Happy Pets

Breeding Cockatiels in an aviary, where there is plenty of dirt, sunshine, fresh air and flight room is relatively simple. With a good diet, large nest boxes, and conditions as near to their natural habitat as possible, they settle down with their mates and nature does the rest.

However, when the birds are confined to a small cage, provided only with commercial seed, subject only to room temperatures, the situation is radically changed. In fact, it may be more than difficult to get a pair on the nest.

The first step is to get them into excellent condition for breeding. This means enriching their diet with foods not normally supplied, and you will note that these foods are all mineral enriched. I have found the following mixture to be the most beneficial in getting birds in breeding condition. This will last one pair about a week.

• 1/4 cup Parakeet seed
• 1/2 cup commercial nesting food
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/4 cup condition food

Mix this together and feed in one container. Add about four full drops of wheat germ oil over the amount placed in the feeding dish. The regular amount of sunflower seeds should be fed separately in another dish.

Plenty of cuttlebone, calcium block, oyster shell and grit should be available, the latter two items in large quantities and changed daily. Lettuce and carrot should be fed daily to keep the bowels loose. If they appear constipated, a little lime water (2 or 3 drops) added to their drinking water will remedy this. A piece of whole wheat bread, soaked in water and dotted with wheat germ oil, will also be an aid in breeding.

Birds raised in outside aviaries are inclined to breed in the spring and fall, but it is not uncommon to find them breeding all year round. Consequently, house birds, unaccustomed to radical temperature changes, may be bred at any time. There is less danger of egg binding when the birds are bred indoors in the winter. However, in the summer they are more subject to mites and this discomfort may cause them to break the eggs while scratching themselves. They may become too warm in the nest box and desert the eggs. The breeder must use his own judgment to prevent this if he plans to breed at this time.

The aforementioned diet is extremely rich and caution must be exercised to see that the birds do not get overly fat. There is but one remedy for this, and perhaps it is the most important of all: THE BIRDS SHOULD BE GIVEN ALL THE EXERCISE AND FLIGHT ROOM POSSIBLE. They must feel as free as though they were in their native woods. The cage door should be left open at all times. If you are fussy about your furniture, or are not around to clean up after them, better not try breeding in the house. They are messy, but only at this time, when chewing and activity is so important.

A nest box should be placed as near to the cage as possible, on top, or at least where, when they are flying, they can both view it. With their freedom, nest box, and the enriched diet, you will note that the copulation period is longer. At this time, a check should be made of the vents of both birds, to insure that there are no overgrown feathers that may interfere with the mating.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 12:03 am and is filed under Birds, Cages, Foods. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.