# experience with female cockatiels?



## CrazyArtist (Jul 10, 2014)

my main concern is that im not sure i know how to take care of a female cockatiel. I have 1 boy right now and two male budgies. Can the boy and girl cockatiels live together? What other special needs do females need that males don't? Will the arrival of a potential mate change him?


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Their needs are the same as males, except females can lay eggs so you will need to make sure they have access and are using their cuttle bone for calcium. Cockatiels do not do well with grit because there is always a risk a piece may be too big or too sharp and get stuck in their crops and impact it or cut their crops. I recently read about that on another forum how someone's 'tiel died like that.  Make sure the soft side of the cuttlebone is facing them so they can dig their beaks into it, not the hard shell, I made that mistake once. Kiwi was so mad at me. xD

I've heard that females are more cuddly and clingy than males. I know my 'tiel Kiwi is a super cuddly bird. She has bonded to me and always wants to be around me and snuggle up to my face, preen my face, especially my eyelashes. If she can't see me sometimes she will chirp to see where I am.

Boy and girl cockatiels can live together if they get along well. You have to make sure they are not bullying the other birds. Also, when the cockatiel's hormones being to rise the males can get really aggressive towards the females. They may start plucking the feathers off the female's bodies and peck them due to hormonal aggression. Also, egg laying can lead to egg binding if they don't have enough calcium and this is one of the huge concerns I had getting a female because it can kill them. They can also egg bind if they become chronic egg layers and don't get enough calcium, they won't stop laying eggs unless you find out what is causing it. Kiwi laid probably 20 eggs and wouldn't stop, I found out that her favorite millet sprig I gave her to help keep her weight up was causing her to lay eggs. I took that out and it stopped her laying. In order for her not to egg bind during this time, I gave her extra Vitamin A (From veggies and Sunshine Factor) and an extra calcium supplement (Avi-cal) along with always having a cuttlebone in her cage. Vitamin A is needed for relaxing the vent muscles to help get eggs through and the calcium is to prevent soft shelled eggs that cause egg binding. She was confined to a small travel cage for an injury and that also contributed to it. So you have to be very aware of a female cockatiel's environment when they are hormonal. You may want to keep this article for females it was very helpful with Kiwi: http://www.justcockatiels.net/the-importance-of-calcium.html


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