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COCKATIELS - ADVICE FROM A BREEDER Page 7
by Linda Greeson of BlueQuaker.com
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SOME PROBLEMS IN BREEDING
Inevitably, sooner or later, problems do arise. The breeder must be prepared to experience a
few as part of the game.
Occasionally we encounter the bird - usually the cock - who enjoys an egg for breakfast, eating
each egg as fast as the hen lays. Most experts seem to agree that this is a nutritional problem. If
of twenty or more pairs with identical diet one lone cock turns out to be an egg eater it seems
other factors must be involved.
We place a fresh cuttle bone in each nest box as it is set up and find this often effective.
Replacing the eggs as laid with identical plastic eggs sometimes discourages the habit.
Several times I have encountered the young cock who eats eggs with the first clutch but
presents no problems with subsequent clutches.
On occasion the birds crack or break their eggs, or injure the tiny babies, scrambling to get out
of the nest box when it is inspected. Almost all of our breeding birds are our own mature hand
fed babies. They are not upset by our gently nudging them off eggs or babies for inspection.
Speaking softly, a gentle warning tap on the box, and avoiding top opening nest boxes all help to
avoid panic and subsequent scrambling about. Some very tame birds do become quite
protective in the nesting situation, rocking and hissing, ready to strike at the intruder. In this
situation it is well to use a small stick to move the bird rather than the fingers; a cockatiel bite
can be very painful.
There are parents who pluck feathers and pick at their babies. Usually this is noted on the top of
the chick's head and over the back. It usually is done to the older chicks. At the first sign of this
occurring the chicks must immediately be removed from the nest or they will not survive. The
feathers will grow back by the time weaning takes place. I make it a practice not to retain any of
these plucked babies for future breeding as they will probably repeat the same unfortunate habit
with their own young. Again, this is usually explained as a nutritional problem but again occurs
so seldom in a large number of breeding birds with identical diets, I am sure other factors are
involved.
Crop stasis seems to be the most common problem involved in hand feeding chicks. When this
occurs the crop fails to empty at the expected time and the retained food putrefies. Toxins are
absorbed into the system and if action is not taken death of the chick will follow. Even though we
have had only rare incidences of crop stasis we routinely check the crop before each feeding. It
should be empty, or almost empty, before more food is added. Stasis can occur if the baby
becomes chilled, if the food is given too cool or too thick at an early age, or if bacterial or fungal
problems are present.
It seems that each individual breeder has his own favorite remedy for treating this problem.
Basically the crop must be emptied of the purified food and washed out with warm water. The
baby is then fed any of a large number of substances dissolved in warm water instead of the
usual formula until the crop starts to empty again at the normal rate. Molasses, honey, Milk of
Magnesia, Pepto Bismol, papaya juice, baking soda are all suggestions I have been given. My
experience is that cooked rice water works well. A small amount of rice is cooked until "soupy,"
pureed in the blender, and thinned with warm water. This may have to be repeated several
times, replacing a number of the normal feedings before the crop starts emptying.
This is by no means a complete discussion of problems encountered in breeding birds. Some
time during your experience, you will undoubtedly be able to add to the list!
Each year I look forward eagerly to showing my best birds and take delight in their successes.
Our family room is fast filling with trophies, plaques, and ribbons that attest to our success.
If you are considering breeding cockatiels your enjoyment and satisfaction will be multiplied
many times by not limiting your goal to just the production of numbers of birds. By learning the
characteristics of a good specimen of the breed and making educated choices in setting up
your mating pairs you need not necessarily eliminate the profit motive. The sale of the birds not
meeting your increasingly high standards for selecting those to retain for next year's breeding
will be easier and more profitable as you develop your reputation for supplying only beautiful,
healthy, high quality birds.
I enthusiastically recommend membership in the American Cockatiel Society for both the pet
owner and the breeder. Their bi-monthly magazine, devoted only to Cockatiels, provides a
wealth of information. Attending their bird shows, listening to the comments of the judges,
seeing the best of the species on display, and exchanging ideas with other enthusiasts, all
make this a worthwhile experience.
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