Cockatiel Showing Part 2

Cockatiel Showing
Aquiring Initial Stock

Starting from scratch is easier for cockatiel exhibitors than working with your existing stock. Though its easier, its not often preferred. Sometimes you have a pair in which you really like a trait that they carry to their offspring. Then, you can take another cockatiel to improve on your established lines.

Aquiring stock should come from only a few sources. When I first got into cockatiels, I had a judge right here in my hometown, Raleigh. I learned everything about exhibiting from him and purchased my first pairs from him. Remember, you are NOT buying the best looking bird all the time. Sometimes you are buying the birds genetics. Who better knows the birds genetics than the breeder. Ask them what physical qualities this bird should produce. This will help you get a mate for this bird. You will want complimentary characteristics and those characteristics should be dominant. If you have a very big bird whose siblings are also large but lacks a crest, you will want to find a very long stylish bird who has a dominant crest. You can spend alot of money on birds, but you don't have to. A good quality cockatiel with a good pedigree can range from $125 up to $500. If you want to produce, sometimes getting the best bird is not the only option if you can get its sibling which carries the same genetics. I find this especially in males. Cocks often "hide" their attributes in their sex-linked chromosomes and will pass their parents good traits to their offspring. Thus, I would suggest getting a few good hens (good size, deportment, etc) and a cock who has good characteristics in himself but also in his pedigree.

Go through the show reports on the various cockatiel exhibition websites. See who is winning and with whose birds. Then, is the time to find who is breeding good stock. I have exhibited others birds but I have also exhibited my own band fairly consistantly. Another person though may have bought good stock and has done well on the show bench, yet has not had the opportunity or experience to breed from those birds. You will want, for your initial stock, to get from the folks who have experience breeding. Set your budget and find the best you can for the money. Try to start with a few complimentary lines and build from their babies. Build trust in a few trustworthy exhibitors. This may come from references from other novices or other advanced breeders. Advanced breeders, who do not have anything for sale, should be able to give you others who can. Its always nice to tell that exhibitor "I will buy from you but I would like some initial stock now, could I have a reference while I wait for you to produce". You shouldn't promise this if you are not going to buy in the future from this breeder. Getting a bad reputation for "window shopping" or not following through can haunt you for awhile.

Don't ask for the world:

The biggest fault I see with new exhibitors wanting the "best" that a person has. Obviously, the exhibitor will give you their best that they are willing to sell. Remember, you probably aren't going to get "pick of the clutch" but getting second pick isn't too bad either! You want that birds genetics so, in the future, you will be the breeder and be able to keep the best of the clutch. This is your ultimate goal, to produce good birds. I have heard exhibitors complain that they get a phone call from a novice exhibitor giving them a list of what they want that goes something like this: "I want a bird with a nice crest, good size, good deportment, good color, and good head". Well, wouldn't we all want that bird. Instead, explain to the exhibitor that you want some initial complimentary stock that will produce nice birds for you. You must be realistic but make sure you tell the exhibitor that you want to show and produce for showing. If we give you a bad bird, we surely know that it will come back to us. Most of us want you to succeed. Keep away from folks who only sell their birds to pet shops or non-exhibition folks. These are the folks who do not want to share their birds and oftentimes will not want you as competition. These guys and gals are fairly low in numbers. I can count them on a few fingers. There are so many people wanting to help, you will know who is being honest by calling around to a few exhibitors.

My last suggestion is that you CALL the exhibitor and always send them a letter or email thanking them for their time on the phone. Get to know the exhibitors and you will have a fun time at breeding and exhibiting. Take it slow, take a deep breath, and start exhibiting. Its FUN!

Related Articles
Cockatiel Showing Part 2
Top bench win X Top Bench win = Great Tiels? Maybe....

Showing Cockatiels

Showing Cockatiels
Building a better species

In the early 1990's most pet stores started pulling dogs out of kennels and stopped selling dogs in their shops. Horror stories of puppy mills and the over population of dogs became evident. Yet, birds still line the shelves of pet stores. I went to a local pet shop and was very dismayed at the quality of cockatiels still being bred today. Small cockatiels with disappointing attributes. There really isn't any reason to still be producing these types of birds. Good stock is plentiful and many good breeders are taking the time to produce better stock.

