Cockatiels Breeders - How To Find The Best Cockatiel Breeder

When it comes to purchasing a cockatiel that will be a great pet for many years to come, you want to make sure you are purchasing from a reputable breeder. Here are a few guidelines to help find a good cockatiel breeder.

You have two choices of places to purchase a cockatiel, the local pet shop or a breeder who specializes in cocaktiels.

The local pet shop

A local pet shop can be a good place to purchase a cockatiel if they acquire their birds from private breeders. Not all pet shops do this, most often than not, pet shops purchase cockatiels from various places who sell in bulk.

When purchasing from a local pet store, you may not know the history of your cockatiel such as: how old he is, what his health history is, how he was treated before he came to the pet store. All of these can be factors in the health of your cockatiel as well as your ability to train him easily. All cockatiels are trainable, but if he was abused, it will take a little longer to establish that trust.

Cockatiel Breeder

A private cockatiel breeder is a good place to go to purchase a cockatiel from because most of them are hand raised. Since the breeder handles and works with the babies when they are very young, they are already tame and more easily trainable. You will also know the history of your cockatiel and health history. You can also interview the breeder and tour his facility to make sure the cockatiels are being raised in a good atmosphere and facility.

All these things are good to keep in mind when you are looking for a good place to adopt your cockatiel from. Doing a little research ahead of time can save you some behavior problems and training issues later.

Cockatiel Hens Lay Eggs Even Without Fertilization

I have a friend that said birds do not ever lay eggs unless they have been fertilized by a male. But I told her that birds often lay eggs without a male bird on the premises. She said that was not true. So, I decided to write about how cockatiel hens lay eggs, even without fertilization.

To understand egg laying, we need to understand the hormonal cycle of a cockatiel hen.

There are countless single pet cockatiel hens that begin laying eggs without a nest box or even a suitable mate. A bird that is very bonded to it's owner might consider her human friend as a suitable mate.

Cockatiels are indeterminate layers, meaning they will often continue laying eggs until their clutch is completed. This means that if you remove the hen's eggs right after she has laid them, her hormones tell her to keep laying eggs until she has a clutch underneath her.

The hen will begin to experience a surge in her female hormones based on a number of conditions. These conditions range from abundance of food and water, the availability of a nesting site, the presence of other breeding pairs in the vicinity and a suitable mate (who can be you). Increased daylight, dark corners of the cage, dark corners under the bed or in the room may also begin the hormonal cycle.

It is instinctive behavior for the hen to hold back her droppings for longer periods of time while sitting on her nest. When she gets off of her nest, she will have a larger than normal amount of droppings which are a mixture of feces, urine and urates mixed together. This will give the appearance of diarrhea, but is normal for the hen after she has been holding her droppings in her cloaca while sitting on her nest.

Once the hormones begin their cycle, a number of events will occur. The pelvic floor muscles of the hen starts loosening up to facilitate the passage of an egg. The pelvic bones also become somewhat looser. The pelvic bones of a reproductively active hen can feel a bit farther apart with a little "give" to them. When the hen is not actively cycling, everything tightens up.

During the hormonal cycle of the cockatiel hen, she begins to drink more water because the process of developing an egg requires allot of water that forms the albumen or egg white.

She will then seek for a nesting site which could include a deep food dish or a sleeping hut where she will stay most of the time preparing for the eggs she will lay.

She may become obsessively territorial about her nest. Instead of being her normal friendly self, she might hiss and lash out at anyone that comes close to her nest. This behaviour is caused by your precious friend's hormonal cycle to protect her nest.

Egg laying in cockatiel hens uses a large amount of calcium which is drawn from the bones to help strengthen the egg shell during formation.

To stop this hormonal cycle from occurring, try decreasing the amount of daylight for your friend. Move the bird cage to a different setting, rearrange the toys or add toys to distract your hen. Try some new foods and dietary changes, for this can help her hormonal cycle decrease as well.

A trip to the avian veterinarian is highly recommended to reassure the safety of your beloved cockatiel hen.

But, not every hen that is cycling lays eggs. In some cases the egg yolk is harmlessly reabsorbed prior to ovulation. The yolk can end up loose in the coelom (body cavity). It is called internal laying when the yolk is released into the coelom instead of the oviduct.

Rarely, the yolk is absorbed into the bloodstream which can result in yolk stroke, a dangerous and life threatening situation.

It is very important that you get your hen checked regularly at your local avian specialist. Hormonal treatments can be used to stop the cycling of your precious cockatiel hen.

Cockatiel Breeding at It's Best

If cockatiel breeding at its best is what you want to do, then you will need to learn some things to do this. First thing you need to know about cockatiels is that they are known to be trendy birds. They can be lovable and trustful and can easily be tamed.

