cockateils

[chris]

Come on enlighten me please:grin:

i'm trying to decide between teils and budgies, i must say the teils are definately more appealing to me but i don't know if a 4' x18 x 18 cage is really suitable for breeding, the rest of the time they would be outside in the aviary provided the weavers aren't at it.

so, teils, how do you tell apart the sexes? how do you breed them? is this size cage suitable or do i need to use the 6 footer i'm planning? anything else i should know first? and pro's and cons in comparision to budgies

Chris:wink:

[laurab]

Interesting one Chris :wink:

I have kept both but I am sad to say, singularly and in cages :(

I would say though, the bigger the flight the better :p

[Pyxel]

They need a bit more space than Budgies and many people recommend keeping and breeding them in flights only, or a very large cage. I'm not saying that's from my experiance as I have only one hand-reared one, but I've read a lot about them needing a decent bit of space. Although I have both Budgies and Cockatiels, and like them both equally, the Cockatiel has a much nicer nature - even with breeding birds I think there is less aggression and carry on with them. As for breeding I haven't a clue but I'm sure you will get help, best of luck with them. ;)

[chris]

thanks Pyxel & Laura

i want to have a go with the tiels, but until i get that larger cage done i'll have to wait. Maybe another aviary is in order:grin:

Cheers, Chris;-)

[chris]

I can't take it any longer, as soon as the weather has warmed up i'm getting a pair. can't decide between the Pearl mutation or the whiteface Pearl if i'm lucky enough to come across any.

i've seen some pearl's for sale at £28 each, i don't know if that's steep because the shop is generally a bit on the steep side as far as birds go, or is that the average price for this mutation?

Chris;-)

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Chris,

It would be best to house a pair of Cockatiels in a 6ft long x 6ft high x 3ft wide aviary, the price of £28 for Pearl Cockatiels is on the steep side mate, you should be able to buy a pair for £40 or less.
To sex Pearls is easy as long as they are adult Birds, the cock loses the pearl markings after the first moult, but the hen keeps the pearl markings after the moult.

To breed Cockatiels you should provide a nest box measuring around 18 inches high x 12 inches wide x 12 inches deep, with a 3 inch entrance hole and a side inspection door is best rather than lifting the box lid to inspect. Substrate in the box can either be an upside down grass turf, or a slightly moist peat and wood chip mix.

A general Parakeet seed mix with Greenfood including Chickweed, Grounsel, Cress etc, Fruit and Veg such as Apple, Pear, Cellery, Carrot etc and Eggfood should be offered.

Paul.;)

[kenny]

hi paul
is the pearl sex prediction the same as the lutino.where the striping on the underside of the tail is present on the hen.
ken

[kenny]

hey up chris,
i thought you where supposed to be cutting back mate not building bigger aviaries mate

ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Ken,

Yes you are right mate,;) the pearl hen shows yellow and black stripes on the undertail, while the cocks undertail is just plain black.

Paul.

[chris]

Hi Ken/Paul,

cheers for the advice, i should be able to pick out a pair at least then given what you've told me on sexing.

now, any tips on hand rearing? i'm not doing it for money, i'd like a 'pet' bird that i can handle etc. unlike weavers. now there's an intesting thought, a hand reared weaver, i could teach it to knit me a jumper.... & put my nan out of business:lol: :lol: :lol:

Chris:wink:

[Waxbillman]

:lol: good luck with that, the watch out grans can turn nasty with thier knitting needles

Matthew

[kenny]

hi chris
well first of all you pick out a nice tame specimen then you feed it softfood for a few weeks then you talk to it and cuddle it then you start to wean it by giving it eggfood without any water so that it learns to use its beak and then you get it to sit on your shoulder and it cheeps when it hears your voice and then....................you give to the dog as an aperitif !:lol: :lol: :lol:
ken

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Chris,

I found that two to three week old youngsters were the best age to Handrear, the diet I used was Milupa Seven Cereal, Milupa Fruit Salad and Sunflower Hearts blitzed in a food mixer.
This mix can be fed via syringe and tube, or bent spoon, the syringe method is cleaner but less personal, the spoon method tends to mess up the cheek patches which will need to be cleaned with warm water after each feed.

Paul.;-)

[dave85]

hey all,

The pearl mutation cockatiels - you can expect to pay around the £15 mark, some people will maybe sell you a pair for less or slightly more depending on if they are proven or not.

id definatly get them preferably from a breeder than a shop, the pearl cocks will moult out and appear like a normal grey with only slight marking on back where the pearl used to be after a couple of seaon of moulting.

so its important to ring the pearls so you know they are pearl and not normal grey - as ive bred some before and in the clutch was a normal cock and a pearl cock and i kept both but once they moulted their was very little difference only slight differences.

Chris, i have a pair of cinnamons if interested? the cock is cinnamon split whiteface, pearl x cinnamon-pearl hen - both 04 bred - im going to breed them in spring but i may part with them at end of season if interested? or i maybe able to sort you out with some young pairs?

All cockatiel mutations are generally the same to sexe apart from Albinos, pieds and some combinations.

tail bars and wing spots is the main way to sexe them as all females have them, whereas cock birds lack them.

any questions feel free to pm me or ask on open forum.

Thanks
Dave

p.s - if anyone knows anyone with albino or whiteface hens please let me know? as im after 2.