Breeding

Normal Whitecheek Lutino

Breeding Cockatiels

The breeding season is the most exciting time of year as far as I am concerned. The delight of the eggs hatching and the discovery of what the chicks will turn out to be makes every day full of surprises. There are also the disappointments of eggs not hatching or chicks dying early in their lives. Anyway, I mustn't get too far ahead of myself …..
My nesting boxes are made from plywood and are about 9 inches by 9 inches by about 14 inches deep. The front of the box has an entrance hole which , no matter what size you make it, the cockatiels will modify to suit themselves. At the bottom of the hole a perch is fitted. On the inside leading up to the entrance hole I attach a piece of netting to make it easier for the youngsters to climb out when the time comes.

I have read many articles saying which material is best for putting in the box but, for myself, I have found that sawdust is quite satisfactory and can be easily changed between broods if necessary. My boxes have flaps on the side to allow access and enable me to keep an eye on the progress.

I generally watch both the weather and the birds to gauge the best time to put the boxes out. The birds are in full breeding colours and voice from about end of February onwards but, as I put the nest boxes outside in the aviaries, I tend to wait until the weather is a bit warmer. Usually around the end of March is the best time for this part of the world although it can differ from area to area in the UK.

My birds are in established pairs so there is no problem with fighting and, surprisingly enough, they tend to use the same positioned box each year too. This year could be a bit different as my white-cheeked cock has shown an interest in a bonded hen instead of the new hen bought to replace his dead mate. Careful watching will be required to make sure he doesn't interfere with the other pair. Watch this space as they say!!

Until the boxes are put out it is a case of feeding well and looking for any problems amongst the birds. Also at this time I am able to fairly accurately sex the chicks left from last year by their tail feather colour. The cocks change from being barred to plain grey and that, coupled with their vocal abilities, gives a fairly accurate indication. I'm afraid that until now I find it difficult to be certain of their sex. There are indications but I would not stake my life on it. By watching their behaviour I can hazard a guess but, unlike some other breeders, I wouldn't guarantee it until around now.

My cockatiels lay between 3 and 6 white eggs, one each day then when the last is laid, they sit on them for about 21 days.
At this time it is important to have a good supply of water as the birds like to bath more than usual to transfer moisture to the eggs. The bird bath can sometimes need to be topped up twice a day if they are all sitting at once.
The cocks share the duty of sitting on the eggs and usually the hen sits all night with the cock taking over in the morning to allow her to feed and bathe. Usually only one egg a day will hatch which makes it easier to keep a check on the chicks. I start looking in the nest boxes about a couple of days before I think the first is due to hatch and as my birds are fairly steady, it doesn't disturb them at all and accustoms them to me being there. If there is a bigger clutch of eggs the last to hatch should be watched carefully as their bigger siblings will tend to get all of the food from the parents.

For me the most exciting part of the hatching is to see what the chicks turn out to be. The white-cheeked chicks are all covered with white down which makes them easy to distinguish from the red-cheeked because they always have yellow down. The other thing to look for is the eye colour. Although the eyes are closed when they hatch the colour is visible through the skin. If the eyes are red then the chick is a lutino and if the eyes are dark then the chick is normal. Needless to say the normals are higher in number but my birds throw lutinos as well. In truth I can't say that they are appealing because they resemble dinosaurs and the feet and eyes look like they should belong to an eagle or some similar sized bird. Still, they become very beautiful through time so have patience.In the cockatiel aviary are 4 breeding pairs and 5 of last year's chicks.

Pair 1
Lutino hen and Normal cock. The hen is home bred and the cock is an original bought-in. She is called Klingon's baby because her mother used to hang on to the wire netting most of the time.
Pair 2
Lutino hen and Normal cock Both are home bred birds. This is their first year of breeding.
Pair 3
White cheeked pearl hen and white cheeked normal cock The cock is an original bought-in bird while the hen is a replacement for one that died last year.
I also have a lutino cock bird with no mate as yet.

2001 Chicks

There are 2 sets of 2 chicks from different parents. All are normal and beginning to show the tail colouring to denote their sex. Hopefully they will have found good homes before the breeding season begins. The other chick is a lutino and has a problem with its tail. The feathers are not growing properly and until it can be sorted out it will stay here. It may be kept as stock as it is a lovely bird otherwise.

