Unique
visitors since 1/08/02
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This
article was written
on
30/12/2003
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(Nymphicus
hollandicus) |
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Photo
by Karl Duckworth
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| Photo
by Karl Duckworth |
Experience
level needed in this species
in there keeping and breeding:
Novice
- Intermediate - Experienced
Things
to take into account if you're
just starting out with Cockatiels
Cockatiels
are the perfect choice for
the beginner to try there
hand at the breeding of birds
in regards to larger parakeets,
also hand-rearing as they
can be very prolific breeders
and also one of the easiest
to hand-rear given a little
homework first on the basics
of hand-rearing.
Cockatiels are also one of
the best species for a mixed
flight even with birds smaller
than there selves such as
finches.
Cockatiels are also a good
choice for the beginner as
they are quite inexpensive
and a simple timber constructed
flight is adequate, as they
do not tend to chew heavily
like some of the other species
of parakeets.
All in all a perfect beginners’
bird, they are also a good
choice for the more experienced
breeder wanting to breed for
their colour mutations, as
there are several beautiful
colour variants out there.
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Cockatiels
in general:
There
is good reason for the wealth
of information currently available.
Except for the Budgerigar,
the Cockatiel is rated as
the most popular and widely
kept of the approximately
340 species of the genus psittacine
species.
They are a hardier bird than
their rival, the Budgie, and
have a life span of 15 to
20 years versus the Budgie's
7 to 8.
They are gentle and sociable
by nature and have bright
personalities. They quickly
pick up words and phrases
and especially love to whistle.
Their speech may not be as
clear as that of the larger
parrots, but they are by comparison
much less expensive.
There is no more ideal pet
or aviary bird in my opinion
for the novice than a young,
hand-reared or parent reared
Cockatiel.
Distribution:
Australia
where these birds are very
numerous, they are found in
almost the entire continent
except for those areas nearest
to the coast.
Size:
Cocks
& hens are the same size
in Cockatiels being around
13 inches in length
The
traditional striped sunflower
mix
(I mix 10% extra sunflower
for aviary birds during colder
months)
Feeding:
You
can buy specific mixes now
for Cockatiels, which has
all the seeds required for
them,
however during the colder
months because my Cockatiels
are kept in flights all year
round, and only have access
to a small draft and rainproof
shelter,
I ad extra sunflower seed
to their mix as this is more
fatty so helping them get
through the winter, however
in the summer months sunflower
is reduced.
My tiels have access to egg-food
in small quantities twice
a week during the colder months
which I don’t mix just
simply ad dry and mixed in
with the seed,
I have a rabbit in my tiel
flight so they always have
access to various vegetable
cuttings INC. Carrot, Sprouts,
Cabbage and fresh cut grass
which to be honest don’t
eat much off.
They always have cuttlebone
available which I screw to
their natural wood branches
and because they have a relatively
large flight I always place
6 large peaces in the flight.
I have found that Cockatiels
seem to love cuttlebone in
large amounts all year round
and 6 large pieces only ever
last my 3 pairs around 6 weeks.
I always have mixed grit and
oyster shell available, however
they never seem to touch much
of it and would rather pick
bits from the flight floor.
I also have iodine blocks
in the flight which only get
touched occasionally.
The seed I buy for my Cockatiels
is one of the best on the
market in my opinion.
The seed cost more than pet
shop seed but when you compare
the two together side by side
there is no comparison in
quality,
as most pet shops are not
bird specific and will only
sell a little of everything
and usually the cheapest seeds.
A good quality Cockatiel mix
is always devoured by the
birds with nothing left other
than seed husk and sunflower
seed shells.
It all depends on what standards
you want to set yourself,
I personally don’t really
set my self any particular
high standards other than
good hygiene and feeding the
best seed or other foods to
my birds.
I use dog bowls for my aviary
drinkers as I have used other
types in the past but always
they drank the rabbit’s
water so that was pointless.
I also have a very large plant
pot saucer filled at all times
as they love to bath in this.
Once a week I ad Avigold to
the water for added vitamins,
which also seems to give the
rabbit a boost as well, in
fact you should see the size
of his ears. |
Sexing:
In
the normal Cockatiel,
the main coloration is
grey with white patches
on the wings, the cock-birds
being generally darker
in colour with the hens
being more of a dilute
grey.
They both have yellow
faces with a red cheek
patch; again this is usually
lighter and faded in hens.
The hens as well as young
cock-birds have dotted
lines on the underside
of the wings, they also
have bar like stripes
on the tail feathers,
however young cock-birds
will loose this after
their first moult around
6 to 9 months of age,
depending on the time
of the season when the
birds were born, this
is usually around September
through to October in
the UK.
Sexing
Colour Mutations:
It
is hard to sex some of
the cockatiel mutations
such as the Lutino, Whiteface,
Albino, and the heavy
pied mutations.
These are nearly impossible
to visually sex due to
the lack of any darker
colour in their tail feathers
and the wings.
