Adult Female Cockatiel Breeding

[Felixk321]

Hello,
I have had my female cockatiel for 5 1/2 years now. She is doing great, but I really got interested in breeding this year. I am confident i will be able to do it, although i need some helpful tips. If I buy her a male mate and put him in a cage next to her for a while, will they become used to each other and can i introduce them? The thing that is keeping me back here is the age of my 'Tiel. I researched that she is still able to breed and have healthy babies, but what is the age of the male that i should buy? Can i buy a mature male or do i have to buy a baby and wait for him to grow? I am no expert in breeding, and any tips and help would be greatly appreciated

Thank you!!!

 

[Cloud]

I think it will be up to the cockatiel. I have two cockatiels and they are only one month apart. They sleep together at night. When they wake up, my male keeps nipping at her, and I had to separate the two. She got trauma and now she gives him warning bite every time when he gets close to her, even when he was trying to flirt with her. She learned that the best defense is a good offense.

 

[SkyLark]

First, breeding isn't something you do because it's fun, and you have only been researching for a few months. Do you have a mentor? Do you have an aivan vet that you can come to at odd hours? (and emergency vet)? Can you spot egg-binding and other issues with your birds right away? I'd say to not breed for now, it's an extremely bad time. No mentors to guide you, no pet stores open for formula, etc. Do you have a plan for AFTER the chicks grow up? What about for if the parents abandon them? Or if one of the chicks have an issue? (medically, deformity, etc) I'd say not to breed your birds at all, instead, research for a few more years, get a mentor, and if after that you STILL want to breed and can properly care for the chicks, then sure, go ahead! Just my humble opinion....
@Zara
@Monica

*few months, bc the year has just started 5 months ago and you say you were interested in it this year?*

 

[Shezbug]

I have moved your thread to the Breeders Boulevard forum in the hopes you will get decent helpful advice. Anything to do with breeding will get more level headed answers if it’s posted in the breeders section as those who don’t agree with breeding tend to not comment in this particular forum.

 

[Khizz]

Yeah as @SkyLark said, breeding is a complex endeavour, and really should be done with somebody's personal, hands-on guidance. Somebody who has raised chicks successfully before and will work closely with you

The reason why that is necessary is if you have a chick with a physical health issue, it's impossible to get any help from us or elsewhere online without a person to take a look at the bird. A vet will help, but you will likely be out of pocket if you go to the vet with all your questions.

If you feel you are well set up and do have a person to guide you, do wait a year when we aren't in a pandemic. In many countries its getting harder, if not impossible to find a vet. If you do find one they might not take anything that isn't an emergency. Plus nobody can come round to take a look at the birds.

@Zara usually has a great list of questions to ask aspiring breeders.

 

[Zara]

Welcome to the Avenue Felix

The problem is you don´t have the male. So you can´t breed this year even if you were fully prepared. It´s important to have the birds for at least 6 months on a balanced diet of pellets vegetables and good quality seeds before allowing breeding.
I believe 2 years old is a good age for a male Tiel.
When you do bring home the male, it´s good to give them time. First will be a month of quarantine (while you run tests at the vet to check the bird is disease free), when this is over, introduce them slowly in a neautral area under supervision. Once you are confident they are friends, you can house them together, remember this may take a while.
As for the pandemic, I also don´t think anyone bar professionals should be breeding right now, but looking at the dates here, you wouldn´t be able to breed until at least next spring and hopefully the pandemic will have calmed down and we won´t be facing the same problems we are today, vet closures, no social contact, hard to source supplies etc.

