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Advice Needed Please

Jon Boy

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Hi I have a bonded pair of cockatiels approx 18 months old ,I have had them since they were 2 months old always kept together definitely a cock and a hen (unrelated ) they are housed in a 6Ft by 3ft indoor flight .They seem very close always preening each other etc .The hen is showing signs of breeding on a daily bases ie crouching down ,arching her back and pulling her wings down but the cock bird just ignores her and doesn’t seem interested .I was wondering do I introduce another proven pair into the same flight as to encourage them , do I replace the cock bird ,or do I simply be a bit more patient and wait for nature to take its course .All advise appreciated
Cheers John
 

Zara

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Hi John,
Are your intentions to breed?
 

Pearly

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To breed or not to breed, its a serious questions.
If given a choice, I would choose not to.
Let nature takes it own course.

Regards,
 

Destiny

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From what I've read, your female is too young and you should wait before trying to breed this pair.

A female cockatiel should ideally be about 2 years old and a male at least 18 months old. Letting them breed too young is dangerous for the female, and increases the chances that the eggs will not hatch or that the parents won’t feed the chicks properly or they might even reject and try to kill the chicks. First time parents are also more likely to experience problems. Ideally, it is better to pair up an inexperienced bird with a bird who has parenting experience, so the older bird can help teach good parenting skills to the younger one. If both parents are inexperienced and also too young, a lot can go wrong.

Do you have previous experience breeding parrots? Is there anyone who you can ask for help to teach you how to hand-feed baby parrots? Having an experienced mentor is quite valuable. If you don't have a mentor, your avian vet should be able to show you how to hand-feed safely. Be sure to get the supplies and training BEFORE you need them. There won't be any time to wait if you need to rescue a rejected or malnourished chick.

Also, do you know if your cockatiels were hand-raised or parent-raised?

For now, I recommend patience and research. Your birds are too young, so you have six months to prepare. Also, please be aware that cockatiels will lay eggs and try to breed when they are too young to be parents. They are physically able to breed at just 9-12 months, but early egg-laying places the female at increased risk of egg-binding. As a breeder, you need to make the best choice for the health of your birds and their offspring, so please consider removing any nestboxes and not encouraging them to breed until the female is fully mature.
 

Jon Boy

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John
From what I've read, your female is too young and you should wait before trying to breed this pair.

A female cockatiel should ideally be about 2 years old and a male at least 18 months old. Letting them breed too young is dangerous for the female, and increases the chances that the eggs will not hatch or that the parents won’t feed the chicks properly or they might even reject and try to kill the chicks. First time parents are also more likely to experience problems. Ideally, it is better to pair up an inexperienced bird with a bird who has parenting experience, so the older bird can help teach good parenting skills to the younger one. If both parents are inexperienced and also too young, a lot can go wrong.

Do you have previous experience breeding parrots? Is there anyone who you can ask for help to teach you how to hand-feed baby parrots? Having an experienced mentor is quite valuable. If you don't have a mentor, your avian vet should be able to show you how to hand-feed safely. Be sure to get the supplies and training BEFORE you need them. There won't be any time to wait if you need to rescue a rejected or malnourished chick.

Also, do you know if your cockatiels were hand-raised or parent-raised?

For now, I recommend patience and research. Your birds are too young, so you have six months to prepare. Also, please be aware that cockatiels will lay eggs and try to breed when they are too young to be parents. They are physically able to breed at just 9-12 months, but early egg-laying places the female at increased risk of egg-binding. As a breeder, you need to make the best choice for the health of your birds and their offspring, so please consider removing any nestboxes and not encouraging them to breed until the female is fully mature.
 

Jon Boy

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Hi Destiny
Thank you for your reply .I have bred rosellas, budgies,love birds ,redrumps ,in the past but it was a lot of years ago but Always bought proven pairs of birds (a part from budgies ) .This is the first time I’ve tried with inexperienced
birds as it were .They are parent reared birds .I have read and researched a lot of information but wondered if any one on the forum had any similar experience.
 

Zara

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It could just be they need more time. I will tag @BrianB and @finchly , they may have more advice.

*Thread moved to Breeders Boulevard*
 

BrianB

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Cockatiels are usually pretty eager to breed. I joke that they are birdy nymphomaniacs once they are sexually mature. It may be that the male just isn't ready or is distracted by something or someone else. Is there a toy or anything in the cage that he seems particularly attached to? Is there another bird that he pays attention to? If they really are as young as they appear it may just take a little while for them to get in sync. She may be ready and his hormones just aren't there yet. Under the right conditions, they will breed all year if you let them. I find that mine breed best from fall through late spring, but I live in Arizona and not much is normal here compared to the rest of the world.
 

Jon Boy

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Hi Brian
Thank you for your reply and sound advise ,there are no other birds in there view nor does he seem to pay particular interest in any thing in the cage .They are very effectionate towards each other .I think you are probably write and should give them more time and let nature take its time .
 

BrianB

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Cockatiels aren't like some other birds that like to breed in private. They have no shame and when they start they don't care if there is an audience or not. Just wait it out and let them mature some. Once they get started you'll know for sure.
 

finchly

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Sounds like they’re just not ready, I agree with @BrianB and @Destiny . Wondering what their diet is like? If it’s breeding season, you want to feed a little more protein.
 

Jon Boy

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Thank you all for your advice I will have to be a little more patient.I feed them a varied diet off seed ,fresh fruit and veg ,chick weed,egg food ,an apply supply of grit ,cutler fish and iodine blocks
They seem very heathy ,active and in excellent feather probably a little young as you have all suggested
 

tka

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Grit is not necessary. It's offered to birds who eat seeds whole because it helps them break open the seeds in their gizzard, but hookbills shell their seeds.

Cuttlebone is not a good source of calcium. It's there, but has low bioavailability. This means that animals find it hard to make use of the calcium.

If you can get some pellets in their diet, that would help cover some of your nutritional bases. A seed diet is going to be low in some vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A, B and D and minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Some vegetables are high in vitamin A but really I'd recommend a supplement to ensure that they are getting the nutrients they need. Choose a supplement that you sprinkle over their fresh food - birds don't really drink enough water to get the benefit of any drops etc added to their water. I've linked a couple of supplements below.


 

Zara

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Pellets are definitely the way to go for breeding birds :)

If you can get some pellets in their diet, that would help cover some of your nutritional bases. A seed diet is going to be low in some vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A, B and D and minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Some vegetables are high in vitamin A but really I'd recommend a supplement to ensure that they are getting the nutrients they need.
If you´re unsure about which supplements you need, consult with your vet, they will be able to test your birds, see if they´re lacking in anything, and they will know what they need a boost of.
 

Jon Boy

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Hi thank you all for your advice and recommendations I shall check them all .out
 
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