Generally if the bird
is extremely vocal, it
is a male, but some females
also have this ability.
A method I use is to hold
a light up and open the
wing feathers out and
if the Cockatiel is a
hen you should see the
dotted line on the underside
of the wings,
although it is very faint
and needs a good eye to
spot them.
People who have bred various
species over the years
will know that if you
startle birds in a flight,
you can usually tell the
males,
as they tend to standup
proud and call, but the
hens even when they call
seem to be more tens and
bent down forward, this
is something I have noticed
with various parakeet
species over the years.
Choosing
breeding stock:
Choosing
the right breeding stock
depends totally on what
you aim to achieve from
your birds.
Many bird keepers are
totally satisfied in just
breeding the birds, as
it’s the birds right
to breed.
Others are more selective
in their choosing as they
are attempting to maintain
the original qualities
of the species or for
colour;
I personally breed my
teils now for hand-rearing
just to help pay for seed;
however in the past I
have bred for colour,
as I specialized in Lutino,
Albino, White-Face, Cinnamon
White-Face & Cinnamon
White-Face Pearl mutations.
When I chose my breeding
stock their were 3 mane
points I looked for in
the birds, in the males
it would be decent size,
general qualities e.g.
the way the bird presented
its self, the way it sits
tall on the perch and
tight feathering, with
the wings held high and
not sagging and the birds
generally in good condition
and not over weight.
Obvious the right price.
Now a days I only breed
tiels for the birds sake
as they almost beg to
breed I also hand rear
a few that would normally
be abandoned by one of
my pairs and sell them
as pets which intern lets
them pay for them selves.
so most of the above goes
out off the window and
now as long as the birds
are healthy, I let them
pair up with who they
want and breed.
So all in all unless you
want to specialize in
the species, it’s
just a case of ensuring
the birds are healthy
and not too old,
which to be honest anything
under 10 years would be
ok.
Always start with more
birds than you need so
your birds have more to
choose from when it comes
to choosing a breeding
partner.
You can always sell the
surplus birds later.
One
of my flights
Photo
by Karl Duckworth
Housing:
I
have bred Cockatiels in
both cages & flights,
however unless you want
to guarantee what birds
pair together then I would
always go with the flight.
The cages I used to use
a few years ago were purpose
built by myself as its hard
to come buy Cockatiel breeding
cages,
the size was 4ft long x
2ft tall x 2ft deep to house
a single pair with the nest
box hung on the outside
so to maximize the cage
space.
The feeders I used for cages
were the squire fountain
type, which will hold a
good amount of seed.
I have always used hamster
type water bottles for cages
holding parakeets, as it
keeps the water fresher
and they can’t do
any damage to the Steel
tube.
All my tiel cages had natural
willow branches for perches
ranging from 1” to
1½” secured
tightly.
I
think because of the sociable
nature of tiels they are
best bred in flights with
others.
If you need to keep pairs
apart then use individual
flights side by side, however
I don’t think Cockatiels
pair bond for life but once
a pair have paired they
generally stay with the
same mate, so is possible
once paired to colony breed
knowing which birds will
pair.
I personally have had best
results breeding in a large
colony flight with 3 pairs
happily producing 2 rounds
a year, in fact once my
pairs have chose their nest
boxes in the first breeding
season then they always
go to the same box each
year.
For the first year for 3
pairs in a 14` x 6` flight
I placed 5 boxes in various
locations until they decided
were they wanted to nest.
I did have one of my pairs
who kept abandoning their
young after 2 weeks,
so I placed another nest
box up and they went straight
for the box and touch wood
I have never had any abandoned
since so hopefully no more,
however I do take most of
their young out at 2 weeks
now for hand-rearing so
this may also of helped
the pair.
The minimum flight size
for a single pair in my
opinion should be no less
than 6` long by 3` wide
with an internal shelter
that’s draft proof
and dry,
as tiels have a particular
hate for the damp plus a
shelter helps them from
becoming ill.
I have seen aviaries smaller
than these in particular
the hexagonal type flights
housing the tiels quite
happily but I feel all birds
should have as mush flight
space as possible.
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Mesh:
It
is probably a wise choice
to use 1" x ½”
16g mesh for all parakeets
as a safe measure,
However I don’t
think you would have much
problem with tiels using
1” x ½”
19g mesh.
I just use 16g on everything
out side as I have kept
various parakeet species
in these flights and never
know what I am going to
keep from one year to
the next;
basically it’s just
a case of what other birds
you intend on keeping
in the future or maybe
just a bit of a safe measure.
On one of my flights I
have used black PVC coated
mesh which looks better
and you can see the birds
better.
The problem with this
is its price which is
almost double that of
the normal mesh, so I
don’t think I will
be using it in the future.
One method I used years
ago was to buy a liter
of black satin gloss and
paint the mesh with a
small gloss roller.
