Setting Up Pairs Part 2
Getting Pairs to Bond
The best way to get pairs to bond is to flock your non-breeding birds in a community flight. When you do this, you will create a "natural selection" process. You will notice some birds will sit next to a bird of the opposite sex continuously and without a squabble. Naturally bonded pairs will often eat at the same time and wait for each other until both are finished. Its quite a site to see! These are often the pairs that I will look at to set up together.
A word of warning: Just because two birds naturally bond, doesn't mean they should be paired. I will look at naturally bonded cockatiels and look at what they have to offer as a pair. Will they improve my aviary with their offspring? Do both of them share a trait that I do not want in future generations? Do they fullfill the goal of my breeding program? If the answer is "no" to any of these, I do not pair up. I simply leave the hen in the community flight and put the male in a "cock flight" so that he is no longer in the picture. It should not be a goal of any breeder to simply make more cockatiels. Even temperment, conformation to a standard, and other variables should be considered first.
What happens when I have a pair that I want to breed that is not naturally bonded?
Well, that happens more often than not. I cage breed all my pairs. This means, I do not breed as a colony. Instead, individual pairs get set up in individual cages. If you are taking a hen out of a colony resting situation, it is very important not to set her up with a male and immediately put up a breeding box. To insure that the male you are setting her up with to breed is actually the sire of the babies, I will close off the nest box for a period of at least 2 weeks. During these 2 weeks, I make sure the pair is not fighting and that they are starting to bond. Bonding can be seen by the pair sitting together, preening each other, eating together, etc. Sometimes, after 2 weeks, even if I don't see bonding occuring, I will give them access to a nestbox for an extended period during the day just to see if the pair is interested. I believe this can stimulate the hormones of one or both of the birds and can stimulate a bond.
If bonding doesn't occur after a month or two, I will return both to the aviary. If bonding has occured but the hen doesn't lay, I will wait longer and make sure the hen is healthy and is on a good diet. I add Vitamin E on occasion and supplement their seed and pellets with scrambled eggs or egg food to make sure the hen is in tip top health. Sprouting is a great way to put your birds in good health!
Next: Nesting Behaviors. What to do and not to do while the pair is nesting...
The best way to get pairs to bond is to flock your non-breeding birds in a community flight. When you do this, you will create a "natural selection" process. You will notice some birds will sit next to a bird of the opposite sex continuously and without a squabble. Naturally bonded pairs will often eat at the same time and wait for each other until both are finished. Its quite a site to see! These are often the pairs that I will look at to set up together.
A word of warning: Just because two birds naturally bond, doesn't mean they should be paired. I will look at naturally bonded cockatiels and look at what they have to offer as a pair. Will they improve my aviary with their offspring? Do both of them share a trait that I do not want in future generations? Do they fullfill the goal of my breeding program? If the answer is "no" to any of these, I do not pair up. I simply leave the hen in the community flight and put the male in a "cock flight" so that he is no longer in the picture. It should not be a goal of any breeder to simply make more cockatiels. Even temperment, conformation to a standard, and other variables should be considered first.
What happens when I have a pair that I want to breed that is not naturally bonded?
Well, that happens more often than not. I cage breed all my pairs. This means, I do not breed as a colony. Instead, individual pairs get set up in individual cages. If you are taking a hen out of a colony resting situation, it is very important not to set her up with a male and immediately put up a breeding box. To insure that the male you are setting her up with to breed is actually the sire of the babies, I will close off the nest box for a period of at least 2 weeks. During these 2 weeks, I make sure the pair is not fighting and that they are starting to bond. Bonding can be seen by the pair sitting together, preening each other, eating together, etc. Sometimes, after 2 weeks, even if I don't see bonding occuring, I will give them access to a nestbox for an extended period during the day just to see if the pair is interested. I believe this can stimulate the hormones of one or both of the birds and can stimulate a bond.
If bonding doesn't occur after a month or two, I will return both to the aviary. If bonding has occured but the hen doesn't lay, I will wait longer and make sure the hen is healthy and is on a good diet. I add Vitamin E on occasion and supplement their seed and pellets with scrambled eggs or egg food to make sure the hen is in tip top health. Sprouting is a great way to put your birds in good health!
Next: Nesting Behaviors. What to do and not to do while the pair is nesting...
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