They are simple to breed. You just have to prepare yourself that things going wrong are inevitable when breeding. If you ensure that your birds eat right and are aged right when breeding will secure you cockatiel breeding at its best.

The best age for breeding would be from 18 months to 24 months. You might think that breeding them young is going to be more successful, you can be right and wrong too. Breeding them young can give you abandoned or ill babies and even egg binding which can be harmful for your hens.

If your bird couple like their partner and are eating well, they will start egg laying as early as after two weeks. An egg clutch would normally have 4-6 eggs. Female cockatiels lay egg every other day.

If cockatiel breeding at its best is what you're after, ensure that the eggs are incubated by the parents after the 2nd or 3rd laid egg. This is when you'll see the parents taking turns in sitting on their eggs. They sometime will lay on the same egg at the same time.

After 18 days from the start of incubation, the eggs will start hatching. You will notice that the birds will look really weird with their bulging closed eyes and long necks. They will then look pink and bald after looking fuzzy for the first few days.

When parents are healthy, they will also feed their birds to make them healthy too. Never run out of feeds for your birds.

If your cockatiel parents are tamed, the babies will be easy to handle. This could give you cockatiel breeding at its best since you will be secured that your babies will be tame by the time the separate from their parents.

Cockatiel breeding at its best means hand feeding your birds and must start when they are 2 weeks old. You can ask an expert to teach you on doing this as this can be harmful for the birds if not done the right way.

At 8-12 weeks of age, your cockatiel will start weaning, cockatiels can wean on different days, so you need not force their weaning.

Cockatiel breeding at its best will need patience and determination. You just need to learn the best ways to do it and you will surely have what you want for your cockatiels.

Cockatiel Cage Selection

The cage requirements are important, don't get a cage that is to small, 18 x 18 x 18 or larger is even better. I like a cage with a large door, this makes it easier to get the bird in and out of the cage. There are many shapes and sizes on the market and of course you can always make your own. Provided you pay strict attention to loose galvanized particles and the fact that these carry zinc coating that can be toxic. Clean it well and brush off any loose particles of metal. (Please see our article on Zinc Toxicosis, on our Marvin's Tips page) This goes for store bought cages that are made of galvanized wire also. A wide cage is more practical than a tall cage, since birds fly horizontal and not straight up and down. Plus if the food cups are up high in a tall cage the seeds that fall out will fall much further out faster, making for greater mess. Ornamental cages with really smaller bottoms are not practical, for the simple reason if the bird soils straight from the perch that is not positioned over the smaller tray, guess what it won't miss your floor.

I like a cage that is square, although the dome tops are beautiful you can't put a perch or play stand on top of it. Of course you can place this some where else if you are not cramped for space as some people are, I have friends in school apartments with little space, but have made unique play stations on top of a flat top cage. Or if you are lucky enough to get one that the top opens into a play station.

The perches for your pet are important also, you don't want perches that are to small that will cause the nails to over grow. I like perches of more than one size because Cockatiels like all birds spend so much time on their feet. This way they are less likely to build up calluses and don't have to rest their feet in the exact same spot all the time.

The cups in the store bought cage often comes with a hood, which is less mess for us, but can be an obstacle to a young Cockatiel looking for it's food and water. Please remove the hoods at least until the young bird gets to know it's cage. Personally I do not use the hoods for Cockatiels at all, because most of them are to small to start with (sized more for a budgie). Try not to place your perches over the cups because your bird will soil it's food and water. Clean the cups often (as you do your own dishes), and the perches can be cleaned with mild soapy water, but make sure to rinse well and let them dry completely before returning them to the cage. I keep extra perches on hand so I can switch them out, and not have to worry if they will dry in time and that way I always have a clean set. It's a real good idea to clean the cage often, especially the bottom. After cleaning the cage in mild soapy water and rinsing well it's great to sit it out in the sun to dry. Sunshine kills a multitude of unforeseen germs and bacteria, without harming the paint finish that may be on your cage, if this is the type you have.

Breeding cockatiels, macaws, cockatoos and various other birds has brought to my attention the need for information about selecting a proper cage for a bird, as so often I see them housed in a cage that is way too small

Cockatiel Life Span - The Many Years in a Cockatiel's Life

Each pet owner has its own considerations when deciding to bring home a pet like the cockatiel. Upon coming to a pet store and getting a cockatiel for a pet, the life span of the pet is always a major consideration. Actually, after knowing the basics and other important information about this animal, knowing how long it can stay alive as a major consideration. So, cockatiel life span has to be thought-out in picking this wonderful animal.

