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Hello All!! I have a male whiteface cockatiel that is about 4-5 years old. He is pretty nice and I think he wants a companion. I was thinking of breeding him. Is it ok to breed him to like a 2 year old female? He has never bred with a real bird before. I know he likes to becuase he "does the do" on his perch and on our feet somtimes. I have been researching about it for like 2-3 weeks now. Alot of people in the area are looking for cockatiels becuase no one here breeds them. I just want some personal opinions here...

1. What color hen would you breed him to to get pretty babies.

2. What size cage do you prefer to use for a pair to rasie there young.

3. Is it ok to breed a older male to a younger female like that?

Here is a pic of him, let me know what you think! Thanks!!

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k170/ ... iel003.jpg

A few questions to ask yourself before moving forward with this thought:

* Do you have at least $1,000 in your savings account to pay for vet care if your breeding birds or their babies need it?

* Has an experienced breeder taught you how to handfeed babies?

* Are you able to feed babies every 2-3 hours if the parents do not? Most tiels wean at about 8 weeks and need to be pulled for hand-feeding at 12-14 days. Breeding birds might produce 3 clutches each year. That mean a total of 18 weeks each year could be spent feeding babies every few hours -- no school, no job, no movies, no trips.

* Do you have a brooder to control the babies' temperature and humidity, a gram scale, and a sterile room in which to keep a sick bird away from the others?

Allowing your birds to produce babies is an awesome responsibility. Please don't undertake it unless you're prepared to care for the lives that are dependent on you. Your bird might be quite happy to have another male tiel for a friend. That would be far easier and less expensive.

Paca

That's the reason I won't allow mine to hatch their eggs. I don't have the time or the know-how involved in it. One more question:

Do you know how you will screen potential homes to make sure the birds go to a good place? Many people don't realize how much care and attention they need and how long they can live, so it's important that the people who get them realize it's a long-term committment.

Also, it's important to get the male (and, if you get one, the female) checked out by the vet to make sure there are no undiagnosed problems or conditions that might be passed on to the chicks. You should also contact the breeder of your bird and get some more information about the bird's parental lines. That breeder would also be able to give you some more insight on the breeding issue.

I'm not saying not to breed them, but you definitely need to get a lot of information from experienced breeders and other sources and make sure the environment and your schedule are suitable. There is no hurry, either; you'll have plenty of time to research, get everything set up, align your schedule, and consider potential homes before getting a female and starting to let them breed.

Good luck!

P.S. If it's just about the companionship, you don't need to let them keep the eggs. So you could get another male or a female. I have a male and a female, and I just take the eggs away after a few days. Jessie does not seem to miss them; she seems relieved that she doesn't have to sit on them anymore.

If you're just into hobbyist breeding, I'd recommend NOT breeding your bird. There are plenty of quality breeders producing quality pets out there. They have the time, facilities, and knowledge necessary to fill the pet market with what it needs.

Unfortunately, rearing healthy chicks of good stock takes more time, money, and tools than the average person is willing to amass. Taking good care of babies requires tons of all of them, and finding good homes is a long-term task. It's not like letting your cat have kittens you can get rid of faster than they can pop 'em out. It takes a special kind of person to be a good bird parent, and you won't find them nearly as fast as you might think.

I don't ever recommend or condone anyone to breed a bird just because it seems lonely for a friend or a flock. If you want to get a friend for your bird, that's great! Or you could spend more one-on-one time with your bird.

I've read you could get your cockatiel a pet canary! Wouldn't that be cute. I'm sure it would be in a seperate cage, and if you get a male ...I'm sure the singing between the two would be beautiful!

Thanks for all the replies Well I am just getting opinions here, there is a petstore that hand raises all there birds and I am sure I could be shown how because I know the lady pretty well. I have been raising birds all my life so Im pretty good with them. If I would even breed it would be over the summer when I have no school. I just need some more opinions about this...


1. What size cage do you use for a breeding pair?

2. Whats your number one choice for cockatiel feed?

3. What color hen would you breed my male too?

Thankss!!!

My tiels did 'the deed" where ever. Their cage was a standard tiel cage but I generally separated them at night. All because you got a male & a female doesn't mean they will breed.They are fussy like people!
The female will generally call the shots. She will make these noises and lift her tail up at the male to entice him.They will do the deed constainly.
After this has happened I set up a nest box. The male will check it out first and then the female will go in.
Like the other emailers said, be prepared to possibly commit to hand-feeding. Many times, the male & females will pluck the babies , hurt them, not feed them etc..so you gotta know when to jump in and be the surrogate.It's a nerve wracking work (at least for me!) I kept my babies but I try to curtail any more "activity" from mom & Dad tiel!I have enough tiels now and it would be heartbreaking to give them up.

bostonbudgie wrote:... Many times, the male & females will pluck the babies , hurt them, not feed them etc..so you gotta know when to jump in and be the surrogate.It's a nerve wracking work ...

I recall your multiple health crises. Have you ever had the courage to add up the vet bills from your hatchlings?