cockatiel behaviour problems

Question
We have two hand-reared cockatiels, one male and one female.  They have tried to nest a number of times but it always ends in tears..  Both behave beautifully for a couple of days after the eggs are layed, except that the male becomes more and more aggressive, attacking both my husband and myself if we enter the room.  (They have a huge aviary and a bedroom to fly in, and are used to us spending a lot of time with them and like to play all over us.)  After a couple of days the male will not allow the female near the eggs and attacks her if she tries to take a turn with the eggs (full air-to-air combat).  Because of this we have had to take away the nesting box each time and have made sure there is nowhere that even looks like a suitable nesting spot in the room and aviary.  Is there any way of solving this problem please?  As I said,there is nowhere for them to nest but the male is constantly mating with her and then they both search and screech relentlessly in search of a nest.  It is driving us crazy!  Is he just a phycho?  Is there anything we can do?  We would appreciate any advice immensely.  Thankyou.

Answer
It is not uncommon for cockatiels to show aggression after egg laying, but you will need to separate them because he can seriously hurt her. Try putting him in a cage next to where she is nesting because this "issue" will usually resolve itself as the breeding process progresses. After some time has passed, or the eggs have just hatched try letting him back out to care for the young.

If he doesn't behave then you will be have to care for baby cockatiels until they wean as mom can't do it on her own.


Although I recommend just taking the eggs out as soon as they are laid so they do not begin to develop, and then the fighting won't happen at all.

Blessings,
-m