COCKATIELS
THE
MATING
PAIR BREED DIFFERENT
IN CAPTIVITY THAN THEY SO IN CENTRAL AUSTRALIA WHERE
THEY
ARE FROM. DURING THE RAINY SEASON THERE THEY WILL
PRODUCE
UP TO 3 OR 4 BROODS, ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER. THEN
IT
MAY BE A YEAR OR MORE BEFORE CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT FOR
BREEDING TO RECUR. IN CAPTIVITY CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT
ALL
THE TIME, SO THEY MUST NOT BE OVERBREED.
THE MOTHER USUALLY LAYS 5 EGGS, BUT CAN LAY ANYWHERE
FROM 3
TO 8, SHE WILL LAY THEM EVERY OTHER DAY, BUT CAN LAY
AN
EGG
TWO DAYS IN A ROW. MOTHER USUALLY SITS ON THEM AT
NIGHT,
WHILE FATHER STANDS WATCH, THEN FATHER WILL RELIEVE
HER IN
THE DAY.
SOME NEWER FATHERS WILL STAY IN THE BOX
WITH MOTHER DAY AND NIGHT, ANIXOUSLY WAITING !!
IT TAKES 17 TO 21 DAYS FOR THE BABIES TO HATCH, SOME
MAY NOT BE FERTILE AND WILL NOT HATCH.
LET ME FIRST INTRODUCE YOU TO MY BABIES.
THESE COCKATIEL BABIES ARE 5, 3, AND 2 DAYS OLD and
TWO EGGS AS YET ARE UNHATCHED.
ON NEST
THEY ARE IN A BREEDING BOX, WHICH
IS ATTACHED TO THE PARENTS CAGE FOR THEM TO BE BORN
IN.
THEY WILL REMAIN HERE UNTIL THE YOUNGEST ONE HATCHED
IS 2 WEEKS OLD.
THEN THEY WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF THE NEST BOX, AND BE
PUT INTO SEPARATE QUARTERS. I USE A FISH TANK, WITH
A SPECIAL HEATING LAMP ATTACHED TO KEEP THEM WARM
THE FIRST WEEK YOU MUST BEGIN THEIR FEEDING
SCHEDULE ON AN EVERY 4 HOUR BASIS DURING THE DAY. A
SPECIAL SYRINGE IS USED TO FEED THEM WITH.
I FEED MINE A BABY HANDFEEDING FORMULA ALREADY
PRE-MADE,
WHICH YOU CAN BUY IN ANY PET STORE, OR FROM A
WHOLESALER.
ON IMAGE
THESE BABIES SHOWN ARE NOW 2 WEEKS OLD.
DURING THEIR 2ND WEEK.
AS YOU FEED THEM, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
INSERT THE SYRINGE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THEIR
MOUTH,
POINT IT TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE OF BABYS THROAT. THIS
WAY THE FOOD GOES DOWN THEIR ESOPHAGUS, AND
NOT THEIR WINDPIPE, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT
(OTHER) SIDE.
FILL THE PLUNGER THEN, YOU PUSH THE FOOD INTO THEIR
MOUTH MATCHING THEIR SWALLOWING MOTIONS.
THE SYRINGES USED TO FEED THE BIRDS
SHOULD
BE THOROUGHLY WASHED IN STEAMING HOT WATER, OR
STERILIZED IF YOU HAVE A STERILIZER
The second week that the
babies are here, they have
come to
know you, and expect to be feed everytime they see
you, and
They will begin to call out to you to be
fed.
DURING THEIR 2ND WEEK HERE.THEY SHOULD BE PUT ON A 3
TIMES
A DAY FEEDING SCHEDULE
BY THE 3RD WEEK HERE
THEY SHOULD BE FEED TWICE, ONCE IN THE MORNING, &
ONCE AT NIGHT.
AT THIS TIME YOU CAN START INTRODUCING THEM
TO A
JUNIOR FOOD, "MILLET SPRIG" WHICH YOU WILL CONTINUE
USING THRU ADULTHOOD.
AT THE END OF THE 3RD WEEK OUT OF THEIR NEST, THEY
WILL
HAVE THEIR
FEATHERS GROWING IN. AND ARE USUALLY READY FOR THEIR
FIRST FLIGHT, SO IT IS TIME TO MOVE THEM IN THEIR NEW
HOME, CALLED A FLIGHT CAGE.
ON ME
BY THE 4TH WEEK OUT OF NEST, ONLY FEED THEM AT NIGHT.
WHEN FEEDING THEM NEVER GIVE THEM MORE THAN 1 SYRINGE
FULL OF FOOD, EVEN IF THEY ASK FOR MORE, AS YOU CAN
OVERFEED THEM.
BY 4TH WEEK OUT OF NEST, THEY ARE NOW 6 WEEKS OLD,
AND
READY TO
START ON THE NEXT JUNIOR FOOD, "MILLET SEED"
AT THIS TIME YOU ARE NO LONGER GOING TO HAND FEED
THEM. CONTINUE WITH THE MILLET SPRIGS AND SEED, AND
SUGGEST VITAMINS BE PUT INTO THEIR
WATER, TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LACK OF A PROPER FULL
DIET.
THEY ARE ALSO READY AT THIS TIME TO BE INTRODUCED TO
SOFT
FOODS, BREADS, FRUITS, EVEN BROCCOLI. THEY SHOULD BE
ABLE
TO EAT ON THEIR OWN FOR AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE,
INTRODUCING ADULT TYPE FOODS, AT THIS POINT THEY
WILL NOT
YET BE ABLE TO CRACK THE BIG SEEDS, BECAUSE THEIR
BEAKS ARE STILL TO SOFT.
WHEN THEY ARE 8 WEEKS OLD, YOU CAN START THE ADULT
FOOD, BUT ALSO CONTINUE OTHER JR. FEEDINGS,
THEY ARE NOW READY TO GO TO THEIR NEW HOMES.
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