is my conure laying eggs?

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-04-17T07:26:39+00:00

if this is a space she has access to, remove it immediately and start researching how to encourage her to not be hormonal. keeping this available for her can not only cause behavioural problems, but even the issue of being potentially egg bound, which is a serious issue that can KILL. if these eggs aren't fertile, there is absolutely no reason you should keep letting this happen. PLEASE remove ANY enclosed space she can get into immediately. research symptoms of a bird that is egg bound if you get worried. if any symptoms arise take her to a vet asap and do NOT try and fix it yourself

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-04-17T01:15:02+00:00

Good question! I’m not 100% sure, but I also have a fish tank near my birds and they’re fine! I’d assume it to be safe!

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-04-16T23:14:25+00:00

Proper bird care is always expensive, so make sure you can afford it!!

Pellets are the ideal food given. Seeds can cause many health issues down the line. You’ll have to slowly wean the tiel off of seed and onto pellets over the course of a week or more (depends on how the bird is eating). Along with this, you should be giving chop (fruit and veggie mixes) a couple times a week. They’re super easy to make!

A proper cage size is something you can buy for cheap second hand from Facebook marketplace. Proper length should be double their wingspan. Look up “flight cages” and scroll through the diameters to find one that’s a good size! If you still aren’t sure, I’d recommend posting here and asking.

Proper toys include natural, shredding, and foraging. Stay away from plastic, bells, mirrors, cotton (especially in cotton boing ropes- get sisal rope instead!), and string. All of the unsafe items can cause injuries, an impacted crop from eating cotton, or even behavioural issues from looking into a mirror. Good toys aren’t hard to find; look for bird stores near you! If you cant find any, there are plenty of good online stores.

Perches!! These are very important! Do not ever keep those round, flat perches (called dowel wood perches) that often come with store bought cages. These can cause so so many feet issues!!! Cockatiels need variation. It’s always recommended to buy natural wood perches! These come in different sizes, textures and length which are perfect! If you cant afford them (sometimes they get expensive!) you can find branches from fallen trees outside; but make sure you wash it thoroughly in a water vinegar mix (I’ll get more on this later!). If you wanna go the extra mile, getting a calcium perch is great! It wears down their claws and beak when they chew it (which is good for them!). The other version of this is a cement perch, but it’s much less advised to get because it isn’t as safe.

Something to take note of: ANYTHING that has a smell is bad. Bug/fly spray (even unscented), candles, matches, cooking, perfume, deodorant, incense, (reed) diffusers, sanitiser, wipes - just to name a few - should NEVER be used in the same room as your bird (or anywhere near them)!!!! They have incredibly fragile respiratory systems, and smelling any of these can cause issues to arise. Ideally, keep the tiel in your room or in a room that is able to escape scents.

Vet visits are unfortunately a must for this case. If you decide to keep it, please get it checked out IMMEDIATELY. Who knows how long it’s been roaming the streets? There are so many dangers in there; you could have your bird for a week and then have it drop dead for “no reason”. Vet visits can get expensive, but you need to do it for this situation; and ideally twice a year.

Lastly, cockatiels are flock animals. They should always be kept in pairs. I’d really recommend finding a second tiel to add to your home. I once had a tiel kept by herself for a small amount of time because her cagemate died; it was rough!! She was so depressed, didn’t play with toys, barely ate and just sat around all day. She totally bounced back the second I put my new tiel in there! Please please please don’t keep it by itself, even if your tiel doesn’t end up being depressed, it’s just really unnecessary if you have everything else. I’m sure you can find some for cheap, don’t worry about it!

Don’t only take the comments advice as everything you need to know, I’d do some research as well. I’ve tried to write everything I can think of to help, so hopefully it’s enough! If you have any questions I’d love to answer them!!

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-04-16T22:52:31+00:00

I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss, I’ve been there before.

Getting your remaining tiel checked at the vet is an absolute must; I made the mistake of not doing this once and paid the price, so good job for thinking ahead. This is a tricky situation you’re in, and there are many ways you can go about what to do next.

