The information
on this site about breeding cockatiels is a brief and basic overview of the subject
and it's not meant to replace the recommendations of your avian vet. Breeding
is strongly discouraged for those who work full time, for those who are full time
students and for those who are new to the
world of cockatiels. Although cockatiel chicks are precious little bundles
of fuzz and miracles to behold, they are born completely helpless when they
hatch. They are born naked, with their eyes closed and they are totally dependent on their parents for food
and warmth. The life or death of a chick will also be held in the palm of your
hand as well, because as the breeder, you are responsible for taking care of the parents
and for monitoring the health, growth and development of chicks. Babies and
parents will often have health problems that require treatment from an
avian vet. If you can not afford to or you are unwilling to pay an avian
vet if one of your birds develops a health problem, you should not even consider breeding birds.
To do so would be completely irresponsible and heartless.
Failure to Breed: Female cockatiels are fertile up until 8-10 years
of age and males are fertile up until 12-14 years of age. There are always
exceptions and it's possible for a very healthy, well nourished bird, with a
strong genetic tendency for breeding, to be fertile for even longer. Breeding cockatiels,
even within these age ranges, can be a disappointing
experience. Birds that are bred in captivity do not always make the best
parents. Both breeding and parenting skills are learned and genetically
inherited behaviors. Breeding pairs that lack experience may traumatize, eat or
abandon eggs and chicks from the first few clutches. Some adult breeding pairs may not produce a clutch of eggs for
several months or years. Other pairs may never breed successfully at all because
of infertility.
Infertility in pet birds can be the result of
nutritional, medical, behavioral or environmental problems. Some specific
causes of infertility include: malnourishment, obesity, nutritional deficiencies, disease,
bacterial or fungal infections, reproductive disorders, hormonal
imbalances, birds being too young or too old, improper mating due to inexperienced pairs not making actual physical contact,
interruption of mating due to disturbances by a human or another pet
near the nesting area, not enough time given for pairs to fully bond with
each other, same gender pairs that are mistaken for a true male/female pair,
forced pairing instead of allowing birds to choose their own mates, lack of
water for bathing, unavailable soft foods which are needed to feed chicks,
insufficient exposure to daylight hours and or UVA/UVB lighting, using the wrong type
or size of nestbox, nesting material that is unacceptable to a breeding
pair, and improper humidity levels or indoor temperatures. (Source:
Avian Medicine, Principles and Practices by Dr. Branson Ritchie, Dr. Greg
Harrison and Linda Harrison, 1997)
Selecting Birds for Breeding Choosing a healthy, well nourished
pair of adult birds that are not related to each other is vital for successful
breeding and healthy chicks. A pre-breeding health check for breeding pairs by
an avian vet, which includes blood tests and gram stains, is always advisable to
determine if the birds have any sub-clinical infections or nutritional
deficiencies. Another factor to consider is the age of breeding pairs. Cockatiels should not be allowed to breed until they are at least 18 months old. Even
though they are physically "capable"
of breeding as young as 5-6 months of age, young males can be
infertile and young females can suffer from health complications like egg
binding. When parents are still juveniles themselves, breeding also depletes
their own young, growing bodies of the nutrients necessary that they need themselves
to grow into healthy adult birds. The babies of young, juvenile parents may be
born weaker and less healthy then the offspring
of adult birds as we. Breeding cockatiels that are related
to each other and with the same bloodline should also be avoided. Birth defects and
health problems in the offspring of related birds are common. Some physical
abnormalities associated with inbreeding include: Deformed, misaligned or
missing beaks or nares, deformed or missing wings, legs or toes,
orthopedic problems that affect a bird's ability to perch, climb, walk or fly,
malfunctioning organs, infertile offspring and offspring that are more
susceptible to disease. Other problems associated with inbreeding include a
decreased production of eggs, infertility of eggs and decreased hatching rates
of eggs. Only healthy, adult birds that are from different bloodlines should be allowed
to breed.
When to Breed Cockatiels: The natural breeding season
for cockatiels in the wild is Spring to Early Autumn. This is when breeding
conditions are the most favorable, with warmer temperatures, more hours of
natural daylight each day and when both food and rainfall are more plentiful.