Showing cockatiels is a great way to gauge how well your breeding cockatiels are doing as far as production. Keeping back the best babies and the most sweetest babies is the way to go. A judges opinion is just that, an opinion. But, stretched over a couple of shows, you will see that judges will have the same opinions on many of your birds. If your bird consistantly places, for instance, 5th-7th in show, that is far better of a bird than a bird that gets a best in show and then only places every other show and its lower on the bench (say 9th or 10th). The first bird may never be a champion, but it is a consistantly good bird. The second bird may, over time, earn a grandchampion status with its best in show, but it not as consistant and should not be looked at with better eyes than the first bird because of its grand title. You want to produce consistant birds with dominant features. Showing your birds gives your breeding program a "Second eye".

Last year, I bought a plane ticket for a friend of mine to come down and look at my aviary. This person gave me a second opinion as to what my birds were producing and where I was headed. It wasn't an opinion I took as gospel. It was a second opinion. I sold some of my birds that were of lesser stock to some folks who needed the genetics and this year, I did consistantly better in my breedings. My birds are sold to the pet community and I have heard so many good things about their looks and attitudes. This gives me encouragement and helps me further my breedings to be even better. Showing gives me some competition so I can constructively look at my birds. Other exhibitors will comment on birds that may have not been in the best condition but are outstanding in genetics and breeding. This helps also.

Showing is competitive but I have found the folks to be regular "bird people". We love talking about breedings and we support each other for the common goal of producing better stock. Its a place to network, to gain friends and support, and a place to gather information about breeding. I have learned everything I know from two sources. The first is trial and error. Breeding is not an exact science and there is no special formula to producing quality stock in superior health. The second is from the exhibition folks who have been there and done that... They are just looking to foster other exhibitors so that we do not make the same mistakes that other folks do. It is this reason that I began writing these series of papers.

Come to a show. Whether you breed just a few or a lot, you will learn alot. Get up and ask folks questions. We are a big group of friends just waiting for another friend to come through the doors. Our enthusiasm is contagious, so watch out!

Can You Make Money From Breeding Birds?

This is such a loaded question that I get asked all the time. I'm an accountant by trade and I know that its extremely difficult to make money from cockatiels if you breed correctly.

Let's review the costs

Aquistion of Flock
Food
Baby Supplies
Cages and Aviaries
Extra Room (do you have to build on to your house or build an outbuilding? Is this covered in your properties covenence or will you be fined for having birds?)
Feeding Supplies
Veterinary Care
Marketing (included here is the cost of showing or going to fairs)
Advertising
Medications
Supplements
Breeding Supplies (nestboxes, cuttlebone, substrate material, etc)

All in all, breeding is EXPENSIVE. Now, there are two ways you can make money with birds. One is the BAD way. I've seen this alot on the internet. There is actually an ebook on making money. People buy birds and they sell birds. While this seems lucrative, just wait. Wait until a disease hits your flock. Its a problem waiting to happen even with the best of quaranteens.

The other way is to establish yourself in the avicultural world. Listen to folks, breed conscientiously and your birds will sell themselves. Your clients will be better clients, for the most part, and you will be a better breeder and knowledgeable seller. You can then demand a higher price for your birds because with your birds, comes knowledge. You will have to buy the best possible birds and these won't come cheap either. But, with careful planning, its not a sin to be paid for your time and effort. Its frowned upon because of all the puppy and even birdie mills out there. But, you have to acquire good stock, good knowledge, and GREAT breeding practices. Quality begets quality. But, you can't achieve it overnight. I have gone to dozens of shows a year and have worked hard on my breeding flock. I have excellent veterinary care for my birds and my buyers recommend me to other buyers. Just remember, your hard work will not go unnoticed and your excellence in breeding and knowledge will be proven on the show bench and in the species.

Breeding only brings a semi-decent income to very few breeders. For me, I can pay for all my supplies and afford to have time away at shows fraternizing with my friends. If I make more every now and again, I know there will be times when the birds are not producing as much as a good breeder never overworks their stock. You must make a niche for yourself in breeding and not only will it make you a little extra income but it will give you joy and satisfaction to be giving folks such a quality companion for years to come.

Good luck and enjoy learning! Having multiple degrees, I still haven't learned everything I want to yet. Have an inquisitive mind and keep your eye on the future!

Learn our secrets of breeding and caring for cockatiels:

Related articles:

Establishing your breeding aviary Part #1
Establishing Your Breeding Aviary Part 2


Would you like to have additional information on cockatiels including diseases, nutrition, and care of pet and breeding cockatiels? For a limited time until 8/30/06, we are offering the K&L Online Newsletter delivered to your mailbox for only $5.99/month! If you respond before August 15th, we'll give you a FREE trial period to try it out. Try it out for FREE now!

Avian Photography

Equipment needed for bird photography
by: Dries Cronje

The nice thing about bird photography is that it can happen anywhere on our beautiful globe. The not so nice thing is that birds are small or shy, and you need to be able to get close enough with your equipment. In this article, we will be looking at the ideal equipment for bird photography. We will also be having a quick look at how to use this equipment.

