|
|
Post by jonbingham on Feb 27, 2012 20:52:43 GMT -5
Lately I have been wondering why hens love to perch on the food dish so much. I have noticed that none of the male tiels do it ... only the females. I've tried to reason it as something having to do with instinctual drives, but I can only guess as to why this is. I've put the food dishes lower than all the perches (not underneath of course), and they still do it. Does anyone have any insight into this phenominon?
|
|
|
|
Post by marieandchirpy on Feb 28, 2012 17:20:36 GMT -5
If the hen is sitting in the food dish and singing then it means she wants to lay eggs. Also I know of at least one owner with a hen that sleeps in the food dish at night. She thinks the food dish is more comfertable to sleep in at night.
|
|
|
|
Post by jonbingham on Feb 28, 2012 19:41:44 GMT -5
None of my hens are very vocal. And no eggs have shown up. I have noticed that they seem to prefer the food dish more when it's toward the back of the cage ... probably because I keep the cages covered by a blanket on three sides, so it's less drafty back there.
One interesting thing of note is that the one hen I do have that I think is interested in mating (who does like to perch on the food dish) has a cage companion (pied male age four years) who is the most tame tiel I have ever seen - and he has absolutely no interest in her. She goes over to him and bends her head down and invites him up, so to speak, but he pecks her away every time. All he wants to do is be out of the cage riding around on my shoulder. If he's out and not on my shoulder, if I leave the room he gets upset and flies after me ... and lands on my head and stays there until I put him on my shoulder. If I were to set them up for breeding how would I get him to like me less and her more?
|
|
|
|
Post by marieandchirpy on Feb 28, 2012 22:10:59 GMT -5
Well if he's not interested in mating with her, then he won't. Maybe you could try introducing another male to her and see what happens. If you are on facebook, try joining the National Cockatiel Society's facebook group. Ask the breeders if there is any way to encourage the male to become interested in the hen.
|
|
|
|
Post by jonbingham on Feb 29, 2012 21:16:04 GMT -5
I'm less interested in breeding her than I am him. He has a awesome temperament, good crest, and is pretty good size. And he's pied. His only outstanding fault that I as a very novice cockatiel fancier can see is that his wings cross. The cage mate (the hen) is a pearl and isn't quite as nicely sized, but her wings aren't crossed. I'm not entirely sure, but I belief the offspring would be normals split to pied and/or pearl ... and hopefully be decent sized with a nice crest and uncrossed wings. But from the amount of interest he has her in I'll most likely never know. I will take a look at the Facebook page and see if anyone has any suggestions for helping an uninterested bird get more interest in another. I think he was just so imprinted on humans as a fledgling that he enjoys human companionship over bird companionship. Has anyone seen that before? A cockatiel that won't mate with other cockatiels due to over human attachment?
|
|
|
|
Post by marieandchirpy on Feb 29, 2012 22:13:46 GMT -5
It could be due to over human attachment. It could also be he is just not interested in her. Just because there is a female doesn't mean he'll be interested in her. Cockatiels have their own personalities and preferences. Like people they don't always get along with each other.
|
|
|
|
Post by jonbingham on Mar 4, 2012 15:57:11 GMT -5
Yeah, apparently he can't stand her. And I don't blame him ... she's the most annoying tiel out of all six of them. She doesn't seem to have very many redeeming qualities. But Tink is my best tiel, so I was hoping some of his charm would ware off on her.
|
|
|
|
Post by marieandchirpy on Mar 4, 2012 21:37:02 GMT -5
Awwww that would be soo cute if the male's charm ware off on her.
|
|
|
|
Post by jonbingham on Mar 6, 2012 22:54:31 GMT -5
What's cute is when he gives "kisses." He puts his beak against my cheek, moves his head up, and makes a sound that approximates a human kiss. I'll have to try and get it on video.
|
|
|
|
Post by marieandchirpy on Mar 7, 2012 15:45:59 GMT -5
How cute
|
|
