Hi all,

 

Can anyone tell me if this behaviour is the beginning of a mating ritual?

 

They were getting very friendly and several times I observed the male trying to mount the female, unsuccessfully (that I saw).

 

I moved them from the aviary yesterday and put them together in a cage with a nesting box, then this morning they have started this backwards and forwards running and hopping. I'm hoping that this is some sort of a mating dance and that there will be a successful mating soon.

 

Link to video below.

 

 

http://s1337.photobu...zpsf67bbb04.mp4

 

Thanks,

 

babychat

the male will hop back and forth from one branch to the other around the hen and even hop back and forth to the entrance of the box as a matting dance. In that video it looked to be the hen was looking for a way out.

 

is there anyway you can tie the box up on the side using that small feeding door to put the entrance into the cage? the higher the box the better although they will use it on the floor as I've done it before.

Hi babychat it isn't a mating dance they are doing just a reaction from being put into a new cage they should settle down after a while.

Birds ready to breed often won't stand still either, it's like they are jumping out of their skins lol.

I would hang your box up off of the ground and closer to the top of the cage as they tend to prefer their boxes higher.

Hope this helps Cheers Jenny

Hi, as you said you took them from the aviary to smaller cage etc. I think what your video showed was "goal break" behaviour. The result of being placed in the smaller cage. If they are in breeding condition and looking at your breeding cage, I agree with others if you can raise your nest box, it looks great. I don't think you will have long to wait for them to decide to breed. Good luck.

Hi,

 

Thanks for your feedback. I will move the nesting box to the outside up higher.

 

This is a larger cage I have split in half. The bottom half doesn't have a hole to be able to attach a nesting box outside. Should I put the box up on blocks or something to get it higher?

 

Thanks

how are they acting towards it? if you can set it up higher with easy access to it then leave it where it is.

I use a couple of cup hooks screwed into the top corners of the box then you can hang it on the wire, I find that's the easiest way.

Cheers Jenny