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Copyright © Linda S. Rubin | CockatielsPlusParrots.com
Breeding Articles
SPEAKER PAPER: Breeding Programs for Y2K

by Linda S. Rubin, SPBE and CF Panel Judge
©2000 All Photos and Articles “All Rights Reserved” by Author.
Written permission from author required for reprints.

First published in the proceedings program of the Canadian Parrot Symposium East,
Toronto, Canada
Aviculturists have been accustomed to working with cockatiels in captivity for many decades as their "bread and butter"
birds, offering hand-fed tame babies, breeding pairs, and top exhibition stock for sale, all of which has led to an increased
popularity of the species over time. Today, the cockatiel is the number two pet bird in over 6 million US households.
Interestingly, not everyone who attempts to raise cockatiels can successfully reproduce them and newcomers especially
have difficulty. What is responsible for the cockatiels continued popularity ranges from new breeding techniques learned
over the years, to the dramatic appearance of fascinating new color mutations which has sparked a collective interest in
both newcomers and seasoned breeders alike. Husbandry techniques gathered from avian research studies have  
benefited cockatiel breeders by directly improving their breeding studs or increasing their rate of reproduction. In addition,
newer manufactured products ranging from prepared hand-feeding formulas suitable to the cockatiels' sensitive digestive
system, to brooders and other equipment, have been of tremendous aid to breeding success.

Rarer color mutations such as the Yellow-cheek, Pastel-face, Dominant Silvers, and the new  Suffused Yellows and their
myriad combinations are impacting Cockatiel circles both on and off the show-bench at a challenging rate. The formerly
known 'rares' of yesterday are now increasingly spotted at bird fairs, formally inscribed within show classifications, and
currently rooted throughout classified advertisements, with a new list of contemporary mutations that continue to   
escalate. No longer are breeders confined to a world of a few simple sex-linked or autosomal recessive mutations. Now,  
the art of producing and combining such color combinations requires deliberate forethought and planning, and a better
understanding of color genetics and color pigmentation to properly identify and classify new colors.
Controlled versus Colony Breeding.


  
If the object is to produce a quantity of young during the breeding season, without concern for superior quality of  
individuals, or for specific color mutations, then colony breeding is a good method of producing an abundance of offspring.
Experienced cockatiels make good parents and have been known to feed their own and even other pairs' young. Eager
parents, both cocks and hens, have been seen diving into their own or their neighbors' nest boxes to satisfy the hungry
cries of chicks that have been left temporarily unattended. While one explanation to attending to others' young might  
include the increased levels of certain hormones, learned behavior through trial and error to establish good parenting   
skills must also be credited.

Additionally, some pairs seem to be better parents even on a first nest, and so possibly a genetic component has been
inherited as well, whether they are merely feeding out their own or another pairs' young. To plan a successful colony, it is
best to expose birds to prospective mates prior to the breeding season in order to enhance the formation of pair bonds,     
or else additional time must be factored in for birds to pair off at the start of the season. Any extra birds that remain
unmated should be removed in order to maintain harmony within the group.

Pairs that are introduced prior to the breeding season will more easily reestablish their bonds and require less time to go   
to nest and produce eggs. Although most pairs do form strong bonds, it is not outside the realm of possibility for a chance
indiscretion to occur which the aviculturist may, or may never, witness. Therefore, it is impossible to guarantee a pedigree
card when using the colony system even if the breeder is convinced of a pair's "faithfulness."

When using the colony system, it is essential to provide enough space so pairs won't be overcrowded in the flight. Ample
room should prevent squabbling over nest boxes, perch space, or other established territories. The aviculturist should    
plan ahead, calculating how much extra room will be necessary to include the number of offspring produced who will
eventually fly the nest.

A number of additional nest boxes should be provided over the number of cockatiels paired. This will offer birds some
choice and keep fighting over boxes at a minimum. If the boxes are attached inside the flight, the top flat surface can
become a good mating stand allowing the hen to maintain her balance while the cock is standing on her back. Nest boxes
hung outside of the aviary provides the advantage of easy nest inspection without intrusion or disruption to the colony.
Whether nest boxes are hung inside or outside the flight, all perches must be securely fastened for firm footholds so that
effective fertilization takes place.

Nest boxes should be removed after two rounds of young are raised or no more than ten to twelve chicks per pair. If pairs
continue to have access to nest boxes they will continue to breed and produce additional clutches of eggs, often to the
detriment of the hen who will be robbed of important calcium stores. Continuous breeding and egg production will only rob
pairs of their breeding stamina, making them ineffective parents, and burning them out as breeders at a premature age.
Finally, as young chicks mature, they will be encouraged to start breeding before they are developmentally prepared to do
so or ready to effectively raise their own young.



Controlled breeding, housing one pair of cockatiels per aviary or pen, is the preferred method of raising cockatiels if the
aviculturist is intent on raising quality over quantity; when breeding for specific color mutations; and when attempting to
produce birds for exhibition. Controlled breeding is an absolute necessity to guaranteeing proof of parentage and pedigree
cards for offspring produced. Other advantages include the ability to document important data or information on specific
individuals or pairs, and more control over the breeding cycle such as accurate record keeping and banding of offspring
from known parentage. The major disadvantage to individual cage breeding is the increased maintenance time in servicing
additional aviaries or the need for extra space required to house additional aviaries or individual pens.

Smaller collections utilizing controlled breeding methods may permanently house established pairs together. However, the
majority of breeders with larger flocks maintain their birds in large resting flights, and possibly adolescent and nursery
flights for younger birds so they need not compete with adults over food and territory. In the United States, aviculturists
predominantly separate the sexes by housing cocks and hens in separate resting flights. The aim is to maintain control  
over birds so they may be repaired to mates of the aviculturist's choosing, rather than to previous bonded mates. However,
sometimes bonds are so strong between a pair that a new mate will not always be accepted, although this is in the  
minority, especially when the original mate is within site or earshot of its call. Cockatiel pair bonds will often strengthen
when they are permitted to live together in resting flights. Therefore, in order to encourage an individual to be more
receptive to a new partner, established pairs are split up during the resting season then eventually repaired to new  
partners at the commencement of breeding season. The author has tried housing established pairs together in resting
flights and found older pairs which have already raised young together to maintain exceptionally strong pair bonds as
evidenced by mutual preening (allopreening), perching and sitting together, and sometimes feeding together, even in large
spacious flights. In general, cockatiels in a controlled breeding environment will pair with a new partner and produce eggs
within two to three weeks of introduction, provided all the necessary elements for the commencement of breeding are
provided. Dietary Requrirements: continued next page ...
ABSTRACT
COLONY BREEDING
CONTROLLED BREEDING