Happy Pets

On the 18th or 19th day after the egg has been laid, a tiny hole appears in the side of the egg. At this time the chick can be heard chipping at the shell and making his very first “chirps.” Just a matter of hours later, the chick emerges from the shell. The parents clean the baby, for there is a kind of afterbirth encrusted on his body. Shortly thereafter they will feed the little one by regurgitating food into its mouth. It is best to leave the chicks with the parents for a few days. They do seem to get a better start by doing this.

At times the parents do not feed the chicks, and they must be hand fed. The main reason the parent birds do not feed the chicks is that they have not been provided with proper food. A mixture of equal parts of nesting food, Pablum and strained bananas should be moistened with water and placed in the cage a week before the eggs are to hatch. Again, add two drops of wheat germ oil to this mixture.

Should the chick be stuck in the shell due to insufficient moisture (again the importance of available bathing facilities for the parents) the pair will throw the egg from the nest. These discarded eggs should be removed. Once the birds begin eating and picking at the eggs, they can never be trusted again and may try to destroy other eggs, even though their original intention was to help free the chick. Once the eggs have been discarded or abused by the parents, there is little one can do to save the unborn chick. The egg may be rubbed with a moistened cloth and incubated with a light bulb, but the chances are slim that the egg will hatch.

During the entire incubation period, the parents keep the nest box spotlessly clean. They contain all their droppings within themselves until they are well away from the nest box. Because of this, it may be alarming to the novice breeder to note the size and color of the droppings, which are large, loose and a lighter shade of green. There is also a considerable amount of white, due to the excess intake of gravel and calcium. If the droppings are actually runny, the bowels can be tightened by lessening the amount of lettuce or lime water. However, at this time the birds should not become constipated and it is safer for the bowels to be a little loose.

Before beginning the breeding period, the birds should be examined closely for mites, and if during the incubation period they are suspected, the birds should be sprayed with a good mite spray. This can be done while they are outside the nest box (so as not to damage the eggs). A preventive measure can be taken by spraying the nest box when setting it up, as well as the cage. Both cage and nest box should be well cleaned before starting, for aside from cleaning the bottom of the nest after the babies are hatched, it is difficult to clean the cage while the parents are nesting.

Birds begin mating very early, but very rarely breed before they are one year old. Once they pair up, they are faithful to one another, and will grieve if separated. Often, when separated from her original mate, a hen will never lay eggs again, although she will permit mating.

As soon as the chicks are ready to leave the nest, at about 5 weeks of age, the pair may be willing to nest again. To prevent this, for the strain of such close breeding is unhealthy, the nest box must be removed from the cage. It may be necessary to separate the birds entirely, but usually removing the nest box and cutting down on the breeding foods is sufficient to discourage them. There is less need for full time exercise, and they may be confined for part of the day. Two clutches of eggs a year are enough for these birds. They do need time to rebuild and vitalize their systems. Although there have been cases of breeding up to four times a year, the full clutch did not hatch, the chicks were weak, and the parents became listless, tired, and their life span was considerably shortened.

Sometimes Cockatiels will not begin to incubate the eggs until there are at least two in the nest. If, after that time, it does not appear that they are going to remain in the nest, place a piece of wood, cardboard, cuttlebone or some other favorite chewing material in the box. They then may amuse themselves while setting on the eggs. It is not wise nor helpful to pen them in the box. They may try to destroy the eggs. Keep a watch that they have enough calcium and wheat germ oil and give them all the privacy you can.

In the event that any of the eggs do become broken and the fluid drains out before it can be patched, these eggs should be removed. Again, the parents may try to clean the egg, further breaking it. As mentioned before, once they acquire a taste for the eggs, they can never be trusted again.

It has been stressed that privacy and avoiding contact with the birds on the nest is all important. You may then wonder how you will know if all is well inside the box. You will know by the absolute routine way in which their setting is conducted. Any quarrelling excitement, or the sight of both birds off the nest at the same time, is an indication of trouble.

There are many reasons why birds mate but do not have eggs. As indicated earlier, they do not take easily to a new spouse if they have been mated before. They may be too young (attempted breeding should not take place before they are one year to 18 months old). Improper diet is a factor. If none of these causes seems likely, then it is recommended that a veterinarian examine your birds, for the causes may be internal.

It should be noted here that your birds should be accustomed to their present surroundings. They must be well adjusted to their home, their feeding and cleaning schedule and their handlers. The less flighty and nervous they are, the better your chances for successful breeding and healthy chicks. Therefore, the last requisite is patience.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 12:07 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.