 30, 2015)

I got ya. I feel for him...he is playing 'house' but there is no mom bird. Probably, I will try to feed him outside of his cage so he doesn't go hungry. He won't sit in the food bowls on his play gym...so far!
Thank you!!!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

You could try looking for some food bowls that have hoods on them, so he can get his head in there to eat, but not his body. I have them for when my babies are eating seeds and pellets on their own and find tremendous joy in flicking it everywhere, it makes it much less messy. I also have a couple of adults that prefer to sit in their bowls to eat and when they move around, food goes everywhere, and the hooded feeders stopped them from getting in there


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Don't feel too sorry, he's probably happy romancing things in his cage.  My bachelor bird ignores the two pretty girls who live next door to him in favor of courting paper bags and soda bottles.


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## Francesca (Apr 30, 2015)

enigma, you cracked me up! I think he is getting a little too much love in those bowls! It's driving me crazy to listen to him.
I will HAVE to get some of those bowls because he hops in all of the ones I have.
He goes all day! And, we have enough birds and dogs, so he is not getting a girlfriend. :blink:


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

What are his sleep hours like? How long of night time does he get?


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## Francesca (Apr 30, 2015)

He gets his cage covered around 7 or 8 and uncovered about 9 in the morning. But the cover is not really a dark and the room lights up around 6 am. I used to put him to sleep in a night cage in my room because it has heavier curtains over the windows. Maybe I should go back to doing that again.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Aww, adorable photos  I would definitely consider going back to his old bedtime routine, and give him an hour or two more of darkness. In most cases it works pretty well for reducing hormones.


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## Francesca (Apr 30, 2015)

Will do! Thanks!
I also solved it another way too. I put a smaller ceramic food bowl inside the larger bowl but I put the small bowl on a tilt and the food spills into the larger bowl a little, but there is no room for him sit in it AND he can still get the food just great. He went the whole day without climbing in the bowls. But, I am also going to give more dark time. Necessity is the mother of invention!


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