Camera body

We live in the world of digital photography, and therefore we will only be discussing digital camera bodies. I am also a really big Canon fan, so I will talk Canon, and you can translate it to other manufacturers if you need to.

You will need a decent camera body that allows you to set continuous focus while shooting images in the raw image quality. The cheapest body allowing you to do this is the Canon EOS 20D. However, it is not really cheap. The reason for it being not too affordable is that it is actually a very good all-round camera body for the serious amateur or professional. You cannot go wrong with this body…

Lenses

A lot of amateurs think that a really decent long zoom lens will solve all their problems. I have been there guys, and it does not. Do what the professionals do and get that long prime lens.
I used the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM for a long time, and my results were decent but not good enough. It is not the sharpest lens. If you need to use a zoom rather stick with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. It is pin sharp.

I now use the Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM and it is the best thing that could have happened to my photography. It is very sharp and very fast at the same time. A bit heavy at times, but I need the exercise! With this lens I mostly use a Canon Extender 1.4x II for an effective focal length of 1 120 mm with autofocus! That is plenty for any bird, and I cannot imagine getting a lot of good bird photographs with anything shorter.

By the way, do not use manual focus. Today’s cameras were not built for manual focus as the viewfinders are small and do not allow you to see enough detail to manual focus effectively.

Photographing flying birds

Okay, now you have all the equipment and you are heading into the field to get that award winning photograph of a flying bird. You have to have enough light entering your lens for a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action. You also want your camera to focus where the bird is in that split second you are going to give it before firing away. So what do you do…?
Set you camera to an ISO speed of 400. In sunshine this ought to be fast enough. The reason for not using ISO 100 or 200 is that you are photographing action and you do not want anything to blur.

You must also make sure your lens is open at its maximum aperture. A Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens coupled with a Canon Extender 1.4x II gives a maximum aperture of 5.6, and this is what I use when photographing flying birds.

Also ensure your camera is set to continuous autofocus. Canon calls this setting AI Servo focus. This is crucial and the main reason why I am not a fan of camera bodies like the Canon EOS 350D. They do not allow you to use this focus with raw images… Thanks Canon!
I also set my image stabilizer to Mode 2 for photographing moving subjects, to avoid it actually working against that sharp photo rather than for it…
Now all that is left is moving that heavy lens around while the birds are flying past. Happy shooting!

Conclusion
We professionals have a way of sometime making it sound like you do not need good equipment to be a good photographer. That is utter non-sense. Get yourself decent equipment and you will see why the pros get the shot and you don’t.

The other thing that makes the professionals so much better than the average amateur is patience. Go and sit somewhere where there are birds, forcing yourself not to move for three hours, and you will get the magic shots. Your patience will be rewarded.

About The Author
Dries Cronje is a freelance nature photographer operating in Southern Africa. He has a passion for teaching and has dedicated one of his sites, http://www.africa-nature-photography.com/, purely to helping his fellow nature photographers.

Nebulizers

Nebulizers:
How they work and should you get one?

I have been asthmatic since I was very young. I am allergic to many animals including my birds. Yet, as I grew older I haven't had to use my nebulizer (used to breathe in asthma medication) but it has come in quite handy.

Cockatiels, it seems, are very prone to upper and lower respiratory problems. Birds in general have an extra sensitive respiratory system which makes them very efficient at intaking oxygen. While this is good for flying, its not for infection. From time to time, I'll find a bird which is bobbing its tail in my aviary. This is classic signs of a lower respiratory system. Since they hide disease, this is sometimes the only sign they have and they must go to the veterinarian.

It is helpful to have already established a working relationship with your veterinarian. Tell them you have purchased a nebulizer, just in case. Please relieve their tensions that you will NOT use this unless directed by them with their prescription medications at the right dosage. Oftentimes a vet will only prescribe oral medications because we lack nebulizers in our homes. If you have a large flock (20 or more birds) I believe this to be a necessary tool rather than a luxury in your avian management program.

Nebulizers work on respiratory infections (often in conjunction with oral antibiotics) because it delivers medication directly to the sinus cavities and the lungs without having to go through the whole system. Because its not systematic treatment, you may be prescribed by your veterinarian to use both the nebulizer and systemic antibiotics at the same time. Here are a few precautions that you should take:

As outlined above, only use prescribed medication in the right dosing and in the right medium (usually saline) for the prescribed birds. Using human medications that are for use in a nebulizer can have catastophic outcomes. Antihistamines and other over the counter medications for humans can up the blood pressure and heart rate of your bird to lethal levels. They are for HUMANS, not for birds.