More hours of daylight, more frequent baths or water misting, a healthy diet
that includes breeder's pellets as well as soft foods 3 months before breeding
season and the presence of a cockatiel nestbox will encourage breeding in
captivity. Cockatiels are prolific breeders and they will breeding in
captivity all year long, if allowed to do so. However, clutches should be
limited to no more than 2 per year, the amount that avian veterinarians consider
normal. Although indoor conditions are always favorable for breeding indoors,
due to exposure to long hours of artificial lighting, an ample food and water
supply and a sense of security, breeding continuously all year long, seriously
compromises a bird's health . Every effort should be made limit a pair's
breeding to no more than 2 clutches of eggs a year. Your birds need to rest
during the remainder of the year to build up strength for the next breeding
season. Breeding is physically and psychologically stressful for birds and
stress impairs a bird's immune system. Excessive egg laying also depletes a
female's body of calcium as well as other nutrients. Depletion of calcium from
egg laying can cause seizures, egg binding as well as sudden death. Continuous
breeding all year long also puts a tremendous amount of physical strain on a female
bird's reproductive organs. A prolapsed cloaca and uterus (cloaca or
uterus protrudes out
from the vent) are usually associated with chronic egg laying and they both requires
surgery to correct. It's important that you prevent your birds from over
breeding. Only healthy, adult cockatiels that are well rested and well nourished, should be
paired for breeding.
The Nestbox and Nesting Materials: Each breeding pair should have their own nestbox.
with 1 pair of birds per cage. The size of a cockatiel
nestbox is, 9"-11"-12" with a 2 and 1/4 inch opening. Click
Here. Line
the nestbox with a several layers of soft but slightly textured white paper towels
to absorb moisture and to prevent chicks from developing splayed legs or other
leg deformities from a wet, slippery bottom. Make a small dent or well
in the center. This is called a nest bowl and it will help to prevent the eggs from
rolling around. Some
birds will toss out the paper towels. Cloth baby diapers or unfrayed woven
cotton towels can be used as a nesting substrate as well. They can also be
tossed into the washing machine to sanitize as needed. Wrong types of nesting materials include: any type
of liter, corncob bedding, or walnut shells. These are all organic
materials that will promote the growth of bacteria and mold spores when wet. The
use of pine, cedar, aspen or other wood chips/shavings should also be avoided. Cedar is
toxic and the fumes and dust from other wood type bedding materials contain
fumes and dust that will irritate a bird's eyes and respiratory system. Another
negative aspect of all of these unsuitable nesting materials is that they are
not digestible and they cause digestive impactions if swallowed. (Source of Hatching Information:
Avian Medicine, Principles and Practices by Dr. Branson Ritchie, Dr. Greg
Harrison and Linda Harrison, 1997) Some impactions
can be treated by avian vets with digestive enzymes and antibiotics. Other impactions require surgical removal or they can cause death.
The lutino chick in the upper left has a digestive impaction from ingesting
aspen shavings. Other poor choices for nesting materials include shredded newspaper or
terry cloth towels with loops. Toenails can get caught in strips of paper and
towel threads, cutting off the circulation in a bird's leg. This can cause
permanent neurological damage to toes, foot or leg and in some case, amputation
of the limb may be necessary.
Egg Laying and Nesting:
Eggs are laid about 7-10 days after a pair mates successfully. The process of egg
laying, from ovary to fertilization,
development of shell to actual egg laying is
approximately 2-3 days. You can expect your female to lay 1 egg about every 48
hours. until a clutch of 2-8 eggs is laid. Prior to egg laying and during the egg laying process, the
female will have very large and odorous droppings, which is normal. Fecal matter
will be retained in the cloaca until they are eliminated in the morning. (Failure to pass droppings could mean
egg binding. Information
and symptoms of egg binding can be found on a link at the bottom of this page). Sometimes the
parents will wait until 2 or 3 eggs are present before nesting on eggs. The purpose
is so that most of the eggs will hatch around
the same time. Eggs do not start to incubate until they are nested on and get
warm and eggs can stay viable for up to 7 days before nesting is need. If
parents are reluctant to go inside of the nestbox, hang a strip of millet seed
near the entrance hole.
Eggs laid on the bottom of the cage floor may still
hatch although literature suggests that they rarely do. If your bird lays
eggs on the cage floor, put up a nestbox and place the eggs inside. Hanging a
strip of millet seed spray near the entrance hole may encourage them to enter
the nestbox. If your
birds will not accept a nestbox, you can try using an alternate type of nest on
the bottom of the cage. Alternate,
non-conventional nests include a shallow glass Pyrex baking dish, a glass, deep
dish pie plate, a shallow glass soup bowl or a basket with several layers of white paper towels and placed on the cage floor.