It´s good that you are researching. Some more points for you;

• Be sure you know what the demand is in your area. Are people wanting cockatiels? Could you find them all good homes? Or are shelters full to the brim with them.
• Go and find either a breeder, shelter or vet who knows how to handfeed, and learn how to do it, not so much the details (food prep, temps etc) more the technique of actually feeding (with a syringe). Familiarise yourself with these; Hand feeding problems
• (As mentioned by others already) Find a mentor, someone who will be there when you call to help you through any problems you may face, or if you are struggling caring for a chick, or if you spot something odd.
• An emergency avian clinic is important too. It´s important as bird owners to have one available to us, but more so for chicks as once you spot something is wrong, they usually won´t live as long as an adult would, to wait for the regular vet to open in the morning.

Here is another couple of articles to read;
Breeding
Breeding 2

 

[JLcribber]

Hello,
I have had my female cockatiel for 5 1/2 years now. She is doing great, but I really got interested in breeding this year. I am confident i will be able to do it, although i need some helpful tips. If I buy her a male mate and put him in a cage next to her for a while, will they become used to each other and can i introduce them? The thing that is keeping me back here is the age of my 'Tiel. I researched that she is still able to breed and have healthy babies, but what is the age of the male that i should buy? Can i buy a mature male or do i have to buy a baby and wait for him to grow? I am no expert in breeding, and any tips and help would be greatly appreciated

Thank you!!!

If I buy you a girlfriend will you fall in love and make babies?


You are nowhere near ready or able to breed anything. You have researched a few months and now you're ready to breed? Please find a different hobby that does not involve "toying" with the lives of innocent creatures. Budgies and cockatiels are the most over farmed birds on the planet. We don't need more pretend breeders.

 

[Felixk321]

If I buy you a girlfriend will you fall in love and make babies?


You are nowhere near ready or able to breed anything. You have researched a few months and now you're ready to breed? Please find a different hobby that does not involve "toying" with the lives of innocent creatures. Budgies and cockatiels are the most over farmed birds on the planet. We don't need more pretend breeders.

Do you say this to anyone who wants to go into breeding? Does this mean that no one else can breed cockatiels? I am not saying I am ready to breed after just couple month's research. I am just getting some helpful tips, no need to tell me this.

 

[Zara]

It is a point worth keeping in mind though. If you bring home a second bird, they may never mate simply because they don't want to.
I have a bonded pair of birds, the male feeds his girlfriend and they preen each other but they don't mate, the male plays with his toys instead.

 

[Khizz]

It is a point worth keeping in mind though. If you bring home a second bird, they may never mate simply because they don't want to.
I have a bonded pair of birds, the male feeds his girlfriend and they preen each other but they don't mate, the male plays with his toys instead.

True! My two male and female cockatiels also don't mate. They seem to do all the flirting and singing and whatnot but doing the actual deed seems to baffle them somewhat...

You might want to have a think as to what you will want to do in such a situation, or if you would be happy to keep them together without breeding (or separated if they don't like each other).

 

[Felixk321]

True! My two male and female cockatiels also don't mate. They seem to do all the flirting and singing and whatnot but doing the actual deed seems to baffle them somewhat...

You might want to have a think as to what you will want to do in such a situation, or if you would be happy to keep them together without breeding (or separated if they don't like each other).

Honestly if I get her a mate and they get along (but dont breed) then i would still be happy

 

[JLcribber]

Do you say this to anyone who wants to go into breeding? Does this mean that no one else can breed cockatiels? I am not saying I am ready to breed after just couple month's research. I am just getting some helpful tips, no need to tell me this.

It means you don’t really have a grasp of the concept. Birds are no different than humans in that we choose our own friends/mates. No one makes that choice for us. There are no arranged marriages in bird world either.

They may never get along. They may get along great and not have a clue how to raise young chicks because they themselves were robbed of a natural upbringing. You become an instant around the click parent or they will die.

How’s the relationship with your vet? Not if something happens but when it happens you’re going to need him (and a lot of your own equipment).

I not trying to scare you or be mean to you. I’m pointing out the reality of what you want to do.

 

[Lady Jane]

What John wrote has wisdom and the voice of experience. I hope you take the advice and gain wisdom and experience also.