2002 Chicks

This year seems to have been the year of lutinos. Some years some colours are more prevalent than others as is the case this year. First brood consisted of 1 normal, 1 lutino and 1 silvery-grey. Second brood was two lutinos and third brood was 1 lutino. All but two have moved on to new homes, I have a lutino which has been plucked, I suspect, so needs to regrow feathers before leaving and the silver-grey is passing through between homes. If the lutino is a hen I may keep it as a mate for my lone lutino cock but I will have to wait until I can fully tell it's sex for sure.
It hasn't been the best year for breeding but all of the surviving chicks are strong a good looking birds. The white cheek pair have not had any viable eggs at all but have reared someone else's chick so they will have another chance next year before I decide to do something. They are sitting on two eggs as I write so there is still time.

Two Views of a cockatiel nestbox.

Not visible are the wooden 'rungs' attached below the hole
to allow the birds to climb out of the box.


Lutino Cock	Lutino Hen (Klingon's Baby)	White Cheeked Pair


Lutino Hen on Nest box	Lutino Hen with her normal chick.

2002 Season

I have started out the year with three breeding pairs.

Pair 1 - Lutino hen (Klingon's baby) and normal cock.
Pair 2 - Lutino hen (Tail-less) and normal cock.
Pair 3 - White cheek pearl hen and white cheek normal cock.
I also have one lone lutino cock who has lost his mate but will get a mate from this round of breeding for next year.

Pair - 1
They are on their second brood. Only one egg was viable from the first hatch, it is a normal grey and has been out of the nest for some time now. This second brood was three lutino chicks but one subsequently died probably because it was really small but the rest are growing nicely and their eyes are starting to open now (14 July)
Pair - 2
This lutino hen is my own breeding from last year but she had a bad tail so was kept. Her mate is also a home bred bird but from three years ago. She laid and hatched 5 eggs but two were far too small to survive and so three remain, one normal grey and two lutinos. They are beginning to feather up at this point (14 July)
Pair - 3
The hen of this pair I bought in to replace one which died last year. They have bonded and she lays and they incubate diligently. The first round, of three eggs, one hatched but was born dead because it was way before it's time. The others were infertile.
Second round was four eggs and after sitting the first one hatched and imagine my surprise when it had yellow down. (White cheek chicks are born with white down) The other eggs came to nothing again but the pair are rearing the single chick. I suspect that someone else has popped in and laid an egg but I'll reserve judgement for the moment.
Third and final round is two eggs (one placed in box by me as it was laid on the floor) and one of their own. Don't know if they will have time to hatch as it is now into October and getting cold but if they hatch I can at least help out by hand feeding as necessary.

2003 Season

This has been a poor breeding season and ,as yet , I have no chicks to report on. I have lost my white cheek cock but have acquired some young birds so meet the new birds
Pair 2 from last year are still here,that is Tailless and her normal mate.
I have a pied red cheek cock, affectionately christened Berty, who has a pretty lutino mate but they haven't bred this year.
The others are, a cinnamon pearl hen who, single-handedly, has 5 eggs but no mate, the pearl white cheek hen and two normal cocks(one of which is quite aged)
I don't think there will be any young this year so I will have to content myself with planning for next year.

2004 Season

I am hoping to have a better breeding season this year. My birds are all fairly young now so there should be no deaths due to old age.
I have four pairs only but I will be able to watch their progress more closely. Already they are showing signs of wanting to breed but it is only January so they will have to wait a bit longer as it is still far too cold to put the nesting boxes outside.
First pair are Tailless(who is looking much better tail wise) and her Normal cock.
Second pair are Berty the pied cock and his lutino hen.
Third pair look to be Charlie the cinnamon pearl hen who has teamed up with a Normal cock.
Fourth and last pair are the white cheek pearl hen and a new boy, a white cheek pied cock.
From those pairings there should be some nice chicks. I will put the boxes into the outside flight, at the earliest, in early march so the newer ones have time to bond.
Well now they have had one round each except for the white cheeked "pair". I am told that my cock is in fact a hen!! Certainly an egg laid on the hut floor has hatched (with the assistance of another hen)and is unmistakeably white cheeked.
First pair have a lutino and 2 normals.
Second pair have a true lutino with red eyes, and 2 normals.
Third pair have a pearl, 2 normal, a cinnamon and the egg they adopted which is a white cheek normal.
The white cheek "pair" obviously, have done nothing and I have no idea who the egg belonged to. The pearl hen sat on three eggs for a long time but they were clear.
The new pied,pearl cock is a beauty but has taken Berty's hen so he may be forced to have a white cheek wife - or two!! That will mean a different pairing for the second and final round.
The young are all fit and well and show signs of being mainly cock birds but the colours are not fully there yet.