posted 12-09-2003 07:23 PM         

Now, I am faced with a number of problems. My first are they are brother and sister. The second - they are horrible parents. Their first clutch, 3 healthy babies hatched, were about 2 weeks old when my family had to go to Melbourne. A relative was looking after my pets, but unfortunitly all 3 chicks died, apparently early on. We thought it was from cold, the cage being in the kitchen which was usually warmer. After we took a sick chick from the next clutch to an avian vet, we found that it was actually Croptosis - the parents overfeeding the chicks so much that food in the crop goes bad while waiting to be digested. Since then I have had to handraise a few babies (the 2 still alive are thriving, the 1st is about a year old and a beautiful female Cinnamon Pearl Lutino, though she has inherited her father's bad temper). Well, my birds were up to their 5th or 6th clutch now, when yesterday they seemed to abondoned it. I took the nesting box out: one unhatched egg, one egg died while hatching, one dead chick and part of another dead chick. Usually the chicks I have to take out are about 2 weeks old - the oldest of these was supposed to be about a week! My birds are just getting worse and worse. The hen only likes to sit on eggs and the father is over dedicated to feeding chicks. Also, both parents praticlly starve themselves, which isn't good at all in cases like the last hatching!

So, the only thing I can think to do is seperate them, but I'm worried they might stress (leading to feather-plucking etc). The male (the tamer one) would be kept inside while the female stays out in the aviary. Any suggestions? Should I buy some new companions for them?
I was already set up for taking on new chicks to handrear (I don't like the idea of buying chicks before they're weaned, but I'm really desprate for some more babies) and it's an ideal time, so I may buy some and they could end up being the current two's company.

posted 12-10-2003 02:18 AM         

Both adults need to be atleast 18months old before breeding is aloud this is to make sure both male and female are both mature.

Soft foods should be introduce early on in the breeding cycle as parents over feeding there chicks with just seed can cause problems which you have found out.

I would remove the nest box and not allow these birds to breed again as sounds like you will have the same problem.

1 of my pairs have raised lots of chicks in the past until this year when they laid they killed 3out of 4 of the chicks and i hand raised the 4th one.

Birds should not lay more than 2 clutches without atleast a 6month break this is due to calicium deficencies that can arise.

Cuttlebone, vitamin blocks should be given to breeding birds this helps keep them in top condition.

Fresh fruit and veg daily is also good for them intoduce things like boiled egg with the shell crushed into ir this will give them added calcium aswell as nutrients..

If you would like more info or help please feel free to email me at....

boro_lad1976@hotmail.com

and i will be pleased to help out.

posted 12-12-2003 03:39 AM         

If possible move the cage every couple of days this makes the hen uneasy and wont lay if she does not feel safe.

If she does lay and you dont want the eggs to hatch remove eac one as it is laid mark it with a number boiled it let it cool and replace back with her to sit for the incubation period..

Some cockatiels make great parents others dont, The males are usually the ones that kill the babies as they are ready to mate again after the eggs have hatched and will kill the babies hoping for the female to remate...