Cockatiel brooding diet

[Remy]

My friend's cockatiel just went "into season" today. She's VERY much brooding. She's sitting in a box, acting aggressive and protective of it, etc. She lunged at me and even bit me, but it was nothing compared to Puck's bites. She was poofed up to about 3 times her normal size, with her wings out, rocking back and forth, and giving us all the evil eye.

What can he put in her diet to help her through this period? I know calcium is an issue, and told him he could give her egg shells, but is there anything else?

 

[Sulphiria]

Is he wanting her to breed? Or is she alone?

 

[Remy]

Is he wanting her to breed? Or is she alone?

She's alone. She's just very hormonal.

 

[MikeyTN]

Oyster shells, cuttle bone, mineral block, and some good food would do.

 

[Spiritbird]

Also take the box out of her cage or anything else that could be used for nesting.

 

[Sulphiria]

I was just reading about this last night. This page helped me a ton.

Birdbrain Gifts BirdBlog: Egg-Laying Behavior in Cockatiels

 

[Remy]

Thanks guys! I'll pass on the info.

Now she has laid an egg. I don't think taking away her box will help, because she is free flighted around the house most of the time, so she'd just find another place to nest. At least this way, he knows where she is. One time, with a previous cockatiel, he took away the box, and she nested somewhere up on a shelf, and he didn't see her for 3 days and thought he'd lost her! I guess his birds aren't very destructive. =P

 

[MikeyTN]

Is his house clean? They would poop everywhere and chew up wood work and such....

 

[roxynoodle]

Yes, I'd have been looking harder just because of the 3 days of poop

 

[Remy]

His house is pretty clean, actually. She mostly sticks to a few of her favorite spots, and doesn't poop everywhere.

 

[roxynoodle]

I was just joshin', Remy. Since she was hiding it was probably all hidden as well in the bookcase.

 

[Remy]

The poop? lol!

 

[roxynoodle]

Yes, the poop, lol!