Some birds may be more willing to accept an
alternate nesting site once eggs have already been laid on the floor. If
they won't accept it, you can try putting the eggs on a folded cloth diaper, a
folded dishtowel or a washcloth that does not have loops for toenails to get
caught. (Always wash your hands with hot soapy water and use a hand sanitizer
before handling eggs.) Sometime breeding birds will reject an egg by pushing it to the side of the
nest, abandoning it. The parents may be able to sense a lack of movement inside of
a defective egg. Because abandoned
eggs become chilled quickly, the embryos will die if they are not moved back to
near the parents, put inside
of an incubator or placed with foster parents, (another pair of birds that have
already been successful at breeding a clutch of birds.) .
Aggressiveness while Breeding: When a pair of compatible, bonded
cockatiels are breeding, they will either nest on eggs together or they will
take turns nesting on eggs. Breeding pairs should not be separated unless one of
the birds is in danger of being in jured by a very aggressive mate. A very
aggressive bird can injure, mutilate or kill a mate. The male is usually the
offending partner and his actions will include pecking at the female's feet,
eyes, nares or chasing her around the cage, blocking her entrance to the nestbox
or not allowing her access to food or water dishes. Some speculate that
the male wants to mate with a non-cooperative partner. Male jealousy of the
attention that the female is giving to eggs/chicks has also been cited as a
cause. Mild squabbling between partners during the breeding process is
normal. The female may get upset if the male wants to enter the nestbox or the
male may not allow the female to nest on eggs once they are laid. This usually
subsides as the breeding process progresses. After eggs hatch, females
may take on a more passive role, while the male takes on a more dominant role
feeding the chicks. It's normal for the parents to be
aggressive towards you when breeding. They are doing their job and protecting
their eggs and babies.
Humidity, Egg Turning and Broken Eggs Provide your birds with a shallow
dish of water to bathe in each day. When parents wet the feathers on their
lower body feathers, eggs are kept moist during the nesting phase. This will help
to maintain
the humidity level that embryos need to develop properly. Your birds will also turn the eggs once every hour during
the day and some pairs will also turn them during the night. Turning eggs helps
to maintain a uniform temperature on both the upper and lower side of the egg.
Turning also prevents the
baby from sticking to the shell membrane and it helps organs to develop properly. If you notice eggs that
with a hairline crack, you can
repair them by applying
a thin coat of white, non-toxic, water soluble glue such as Elmer's Glue.
A Larger crack can be repaired by placing a tiny piece of gauze or a single
layer of unscented tissue over it and then
applying several coats of glue. Wait 30 minutes between applications.
The area repaired has to be minimal or oxygen exchange through pores in the egg
may be impaired. Repaired eggs should also be watched closely during hatching because
the chick may have trouble breaking through a large, thick seal and may need
help during hatching. Since
the glue is water soluble, applying sterile water with a small
paintbrush to moisten the repaired area will allow you to carefully remove the
tissue during hatching. Always wash
your hands with soap and hot water and use a hand sanitizer before handling eggs.
Eggs are porous and harmful bacteria on your hands will get inside of the egg, harming the
chick.
Candling and Fertile Eggs: By candling eggs, (looking at them under a
very bright light) you will be able to see if the eggs are fertile. Candle the eggs on day 5 of
actual nesting. Eggs will become more difficult to candle as the growing chick fills the
shell. For the professional breeder, Avian BioTech offers a digital
egg monitor called The Buddy, that can detect the heartbeat of a
live, bird embryo by placing an egg on a cushioned pad. If this is out of your
price range, then purchase a candling light that you can hold directly
over the eggs in the nestbox without having to touch or move the egg.
Click Here Use extreme care when handling the
eggs being careful not to roll, shake, tilt or spin. Always wash your hands with hot soapy water and use a hand sanitizer before
touching the eggs and don't hold them for too long. Eggs are porous and any harmful bacteria on your hands
can enter the egg, harming the growing chick. Eggs that are held too long will
overheat and the chick will be destroyed.
Fertile eggs will have a red spider like appearance. There will be a dark
spot in the center and you will see red veins developing. There
will also be a white space inside of the wider part the egg. This is called the air
cell and the air cell will get larger as the chick grows. Eggs that have not
been fertile will not have red blood vessels. They will appear clear with a
yellow glow from the yolk. Infertile eggs should not be removed from the nestbox
unless they are broken or cracked. These additional eggs will help to maintain
warmth for fertile eggs and they will protect fertile eggs from rolling
around. Mark each fertile egg with a non-toxic, soft, felt tipped marker so you will know when to
expect hatching. A few days before the expected hatch date, eggs should be candled one more time, to
monitor for live chicks and to see if the chick has re-positioning into the air
cell. Put a small dot with a felt tip marker on top of the egg so you will
know which side to put back down into the nestbox after candling. Be extremely
careful to keep the egg level, making sure that that the egg does not tilt, roll
over, turn to the side or turn around. If the chick is already in the process of
hatching, it can lose orientation. If an egg was fertile and the
embryo died, you will see a patchy or solid ring of blood around
the circumference of the egg. A "blood ring" will lack the tiny, spreading
blood vessels that are visible in a living embryo because those tiny veins have
died and clotted. (A link to an article on the bottom of this page,
"Eggs Not Hatching", will explain some of the main causes of DIS
(Dead in Shell) babies. Please take the time to read it.)
