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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:VIDEO::PULSIFER
Created:Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:942
Total number of notes:6016

137.0. "INFORMATION NEEDED FOR BREEDING" by WLDWST::GUTIERREZ () Mon Mar 06 1989 18:30

    can anyone tell me how i can breed my cockatails,and at what age
    they start to breed??? i have three cockatails and two are female
    and one is male the male is in love with both female but only makes
    it with one how can i be for sure how they make woopie??and how
    long does it take them and how do i know when they want to breed
    or wanting to have sex??
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137.1Breeding? I hardly know you! 8^}WOODRO::VALERIMon Mar 13 1989 14:5121
    Well, HI!!
    
    As a rule, birds do not indulge in sex for recreation!  They copulate
    to pro-create!!  8^}
    
    They do this by standing on firmly placed perches.  The male mounts
    the hen....and no, birds to not have 'parts' so to speak...  if
    there are no proper perches for this activity...the process can
    be a little comical to watch!
    
    The c/tiels should be at least 1 year old...any earlier throws off
    their cycles and if not mature, the hens are likely to become egg
    bound!  Naturally, a proper diet is a must to breed.  And, only
    use one male and one female.  don't try to colony breed, it only
    upsets the hens andd they tend to destroy babies or eggs.
    
    does this help?
    
    Jean Hutchins
    (who_is_finally_back_and_working_for_the_human_race_again!  YAHOO!)
    
137.2re::breeding49ER::GUTIERREZMon Mar 13 1989 15:358
    
    yes,thank you for the info.
    appreciate it.
    but one thing i have one female and male in a cage.
    they do what you mentioned the male mounts the female but they also
    have a nesting box and they wont even enter it or look in it. is
    there a reason why??
    a.g
137.3time for breedingWMOIS::B_REINKEIf you are a dreamer, come in..Mon Mar 13 1989 19:3541
moved by moderator
    
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                       -< These canaries swallow cats! >-
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Note 143.0                     time for breeding?                        1 reply
49ER::GUTIERREZ                                       5 lines  13-MAR-1989 12:37
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    what time of month do cockatails breed??
    do they breed all year around or only at certain times.
    a.g
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Note 143.1                     time for breeding?                         1 of 1
EUREKA::WHITE "the PARROT_TROOPER"                   21 lines  13-MAR-1989 13:07
                        -< My 'secrets' are NO SECRET >-
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    Dont really know if I understand the question, but since I am a
    successful cockie breeder, here goes.
    
    First I have roughly 8 pair and do not isolate pairs, but rather
    keep 'em all together and let THEM decide who does what with whom.
    
    
    Mine breed readily all year, but the winter to spring is their best
    time.  The thing you should worry about though is 'over-breeding'.
    
    This is when you do not give enough time between clutches and the
    parents develop breeding 'burnout' early in life.
    
    I do not make special food batches other than fortified cockie mix
    and regular water changes and have been quite successful.
    
    Any other ideas out there, lets hear them.
    
    did this help?
    
    chet
137.4Remember the story of Gold Locks? Well...WOODRO::VALERIWed Mar 15 1989 15:5015
    re: .2
    
    Well, I could ask if you are sure you have a true pair... but even
    non pairs will occupy a nest box...  It depends on the birds!  There
    are some that have a box and raise babies on the floor.  It could
    be tht the box is too small!  Or the hole is too large/small.  I
    had a plastic nest box and the birds hated it!  They prefer wood.
    
    I have a pair of c/tiels using a quail box on the floor of the flight.
    And yes, many people colony breed the c/tiels...but mine prefer
    private rooms!  We have several fertile eggs finally!
    
    Does this help???
    
    Jean H
137.59 months in bird years is ?TYCOBB::C_DENOPOULOSDeath by misadventure!Mon Mar 27 1989 16:483
    Once two birds have mated, how long does it take before I see eggs?
    