Cockatiel is from the parrot family and it is the tiniest among the family. It is also called as Wiero and Quarrion. Cockatiels have the capacity to breed easily and are a famous household pet worldwide. In captivity, they come next to the very popular Budgerigar.

Generally, cockatiel life span reaches 20 years or so though the standard is 15 years. Furthermore, some reports say that there were cockatiels which lived for three decades and more and you should be lucky if the one that you got reached or comes close to this age. Like humans, suitable exercise and proper diet are the major determining factors of cockatiel life span.

Species of cockatiels are identified through their distinctive over-head crest. They are sometimes called as smaller cockatoos. They adore staying among scrublands, wet lands and in diverse portions of domestic Australia. More often than not, wild cockatiels are gray colored. The domestic types include silver, lutino, cinnamon, pearl and pied along with varied colors of yellow, peach, orange or white. They can direct their behaviors once feeling sick, terrified or curious by making use of their unique crest.

Cockatiel life span, as said earlier, starts from fifteen to twenty 20 years. It is an unusual count since they can actually survive for 30 years. Being a pet raiser, you want this pet to live longer especially that they bring much entertainment and happiness to you. To be guaranteed of cockatiel life span as well as their happiness, make every effort such as cleaning its cage on a regular basis.

Provide your cockatiel with enough exercise and fresher diet that include veggies and fruits. Should you want to extend your pet cockatiel life span, provide it with companionship and some activities especially because it is a gregarious, smart and a nosy pet. It can be a little wicked sometimes. They love hanging out with their caretakers to the extent of staying in their master's shoulder or head.

How To Give Your Cockatiel A Balanced Diet

Cockatiels are meant to be cared for. As an owner of a pet you know you should give the health of your Cockatiel top priority. Your pet's health depends on its diet. In the wild, birds make do with whatever they find. For this reason, you should include a variety of things in their diet, to stay as close to their natural diet as possible

On the other hand, your Cockatiel can eat most of the things that you eat. Cockatiels mainly feed on seeds, berries, fruits, nuts and flowers. Sometimes, they can thrive on the basic diet of seeds and pellets alone. They don't require any particular food but need "particular nutrients". You should add more vegetables and fruits to your Cockatiel's diet. These are sources of additional nutrition.

The growth of your Cockatiel depends on nutrition. Apart from growth, reproduction, temperament and longevity also depend on nutrition. So, a good balanced diet becomes very essential to mould a lovable, healthy and life-long companion.

To put it briefly, a "Cockatiel balanced diet" should have equal shares of pellets, seeds and vegetables, with a small quantity of fruits, nuts, proteins, cooked rice, bean mixture, and table food like cheese, corn, cereal, pasta, meat, etc. The diet should have it all (that's why I said they can eat most of the things that you eat!).

Pellets

Pellets can make as much as 60% of your Cockatiel's food. In fact, some Cockatiels thrive on a pellet diet. You should keep pellets in their food-dish, all day and night. Pellets are a must as they provide your bird a balanced diet.

Seeds

Most Cockatiels favor seeds like bulk canary seed, oats, mixed Sunflower seeds, Hemp and Panicum Millets. If you provide your bird with only a seed diet on a daily basis, it 

will lead to deficiency in vitamins. So, a supplement of vitamins may be necessary in that case.

A Healthy mixed diet

A healthy mixed diet has it all...25% vitamin enriched seed mix, 25% pellets, 25% vegetables, dark leafy greens and fruits, 15% cooked rice, corn, and bean mixture, 10% table food, cereal, bread, pasta, cheese, meat etc.

Vegetables

Vegetables to be fed can be green, dark green, orange, yellow or meaty. Fresh vegetables provide the additional nutrition for your Cockatiel. So, encourage your Cockatiel to eat vegetables. Some of those that fall under this category are: carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, broccoli, greens, green peppers, asparagus, ripe tomatoes, spinach etc.

Fruits

Some of the Cockatiel owners have this general query. 'How to make my bird eat fruits?' Fruits provide the natural supplements to your Cockatiel. So, it would be a good idea 

to introduce fruits to your pet. Initially, it may reject it, but later it will start eating fruits. Some of the favored fruits are apples, pears, peaches, pomegranate, bananas, berries, plums, oranges, kiwi, citrus, grapes, raisins etc.

Nuts

A Cockatiel prefers nuts to fruits. Because of this, some nuts make ideal treats. They can crack hard nuts and you should encourage them to do so. You can give them whole nuts 

as they love to crack open the shell to extract the seed. Their beaks are specially adapted for this function which could also be a form of entertainment.

Water

Water is equally important, as food. Make sure your bird drinks water on a daily basis. Don't forget to leave fresh water in the cage at all times.