Hatching:
Cockatiel eggs hatch 18-21 days after nesting begins. A few days before hatching, the air cell
(located at the wider side
of the egg) will become larger and start to tilt.
The baby will then reposition itself and move into the air cell. This is called "drawdown". Once inside of the air cell, the baby
starts pneumonic breathing with its lungs. As the chick becomes more active during the hatching process, oxygen inside of the air
cell will be depleted and carbon dioxide levels will increase, causing the baby's
abdominal and neck muscles to contract. The contractions of the neck and abdomen
will force the chick's back up against the shell, causing the feet to push
against the opposite side of the shell. Muscle contractions of the
neck will cause the "egg tooth", located inside of the beak, to start puncturing
and breaking away at the inner shell. The first visible external sign of hatching will
be an external pip mark. An external pip mark is a small bump or dent with tiny cracks on the outside of the
shell. The pip mark will become larger, encircling the entire shell in one
direction, as the baby chips away at the
shell and hatching progresses. Once the shell is punctured and the baby starts to breath room
air you may be able to hear vocalization.
You can expect cockatiel eggs to hatch
24-36 hours after the first appearance of
the external
pip mark.
NOTE: Signs of hatching problems
include: no external pip
mark 36 hours
after the air cell tilts; no
change in appearance at the original pip mark site after 48 hours; if a baby pips 1/4 to 1/2
way around the egg and then
stops for an extended period of time; if the baby reverses directions
to
return to the initial pip site and if vocalization ceases.
Contact your avian vet
if any of
these situations occur. The baby may need assistance in hatching. (Source of Hatching Information:
Avian Medicine, Principles and Practices by Dr. Branson Ritchie, Dr. Greg
Harrison and Linda Harrison, 1997)
Visually
Inspect Each Newly Hatched Chick to evaluate its physical condition. Normal,
healthy chicks will have yellowish-pink skin with a supple, warm feel.
Dehydrated nestlings will be thin and wrinkled, with dry skin that looks red or muddy and feels sticky
to the touch. Chicks with white, cool skin are either hypothermic,
(abnormally cold) or moribund (close to death). Right after hatching the parents will remove pieces of egg shell and
other materials from the chicks. When they are finished, the baby will look
clean and fluffy. Empty egg shells from the nestbox should be removed as soon as
possible after hatching to prevent bacteria from growing. Parents
may wait 6-8 hours until the baby is dry before giving them their first feeding. Nutrition is already being provided
by the yolk sac
which was absorbed prior to hatching. Dehydration is the most serious complication
right after hatching. If the baby is dehydrated,
administer 1 drop of warm Pedialyte and do not repeat unless you can see the
fluid pass through chick's crop and the chick has passed 1 dropping. Some
breeders will routinely give all babies 1 drop of warm Pedialyte
or sterile water (boiled 10 minutes then cooled) when they
first hatch to
help prevent dehydration. If a normal dropping is passed, one drop is
administered every hour. Hand feeding newly hatched
chicks with formula during this period should be avoided because the crop is so tiny.
As the baby starts to grow and begins to consume more food,
the crop will stretch out gradually by itself.
Note
Females that are laying eggs will lose calcium. Provide plenty of
additional calcium in her diet from a cuttlebone, fresh dark green vegetables
such as kale, spinach, endive, chard, parsley, beet greens, turnip greens,
mustard greens, watercress, broccoli
leaves and stalks. Low blood calcium will cause soft
shelled eggs and egg binding as well as seizures or sudden
death. CLICK HERE to read more about
EGG BINDING It may save your bird's life.
Female cockatiels are fertile until 8-10 years
of ages and male cockatiels are fertile until 12-14 years of age. However,
it is very
possible for a healthy, well nourished bird to be fertile for even more years.
Most healthy, well nourished females are capable of laying eggs their entire
lives. However, eggs laid by geriatric birds are usually "duds" and
can not be fertilized