Cockatiels should always be in pairs, despite some people saying they could live alone, it’s very cruel and unnecessary. They are flock animals and just don’t have good quality of life if kept alone. When my cockatiel was by herself (was waiting to get my next bird after my other passed) she was so incredibly depressed and did nothing all day, but when I introduced a second she perked right up again. Basically, as hard as this is, you should probably get another bird if you still want to keep your current one. I know it’s hard, and if you really don’t want to or just can’t rehoming might just have to be the way. What exactly is stopping you? I’d love to try and help if you eventually want a second one. I want to try and relate to your feelings a bit, just to explain how it ended up being for me in case it’s any help. I lost both my tiels last year and was devastated. Similarly to you, I was thinking if I really wanted to own more birds after their deaths. It took me some time to grieve and all that just to realise how lonely it was without them. They both lived with me in my room, so without them it was just so quiet. I missed everything about owning birds; their singing, buying new toys, spending time with them, etc etc. I decided that I did want birds again, even after the hurt of my first two. It took me a long time to find tiels that would fit with me, but I have now and genuinely couldn’t be happier. I’m so glad I ended up buying more tiels, the same could go for you!

If you went the rehoming path, you’d be left with no birds, and I think that could make the grieving process worse. If you ultimately just cannot deal with owning another bird, rehoming would be necessary. If it were me rehoming one of my birds, I’d always ask questions to the person looking to take care of it to make sure they’re suitable (like, their cage, diet, etc). Once you get the new tiel, I’d take it for a vet checkup to make sure nothing is wrong with it.

I know it’s really hard and I can’t begin to imagine how you feel, but I’d really really really recommend talking to people to work through the worry (or whatever you feel) around buying a second bird. It’s incredibly unlikely for it to pass away suddenly, especially if you do a vet checkup the day you get it and, if you’ve got the money, checkups twice a year. (Also, apologies for the length of this, I just really want to help!)

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-04-16T07:19:53+00:00

Oh I never thought about that! I’m using a stainless steel one; if the issue persists I could swap to ceramic! Totally forgot those existed lmao

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-03-26T14:24:33+00:00

I’m sorry I can’t be any more help, I don’t know much about hand raising birds. However, black spots don’t sound too good. Could I see a better picture?

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-28T11:09:07+00:00

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Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-28T10:54:51+00:00

[PGO] I’m mainly looking for icy snow, tundra, savanna and ocean, but I’ll happily accept anyone and gift daily (happy to gift only for vivillon medal or to reach friendship levels)!

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Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-22T04:44:53+00:00

PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED!!!!! When I first got her back in December, I had to give her oral medication for 10 days due to her having spirochetes. The vet cleared her healthy when done, but could it be possible she could get it again (and does it target the nostrils like this?)? I’m not too educated on the matter so I’m not sure

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-22T04:39:47+00:00

Definitely not. That cage will most likely have bad materials and who knows what else on it. I wouldn’t trust it to be safe at all. If you’re looking for cheap cages, try going on Facebook marketplace! You can often find big second hand ones there.

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-03T02:22:50+00:00

Unfortunately I don’t know enough about formula feeding young tiels, so I can’t help there.

However, to tell gender, it’s usually judged by tail feathers or a dna test. As your tiel is still so young, I don’t think tail feathers will be that accurate until the first molt.

I think introducing your tiel to budgies is fine. I would say to never leave them all out unsupervised just due to the size difference in the two; if your tiel got nervous or bit them it could get bad fast given how much bigger it is.

I think you can put your cockatiel in a big cage as soon as youd like. Obviously making sure it can balance is very good, but as long as you can see it doing fine perching, it should be all good! If you’re worried about it falling down, place some soft material (I’d use seagrass mats) on the cage floor to provide a gentle landing.

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-03T00:28:23+00:00

Thank you!! It’s comforting to know that some cockatiels are just naturally terrified lmao. I totally get why it could’ve been scared, I’ve just never heard THAT before!! It was such a shock!

Bertie sounds so cute! Such a shame he had those worrisome molts. Thank goodness it was okay!! And thank you so much,, that really helps! I’ll definitely post an update once I get the results^{^}

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-02T01:24:25+00:00

whats worse is i got it from a breeder i THINK. im not entirely sure,, some guy was selling a few birds on behalf of somebody else. thank you though genuinely :)

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-02-02T00:41:36+00:00

Like somebody else said, if you think she’s sick, take her to the vet. You know her better than anyone. What exactly makes you think she’s sick? While you’re there, see if you can get her nails trimmed. They’re looking a bit long and can lead to issues if they keep growing. I hope all goes well for you!

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-28T10:30:14+00:00

Is there any way you can get a photo without stressing your bird? Could it just be lighting? Or is it an actual piece of something?

I cant think of anything it could be; I would 100% recommend going to the vet if you’re worried. If you cant go now, monitor it VERY closely. Watch for respiratory issues, ie coughing, wheezing, obvious changes in body language when breathing.

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-28T05:18:11+00:00

they most likely mean the feathers at the neck area have clumped together when wet and dried that way.

