Things You'll Need
- Breeding pair of cockatiels
- Large cage
- Nesting box
- Textured white paper towels
- Birdbath
- Water container
- Food dish
- Cockatiel seed/food
- Fresh greens and other vegetables
- Cuttlefish or calcium bell
Instructions
Preparation &Breeding
Determine the proper time to attempt breeding. In nature, cockatiels will breed between spring and early autumn, when the temperature and amount of sunlight are favorable. In captivity, cockatiels will breed all year long if allowed. Most veterinarians recommend limiting breeding to twice a year to avoid over-stressing the pair. Over breeding may also compromise the hen's health.
Select a pair of cockatiels to breed. You will need one male and one female that are around 18 months old and that are not from the same bloodline. Though younger birds are physically capable of breeding and hatching eggs, their hatchlings are often weaker, and both young males and females may experience complications. Inbreeding of related birds may produce hatchlings with birth defects and health problems.
Allow newly selected pairs to get acquainted with each other before beginning the breeding process. Place the male and female in a cage together for a few days.
Prepare a nest box by lining it with several layers of textured white paper towels. Push down in the center of the paper towels to create a bowl-shaped dent. Place the nest box in the cage with the breeding pair.
Watch for the first eggs to be laid. If the pair are compatible and mate successfully, eggs should be laid seven to10 days later. Female cockatiels usually lay one egg every 48 hours, and can lay anywhere from two to eight eggs in a clutch. Incubation does not begin until the eggs are nested on. This may not start for a few days after the first egg is laid. As a result, most of the eggs in the clutch will hatch around the same time.
Increase the amount of food and water the nesting pair receives after the eggs are laid. Provide greens in addition to seeds. Calcium is also necessary and can be provided in the form of cuttlefish a calcium bell. Fresh water to drink and bathe in is also required throughout the entire process of breeding, laying, hatching and raising cockatiels. Humidity created by the hens bathing then nesting on the eggs keeps the eggs from becoming too hard or dry, which will make them difficult to hatch.
Hatching &Care of Fledglings
Watch the cockatiels' behavior and the eggs. Candling the eggs, or holding a small light behind them, will help verify they are fertilized and developing properly. Fertilized eggs will have a dark spot in the middle and red vein-like projections radiating outward. Unfertilized or broken eggs should be removed from the nesting box.
Wait about 18 to 21 days after nesting for signs of hatching to appear. A pip mark is the first sign that appears, and is created by the baby cockatiel's egg-tooth punching through the shell. Hatching should occur within 24 and 36 hours of this appearance. Remove shells from the cage
Evaluate each cockatiel chick as it hatches. Healthy chicks will have warm, supple skin that is yellowish-pink in color. Chicks that appear white and cool may be hypothermic, while chicks that appear dry, sticky and wrinkled may be dehydrated. These chicks require the attention of an avian vet, or at least special care that a first time breeder may not be familiar with. Keep in mind that, just as in nature, not all chicks will survive.
Allow the parents to care for their young for the first several weeks. Hand feed only if a chick is rejected or in poor health. Fledgling will begin at about four weeks. Parents will begin teaching them to eat for themselves and to fly. This process will last at least another four weeks. Wait until fledglings are completely weaned and able to feed themselves before moving them away from their parents. As before, provide extra food for the growing young and their over-worked parents. Be sure to remove the nesting box before the adult female lays again to prevent over breeding.
Separate the males from the females of the same clutch before the birds are five months old to prevent the possibility of inbreeding, as some juvenile cockatiels are physically capable of breeding at that age.