my male Cockateil keeps attacking the female

[tmar]

Hi, hope someone can help,
I am new to keeping cockateils, I bought Max as an 8 month old rescue bird in a large cage, he had not had much contact with people but was hoping to tame him (this proved near enough impossible). he was constantly screeching so after reading up i decided to get him a mate so found another rescue cockateil (female).
I put their cages together then added her to his cage, at first he wouldnt allow her to sit high up in the cage but over the weeks they seemed to like each other and got along fine until last week when i had alot of building work done in my house which meant alot of drilling and banging. I came home to lots of blood and feathers from ruby (female) so seperated them, max (male) seemed distraught as did Ruby so we put them back together and all seemed fine so i wondered if Ruby had somehow got caught in the cage injuring herself.
Today i vacuumed with my rather loud vacuum, which they dont usually bother with and max went crazy following Ruby everywhere and trying to attack her. when i switched the vacuum off he stopped. what should i do? He seems to be bullying her by stopping her eating and following her around

 

[SilverSage]

You should separate them and stop putting her into his cage.

When trying to get birds to share a cage you never put one into the cage of the other, for starters. Parrots are very territorial and that's how you get a dead bird.

You did right by outing the cages together first, but when you combine them (assuming you have waited long enough) you should put them into a THIRD cage that Durant "belong" to either of them yet.


Alternately, if you cannot afford a third cage, simply let them out at the same time until they start voluntarily sharing food dishes and going back into the same cage.

If you do it with the third cage you still need to keep an eye on them. They may simply not wish to share a cage in which case you are just going to need to house them separately.


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[tmar]

Thanks for that, it has been months they have been together and up until last week they have been fine together. they do come out most days but she has had her wings clipped and also had a malt so she ends up on the floor but he will not leave her side, I could look into another cage, do you think the noise and fact they couldnt come out for a week has had an effect on them?

 

[SilverSage]

You said he wouldn't let her into the best perches for weeks; that's not "fine" that's "bondage." Sometimes "bondage" pairs (as opposed to "bonded" will even lay eggs and raise a family but it is still an abusive relationship and they should still be separated.


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[LordTriggs]

He seems to be bullying her by stopping her eating and following her around

Yeah you need to separate them 2 weeks ago. He's killing her, not bullying

 

[clark_conure]

My aunt used to breed cockatiels and introduced me to my first bird (cockatiel) when I was like 7 or so, I mean santa brought it but......

According to her it's pretty typical for the males to "pick on" the females, pulling feathers, establishing dominance etc. I'd keep them separated unless he can chill out. Also it could have been triggered by hormones. Definitely separate for now. in the short term.

 

[itzjbean]

I also second the advice to SEPARATE THEM. Get another cage and put them right next to each other. Both birds should be able to sit, sleep, play and eat in safety. If the male is not letting the female perch certain places or is pulling out feathers, it is time to separate, for her safety. I have a bonded pair and they are very bonded and have a healthy relationship, no plucking or aggression. But if the male happened to start getting aggressive towards the female, I do have another cage on hand should she need to be separated.

 

[SilverSage]

My aunt used to breed cockatiels and introduced me to my first bird (cockatiel) when I was like 7 or so, I mean santa brought it but......

According to her it's pretty typical for the males to "pick on" the females, pulling feathers, establishing dominance etc. I'd keep them separated unless he can chill out. Also it could have been triggered by hormones. Definitely separate for now. in the short term.

This is exactly what I'm describing as a bondage pair.


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[clark_conure]

what me and my aunt? don't judge us!!!! LOL j/k

 

[SilverSage]

what me and my aunt? don't judge us!!!! LOL j/k

Lol! No. Haha the picking on by the cockatiels. Mate aggression in tiels isn't usually deadly but it's pretty common when you set up a pair that doesn't like each other. They are often successful parents and everything but it obviously isn't ideal.


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[clark_conure]

No that's what I meant too in my first post, it's a cockatiel trait apparently...males are very aggressive to the fems.

 

[SilverSage]

No that's what I meant too in my first post, it's a cockatiel trait apparently...males are very aggressive to the fems.

I started breeding cockatiels 17 years ago. This is normal in bondage pairs, NOT in bonded pairs. Lots of breeders are fine with these sorts of pairings either because they don't know better or because it "never really gets that bad" but I'm advising the OP that if he wants his female to be safe and not abused he needs to separate them and give them time and space to bond properly if their own free will, or leave them in different cages.


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[LordTriggs]

should have told my old Tiels about that trait. The female was definitely a bit of a bully with the male, always doing that weird cockatiel chirpy scream

 

[tmar]

Thanks for advice, i did seperate them and put the cages side by side, they were distraught again looking at one another and calling to each other so after 2 days I let them out together, the male went straight to her and she went straight into his cage, they were happily eating and sitting by one another but I didnt shut the cage door and watched them, they were ok until i turned the vacuum on and once again the male started attacking her. I seperated them immediately. He wasn't like this before i had all the building work done. I said he wouldnt let the female on the high perch when i first put them together, but that was not for weeks, it was for a day then she got on them and he let her.
What shall I do? they seem to love each other but the male has changed. Do you think all the drilling and banging has frightened him so much that he will not be the same again?

 

[SilverSage]

It could just be that he is trying to get her to go to safety if it's only happening when the vacuum turns on. You may just need to set up a small cage to put one of them in while you vacuum


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[tmar]

They get so stressed when I try to remove her, flapping around and screaming, I feel its just not fair on either of them, they are so distraught without each other. Today I let them both out again and Ruby went in Max's cage then when we came close he got stressed and started pecking at her again. Reading about Cockatiel's I think he has not been integrated properly and what they told us at the pet shop was properly not true as to why the previous owners let him go. He hates humans and is quite viscous.

 

[itzjbean]

They get so stressed when I try to remove her, flapping around and screaming, I feel its just not fair on either of them, they are so distraught without each other. Today I let them both out again and Ruby went in Max's cage then when we came close he got stressed and started pecking at her again. Reading about Cockatiel's I think he has not been integrated properly and what they told us at the pet shop was properly not true as to why the previous owners let him go. He hates humans and is quite viscous.

I see now. Is the pair tame? If they are not tame and you are reaching in to grab her of course they will be skittish and try to get away from you. If they haven't been worked with them year they're going to freak out. As to why the male pecks at the female, that's a mystery to me. But when I let my birds out, I have Boo (the male) step up first and only when he is on my hand will Peach (the female) step up onto my hand. They don't go anywhere without the other but again are not an aggressive pair.

 

[LordTriggs]

yes it is a behaviour birds have that when one feels threated/in danger and the other shows no fear that the scared mate will attack the other to make them flee the area whilst they stay to fight off the threat!

Separating when the vacuum is due to come out appears to be the way forward, or if you have hard floors maybe try a broom? You'd be surprised how good a broom is at getting dirt cleared up

 

[tmar]

I'm beginning to wonder if Ruby is really Rubin? that could explain the behaviour. Well hes over the whole vacuum thing and now it seems to be Ruby going for him, that's what makes me wonder, I've read a DNA test is the only way to sex a Cockateil

 

[SilverSage]

No cockatiels are pretty easy to sex visually in MOST mutations. Post a pic?


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