COCKATIELS
Part 2

by Michael Anderson ©

From notes taken by Jude Vaughan during Michael Anderson’s address at the Parrot Society of Australia’s General Meeting - revised by Michael Anderson 1998.

Nestboxes

Personally, I recommend the use of timber boxes with a floor size of approximately 200mm x 250mm, with wooden cleats glued to the inside rather than a wire ladder for access. If you nail the cleats it can pose a danger if the birds chew at the timber thereby exposing sharp fine brads, which tear the chest as the birds exit the box.

An opening in the box of say, 75mm, seems to suit this species. They don’t necessarily prefer a very small opening. as in the wild they nest in quite large branches.

Also consider placing a block of timber across the bottom of the box directly under the opening and ladder as it appears to force the hen to lay her eggs further back in the box and there is less chance of eggs being damaged with the parents coming and going.

Check the box each day and be especially wary of Red Mite which can infest a nestbox quite quickly and cause death in very young birds. Consider mixing Skatta 7™ or Garden King™ European Wasp & Flea Kill, (the active ingredient in these products is Carbaryl) into your nesting material when setting up or changing the contents of the box.

Feeding

A good starting point for Cockatiels is a small parrot mix such as that produced by Breeders Choice Seeds.

However, dry seed and water alone do not supply sufficient nutritional value for any bird so other foods should be offered at all times.

This is especially important during the breeding season. Wholemeal bread moistened with milk is a good idea first thing in the morning as this supplies an easily digested "starter" to fill the chicks’ crops and gives the parents time to consume seeds and other soft food. Milk contains Lycine which is an essential amino acid.

Sprouted seed is best fed when the sprout is just appearing which is when it is at its optimum nutritional value.

One member has an ingenious method of growing fresh seed and vegetables in his aviary by placing a wire protector over his seeded area and when the plants come through this, the birds are able to access fresh food at their discretion. This could also work if planted in window box type containers that could be placed in the aviary when needed. At least in this way the plants get a chance to establish themselves before the onslaught of the birds.

Predators

Crows have presently been the main problem around my aviaries. Since the aviaries are of a suspended style, the Crows have found that they can fly under the aviary, hang on the wire and frighten the birds, particularly the young and newly fledged. They have attacked and killed chicks.

A solution to part of this problem is suspending a second layer of wire 50mm or so below the bottom wire of the aviary which stops them actually reaching the chicks and inflicting injury.

Other Problems

Another problem which can face aviculturists is an apparently lifeless chick found on the aviary floor. Don’t write it off, place the chick in a brooder or some emergency heating container and sometimes you will be surprised to find that it will start to rally round once warmed up.

At this point you can give a supplementary feed and replace the chick into the nestbox and check that the parents resume feeding, or if not continue to hand feed yourself. Never try to feed a chick that is cold as the food will not go through its system and thereby cause yet another problem.

Many times aviculturists blame the parents for throwing a chick out of the nest, however, this can happen in the course of a cock or hen exiting the nestbox and a chick can be stuck to their feathers by food or faecal debris. It’s amazing how closely some birds tuck their chicks under themselves.

On the disease side of things, you can have possible bacterial infection even passed on by the parents to chicks. When you find chicks 7 to 10 days old, dead in the nest with a full crop, be suspicious and have an autopsy done if this happens regularly.

Chicks can also become chilled especially during the cold months or a cold snap. A cold chick will not feed well, the food can sour and you have crop stasis problems. Likewise, if the chick is not behaving normally and its begging action is not strong, it can simply be ignored by the parents and not be fed.

If your parents are proven good breeders, then also consider the possibility of cats, dogs, possums, owls etc causing a disturbance at night. Night frights can be the reason for otherwise healthy chicks with full crops to be found dead from chilling after parents are frightened from the nest and don’t return.

Above all, keep in mind that aviculturists must continually aim to improve husbandry and housing techniques for the well-being of birds and promote our hobby in a positive way.

Go to Cockatiels - Part 1 by Michael Anderson or read about Cheekie, our member's 30-year-old Cockatiel.

© Article under Copyright with the author, Michael Anderson, and cannot be reprinted without written permission.

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