Cockatiel Mating
There’s not anything that’s exceptionally difficult about cockatiel breeding—outside of acquiring a male and a female that are bonded—except for a decent amount of your time and patience.
While cockatiel mating may seem fun and a new experience for cockatiel owners, you’ll notice that their attitude towards you changes from affectionate to cold. Not because they don’t like you anymore, but because their family now takes precedent.
If you’re breeding them for more pets, this period of time may seem a little disheartening but it will eventually pass when they’re all, fully grown adults. If you’re looking to become a breeder, however, there are some rules of thumb that you should be aware of.
Breeding Cockatiels
There’s more to breeding cockatiels than just throwing a male and a female in a cage.
- They need to be between 2 and 5 years old
- Unrelated, healthy, and disease-free
- They’ll need plenty of cage space, including a breeding/nesting box
- Additional calcium in their diet
- Cockatiel babies need to be weaned
The mating age for cockatiels starts between 2 and 5 years of age. You don’t want to put a very old or a very young cockatiel in the cage together. You also want to make sure that they are completely unrelated and are free from any defects or diseases.
Cage space is an important factor to consider as well. Your cockatiels should have at least a 20” x 20” x 50” cage and at least a 12” x 12” x 10” mating box—or nesting box if you prefer.
You’ll also need to up their calcium intake starting with when both go into the cage and continuing well after the mother lays her eggs. Calcium is important in her diet to improve egg development and to get her back to 100% after she lays her eggs.
Typically, a breeder will remove the chicks from their mother’s care at about two weeks and hand-feed them until roughly 6 to 8 weeks. They can eat millet, softened pellets, and vegetables.
All Things Considered
It’s not a trying or overly harsh process by any means but it does require your time, patience, and careful consideration in terms of what the cockatiels need and what they don’t need.
