confused cockatiel

[jacquie]

We have a hand reared female cockatiel who has lived in our loungeroom in a very big cage for nearly a year. She comes out often and has the run of the room as well. She has been laying eggs so we thought she might like a mate and put her out in the aviary with the other birds. We have been bringing her in sometimes for the evening and sometimes leaving her out for 3 days at a time. When we go to the aviary she flies to us and sits on our shoulder and sometimes we can get her into the small cage to come inside and sometimes we can't. Are we confusing her with this in one place and then the other outside ? We know that when she has a mate she won't want to be our best friend any more but she doesn't seem to have bonded with the male bird we had picked out for her ? Should she just be left in the aviary now as she seems happy enough out there ? Jacquie

[tiffers]

I don't think she should solely be outside if she's used to inside. I don't think there's any problem with allowing her "playtime" in your aviary. But, you might want to try a schedule type thing if you think she is stressing. Maybe a few hours today, and a few hours tomorrow, and so on. I don't think a few days at a time in either area is a good idea. But, if you make a habit/schedule out of it, she'll think of it as a "playtime". But, if she used to the inside temperatures and stuff, I wouldn't put her outside to have to worry about getting adjusted and things like that.