This to be honest looks
just as good and the tin
of paint last for ages
so you can do probably
depending on how many
flights you have, the
lot with the same tin.
The only problem with
doing this is if you want
to keep the woodwork the
natural colour, you can
guarantee you will get
some on the frame,
I have never bothered
about this as I always
paint the woodwork anyway.
Photo
by Karl Duckworth
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Photo
by Karl Duckworth
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Breeding:
When
breeding budgies in my
experience, are best kept
with their own kind, as
they can sometimes be
a menace to other species
breeding.
They insist on pulling
nesting materials from
finch nest or simply entering
other parakeets nest boxes
and in general a just
becoming a pest to others,
however if kept with their
own species i.e. other
budgies then they are
a very sociable species.
Many breeders make the
mistake of letting their
birds just get on with
the business of breeding
with no intervention by
the owner, and allowing
up to four rounds of young
in some cases.
This type of breeding
just contributes to over
breeding, which usually
means poor quality birds,
being under size poor
feathering and generally
substantially less healthy
birds.
I usually only breed a
small amount of young
in a season, with 2 rounds
being the norm, however
on rare occasions the
birds have had 3 rounds,
however this should not
be encouraged.
The pairs in my flights
are usually introduced
boxes in early spring
(mid to end of March in
southern UK).
The birds usually start
to inspect the boxes almost
immediately, however some
non-breeders or first
year birds may not take
up the offer of a box
at first, and may not
even figure out the basics
of how to impress the
opposite sex until the
following year, however
most do though.
The cock birds will bob
up and down chattering
to a potential hen and
if accepted by the hen
will start feeding her
small amounts of food.
Once your birds start
using the nest box you
can usually expect the
first egg within 2 weeks
or so.
One oval white egg is
laid every other day and
the usual clutch size
is 4 to 6 eggs sometimes
more sometimes less.
After the last egg is
laid you should start
to see the first egg getting
a more matt finish and
somewhat darker, this
will usually indicate
that the egg is fertile,
do not take this as gospel
as some hens do not start
sitting until the third
or fourth egg has been
laid.
Once the last egg laid
is around 4 days old you
should see the change,
and once you gain a little
more knowledge on how
to handle eggs you will
be able to take them out
one by one holding them
up to a pencil torch light.
If the eggs are fertile,
you will see the contents
of the eggs getting darker
and the general weight
of the egg somewhat heavier.
If the eggs are not fertile
by 2 weeks then they will
never be.
You can tell infertile
eggs, as the contents
still look very clear
and the egg being lighter.
The eggs if fertile should
hatch in around 18 to
20 days with one hatching
every other day in order
of being laid.
The hen generally does
the sitting with the cock
bird sitting watching
guard on the perch, which
is connected to the box
most of the time.
The hen will come to the
entrance hole for the
first few days of having
young and the male will
feed her.
Once the last egg has
hatched I then start to
feed egg rearing food,
and plenty of it, budgies
just love the stuff.
You must also ensure there
is plenty of cuttlebone
available as this is also
fed to the young birds.
You can also offer sprouted
seed, which is usually
readily taken.
Once the babies are a
week or so old and start
becoming more demanding,
the hen will then venture
out of the box and both
parents will feed the
young.
The young will leave the
comfort of the nest at
around four weeks old;
however, they will still
require feeding from the
parents for up to another
2 to 3 weeks until fully
weaned.
Once the young are fully
weaned they then must
be placed in a nursery
cage or flight preferably
with other offspring so
to show them the ropes
so to speak, as to were
the food pots are and
such.
If you do not have any
other young birds available,
you could try placing
a spare hen in with them,
as hens are less likely
to attack them.
The parents if not already
will start their second
round off eggs.
What
the species use as nest
also materials used:
The
boxes I use are of my
own design, 15”
tall x 10” the other
2 sides.
All boxes have side inspection
doors, also there is a
mesh ladder running up
to a perch just below
the entrance hole.
The entrance hole is roughly
2½” to 3”
& around 6 inches
from the top.
There’s various
nesting materials you
can use for your tiels,
I use damp peat with wood
chippings as I find the
parents like to chew when
inside the boxes,
you can also ad some willow
twigs so the parents have
something to chew.
Photo
by Karl Duckworth
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My
after thoughts on
the Cockatiel:
All
in all I personally
think Cockatiels are
a superb species &
are one of the mane
reasons why I have
found it so hard to
concentrate on finches
after all these years,
of being a dedicated
parakeet keeper, I
recon I will always
have a teal or two
knocking around somewhere
as they just don’t
give you any reasons
for getting rid,
I think although not
the most in fashion
of birds kept today
they rise among if
not the most favourite
parakeet I have ever
kept “and I
have kept allot of
different parakeets
over the years”.
I have never known
any parakeet keeper
or breeder to of had
any complaints about
keeping Tiels (Apart
from the low price
they bring today).
Karl |
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Article
© Karl Duckworth 2003
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