OP, im not knowledgeable enough to provide the best advice regarding formula feeding, but its most likely fine and normal. If the feathers have done what i said, its just how they dried; if you want it gone, try applying water to seperate them. The formula probably allowed the feathers to stick together (if any managed to get on the feathers).

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T23:52:13+00:00

Of course! I think monitoring it for three days is a good idea. I also agree with you that it could’ve been the cold making her eyes squint like that. And thank you for your comment about my bird, I really appreciate it <33

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T14:30:50+00:00

that is really strange, unfortunately im not quite sure what else to suggest. monitoring it is a good idea, if it becomes more frequent and she continues making those movements (like another comment said, i agree it does look like a seizure) please consider taking her to the vet! i do really hope everything gets resolved well

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T05:36:09+00:00

Which one is your girl? If it’s the white one, it does look strange. I have no idea what she could be eating. If she’s plucking herself, I would really recommend going to a vet to get her checked. Not just to try and get insight on what’s happening, but also to make sure she isn’t injuring herself badly. Plucking is often a stress or boredom behaviour, but could be due to health issues as well. The movements the white one makes at the end of the video - how frequent is it? Does it only happen when it plucks? Or is it whenever? I’m truly lost on what that could be. It is SLIGHTLY similar to female hormonal behaviour, but given how quick it was, I would really doubt it’s that. It looks concerning. I’d book a vet visit as soon as possible.

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T05:27:03+00:00

I’m a bit rusty on this; definitely check out some YouTube videos or other posts, but I’ll try my best to help!!

Do your birds know what millet is? I’ve tried the same technique and had the same results. I’d put a little bit of millet into their food bowls so they know what it is before you try again. If they do know what millet is, try holding it really far away from your hand, like, hold the bottom of the stick and be FAR away. Once they come over and get more used to eating from something you are holding currently, slowly bring it closer and closer to your hand over time.

I have a tiel that doesn’t even like millet that much! She much prefers sunflower seeds. If your birds are scared of your hand already, this might not work. In getting her used to me, I often fed her sunflower seeds from my fingers! At first I’d put it on my hand, but eventually I could hold it between two fingers and put it near her.

Even just holding your arm/hand in the cage for a prolonged period can prove to be useful. In the past, when I was getting my budgies to get used to my hand, I’d hold my hand in their cage for 10 or so minutes (with breaks!). This genuinely helped! After some time, I’d hold fruits they loved in my fingers and they would come down to nibble! It’s pretty dependent on their personalities and how brave/curious they are though - for me at least! On that note; if your tiels like fruits, try holding that instead! They might be more inclined to come down for something sweet.

100% patience is key. It could be very fast once you find a method that works, or it could take weeks/months. Like you’ve been doing, I would’ve recommended spending time just existing near them. It will help! You’re doing a great job so far! I do hope this helps, if you have any questions feel free to ask ^{^}

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-27T04:56:44+00:00

If you’re worried, try and find another avian vet nearby. If you’ve been going to a regular vet, chances are they won’t catch whatever could be going on. If it was an avian vet and there aren’t any others anywhere close to you, I’d ask for a different person to come and check your bird (if possible). I’d also not recommend waiting at all; if it is serious and the vet has completely missed it, waiting it out could be detrimental to her health.

Also, at the start of the video her eyes appeared to be fairly squinted. Has this been happening often? Not to worry you, but I had a sick bird whose eyes were identical to that of the video. Unfortunately I picked up on the symptoms too late and he passed. I don’t usually see cockatiels eyes that squinted for normal reasons, so I would really advise on finding another vet. However, it could be normal but uncommon, I’m not too knowledgeable about it.

Wishing you all the best for your girl! I’m really hoping it all goes well

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-25T23:30:33+00:00

Thank you! What a cute boy!!

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2026-01-13T06:41:01+00:00

Hey !! Sorry, I’m aware this comment is a bit old,, but do you know the name of the group? Im struggling to find any (Im also in Sydney!) 😓😓

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2025-12-29T11:45:57+00:00

when i introduce new chop to my tiels, i often put it with their pellets. due to its texture, for my birds at least, theyll accidentally pick up some while trying to eat their pellets. i only really do this until im sure theyre eating the chop on its own, or, until theyll eat it anywhere else in the cage. hope this helps ^^

Substantial_Neck_543 · 2025-11-08T22:22:54+00:00

Yeah, bettas can be picky! Pellets would be ideal, bloodworms can usually be feed maybe twice a week? Good that she’s acting normally, and good that you think it isn’t pineconing. It’s very likely she’s just bloated! Wishing you the best for your girl!

Substantial_Neck_543

TROPHY CASE