    Chris D.
137.63/4 days I thinkMUNCSS::BURKEWed Mar 29 1989 05:348
    With our cockatiels, if I remember correctly, it was 3/4 days. I
    do remember that the hen's behaviour changed quite markedly, and
    spent most of the time inside the nestbox.
    	The other day, our two were 'at it'. Why they choose the highest
    perch in the cage I'll never understand. Just after the tickly bit,
    our male sometimes falls off !
    
    Jim Burke
137.73 to 4 DAYS?!?!TYCOBB::C_DENOPOULOSDeath by misadventure!Wed Mar 29 1989 16:494
    3 to 4 days!!!!  We caught ours "doing it" for the first time over
    a week ago.  Are they practicing safe sex??
    
    Chris D.
137.8?WITNES::HANNULACat Tails &amp; Bike Wheels Don't MixThu Mar 30 1989 12:3810
    Chris,
    
    My 2 c'tiels have been "doing it" for years, and I have yet to see
    an egg.  I have heard that if the female is not sexualy mature,
    or if the conditions are not "just right" that they will not lay
    eggs.
    
    However, I'm beginning to think that my Gretel is a drag queen.

    	-Nancy
137.9Not too patient!!TYCOBB::C_DENOPOULOSDeath by misadventure!Thu Mar 30 1989 16:524
    re: .8  I guess all I can do is wait.
    
    Thanks,
    Chris D.
137.10HYEND::C_DENOPOULOSYouGotTheRightOneBabyAhaAha!Tue Jun 18 1991 15:5213
    Well, it's been awhile since my last note, but after 1 1/2 years 
    and one unsuccesful attempt, we now have 4 3-week-old babies.  My wife
    and I are hand feeding.  2 are going to my sister-in-law.  The other 2
    and the parents are staying with us.  The next batches I'll sell, but
    don't plan on breeding again until after vacations.
    I was surprised that the 3 oldest are flyinf already.  The book said
    around 5 weeks.  I've also received a lot of help from a place called
    Fins and Feathers in Chelmsford, Ma.  The girl mixed up formula right
    there and fed some babies so we could see exactly how to do it.
    
    Chris D.
    
    p.s. Batch was 1 grey, 3 lutinos
137.11HYEND::C_DENOPOULOSYouGotTheRightOneBabyAhaAha!Sat Jul 06 1991 21:596
    Can anyone verify this?  I was told that with a grey female and a
    lutino male, all lutino babies will be female and all grey babies will
    be male.
    
    Thanks,
    Chris D.
137.121/2 of this and thatCSOA1::DIRRMANMon Jul 08 1991 12:203
    
    All  Lutinos will be female and all males will be grey/lutino split -
    	If I remember my genetics.
137.13HYEND::C_DENOPOULOSYouGotTheRightOneBabyAhaAha!Mon Jul 08 1991 15:0310
    O.K.  So I was almost right.  The part about all lutino's being female
    is right, but the part about all greys being male was wrong.  It's all
    males will be grey, not all greys will be male, right?  I'm pretty sure
    that all 4 babies are female.  
    
    Another question on breeding.  I'm told that you don't want to inbreed
    because the babies may end up smaller and weaker.  What about breeding
    birds from the same male but two different females?  Does that work?
    
    Chris D.
137.14Need more calciumHYEND::C_DENOPOULOSExit Light, Enter Night!Wed Sep 18 1991 17:025
    I have a female cockatiel that doesn't seem to care much for cuttle
    bone.  This seems to be making her egg shells thin and weak.  What else
    can I give her that well supply the needed calcium??
    
    Chris D.
137.15Oyster Shell?DELNI::D_LANEWed Sep 18 1991 19:297
    
    Chris,
    
    How 'bout oyster shell?  I'm not sure if that's what your looking for,
    but I beleive it's fortified with calcium.
    
    Donna
137.16HYEND::C_DENOPOULOSHow many lines are there?? -&gt;Thu Sep 19 1991 12:077
    I went to a pet shop last night and that's what she said too.  But,
    unless I actually see her take some, I'm not going to now for sure.  I
    thought about buying Calcium tablets from the drug store and grinding
    them up and sprinkling some on the food, but I wouldn't know how much
    is too much.
    
    Chris D.