Proteins

As I said earlier, it's important that your bird gets all the necessary nutrients. And proteins are an important supplement that aid growth. You can also give your bird, food high in proteins, such as legumes, cooked eggs and grated cheese. Sprouts, ripe tomatoes, cooked beans, spinach are some of the other sources. You can also feed them freshly cooked lean beef, chicken or fish in small quantities. Occasionally, you can give your Cockatiel cooked meat bones.

Vitamins and Minerals

If your bird's diet has a variety of all the nutrients, then supplement of vitamins and minerals is not required. As a matter of fact, it is better to consult an avian vet before 

giving your bird vitamin supplements because an overdose of vitamins and minerals will do more harm than good.

Now, having known all that you can give your Cockatiel; let's also know as to what should be avoided.

AVOID

Don't feed your Cockatiel alcohol, parsley and avocados (as they are toxic to Cockatiels). Seeds high in sunflower and safflower, should be avoided as these are very fatty. Keep 

your bird away from chocolates and caffeine. Iceberg lettuce and cabbage can cause diarrhea in your pet. Other foods to be avoided are seasoned meat or fatty processed meats. All these can cause your pet serious health problems.

Other important tips

Keep in mind that just providing them the food isn't sufficient but you have to make sure that they're eating what is given to them.

Do not include too much milk in their diet as some birds are lactose-intolerant and could get diarrhea. You can give them tofu, low-fat cottage and hard cheeses and non-fat yogurt in small quantities.

If you aren't including pellets/ vitamins/ mineral supplements in their diet, you should sprinkle a powdered bird vitamin/ mineral supplement to their food once a week. This would avoid deficiencies. Although a calcium block and a mineral block should normally serve this purpose, these birds are known to destroy the blocks.

Don't let fruits and vegetables stay in the cage, for more than two hours.

Do not give them nuts and peanuts often, as these are very high in fat and can make your pet obese, if overfed. Dry food can be left for no more than a day.

Always store nuts in a secure bin that will keep the contents dry and safe from rodents. Rodent excreta can transmit diseases like Salmonellosis.

Clean the food and water bowls kept inside the cage, thoroughly every day. Disinfect them with bleach (and wash off thoroughly) every week.

Some Cockatiels have the tendency to become overweight; so you need to monitor their food and diet properly. Stick to a low fat diet and include a variety of greens. Don't increase the volume, as overfeeding will make them picky and they will also waste the food.

Cockatiels are prone to tipping over their bowls. Usage of heavy bottomed feed and water bowls serve the purpose just fine.

With all these tips, I believe you would be able to provide your Cockatiel with the best diet.

How About Cockatiels As Pets? Learn the Ways to Raise a Cockatiel

Cockatiels are famous species of the parrot family. Pet owners have contemplated about cockatiels as pets mainly because of their remarkable behavior and great features. These species are small parrots with varied color patterns and distinguishing over-head crest. Cockatiels are eye-catching, genial and easily tamed. Their small size makes it easier for them to be taken care of.

It can be nice to consider or ponder about cockatiels for a pet. These are very desirable pets to raise because of their generally amusing characteristics especially with their capability to imitate talking. Aside from mimicking, these parrots specie are also good in whistling. Actually, these birds can whistle some melodies especially when they are taught or if they constantly hear that particular tune.

It is vital to opt for young cockatiels because it would be easier for you to hand feed and as well as handle them significantly. In pet stores, cockatiels are sold in varied prices and in colors. With that, anticipate price difference and that a little more payment for a new cockatiel pet. As soon as you have the cockatiel, you will not regret any expense that you had shelled out because for sure you will enjoy it as your pet and companion.

A major thing about cockatiels is these birds' health form. Choose an active cockatiel. A silent bird with puffed feathers could be ill, thus passed up by buyers. Choose one with soft and shiny feather that also lay evenly on the body. There should be the presence of parched feathers surrounding their vent and they must be clean. They should have clean nostrils, smooth feet scales, well-shaped beaks and nails in tiptop condition.

Being knowledgeable about cockatiels also means giving them appropriate cage. They are playful and active that requires a big cage. Minimum cage size can vary so be sure to consider your pet's size. Make an allowance if they are still young as they can grow bigger. Horizontal cage bars are ideal for cockatiels since they provide a great chance for them to climb, play and exercise. Provide some perches them to climb.

Owners ought to know more about cockatiels especially when it comes to their nourishment. They must be fed with seeds as healthful parts of these birds' diet. But since seeds have high fat content, they should be given moderately. The recommend seed proportion in a cockatiel's diet is 30 percent. Nutritionally balanced pellets are also ideal for these bird species.