That being said, I have used simple distilled water in my nebulizer for sick birds who need to have a humid situation fast. For eggbound birds, I will first put them on heat in a 10 gallon aquarium and nebulize water to get the humidity up while I am waiting for vet advice. This may help the birds comfort level. A little dark time can work to lessen the stress. I cover the aquarium and wait for help. I will discuss egg-binding in another article. Please see the table of contents for that up and coming article.

Nebulizers are about $100 - $200 and increase in durability. Consult your veterinarian about getting a nebulizer especially if you have a large flock. It may be exactly what the doctor ordered!

Related Posts:
Air Cleaners for you and your birds

Air Cleaners for your Birds and You

Once you get your flock started, you MUST get an air cleaner for your birds. Air cleaners and air sanitizers do two different things. Air cleaners get dust and dander out of the air. Air sanitizers take bacteria and even some viruses out of the air. Both are beneficial for you. I know many a bird breeder who coughs and coughs because they keep their birds in their house. If you keep your birds in an outbuilding a room cleaner in conjunction with a mask is optimal. The dust that is given off my birds, especially the dusty ones like cockatiels and cockatoos can be overwhelming to your lungs. It also helps cut down on dander that may be carrying bacteria agents.

I have found a great little product that has a cleanable filter. This saves me a ton of money on buying filters once a month (yes, once a month!). I also use the upgraded filters on my intakes for my vents. This will prevent costly repairs in the years to come as you may have to blow out your system. It keeps everything clean and "people friendly". Your birds are your friends but keep your human friends safe too! You may not realize anything for quite a while and then one day come down with very sensitive lungs to your birds. Keep you and your birds safe. Invest in a good air cleaner.

Note: I do NOT use the ionizing feature. This is a useless feature and (although its not proven) can have effects on your birds. Why use it if you don't need it. Make sure to buy an air cleaner with an on/off button for the ionizer.

Basic Bird Supplies for Breeding

I have listed here what I always have around the house for breeding any of my parrots. Some are more expensive than others. I will list in order of importance:

Brooder- I have found the best bird supply for breeding IS a QUALITY brooder. I use one from petiatric supply and its a hospital type. Find out from your local vet what he believes your humidity should be. I do not trust internet articles on humidity. Remember, I'm in North Carolina and you may be in the midwest. My summers are normally humid, yours are dry. Thus, I rarely use any supplemental forms of humidity in my brooder (even though my brooder is inside). This has cut down crop problems by a half! Remember brooders can be used for babies of for sick birds. Keep them VERY CLEAN!

Handfeeding Supplies- This is one of those bird supplies folks who don't handfeed think they don't need on hand. I've had to handfeed even adults sometimes. Of course, I use a spoon and I don't actually handfeed, but sometimes a sick bird will eat formula before it eats seed. Supplies include: syringes, tubing, catheter tips, formula (regular and day one formula). I use Vetafarm for my day one formula. They make a nice "Neocare" that seems to work very well on my parrots (like parrotlets who require a little more energy packed formula). Don't forget substrate. I use shavings for small babies and then they graduate to a wire bottom. As soon as they start to use their mouths, the shavings are gone from the brooder.

Small dishes for supplementation- Whether it be egg food, mash, or whatever. Small crocks are always convenient. Use them when traveling too, they come in great

Nestboxes. Make your own if you are handy. I suggest you look at varying styles and get different styles as some birds prefer certain types of nestboxes. My lineolated parakeets always prefer ones with shelves in them. The cockatiels prefer either 10X10 or 12X12. Depends on the bird. I always get top loading cages for the tiels. They seem to work better if you are a chronic nest checker like me.

I will add more supplies as time allows.

Avian Influenza and Aviculture

Due to increasing demand for information on the Bird flu or Avian Influenza from fellow aviculturists, I have listed some important information as well as some links. These are the links I would trust as far as Avian Influenza. There is much speculation on the internet and many breeders and aviculturists are getting information that is conflicting. The threat, it seems with Avian Influenza is, at this moment, with smuggled or imported birds.
From the International Parrotlet Society:

Bird Flu - Avian Influenza

Due to the Wild Bird Conservation Act which was passed in 1992, the United States DOES NOT IMPORT exotic or pet-type birds except under very limited conditions. ANY birds that are imported are held in USDA quarantine facilities and are tested for both Avian Influenza and Exotic Newcastle Disease prior to their release. Furthermore, there have been NO confirmed cases of any H5N1 ("bird flu") Avian Influenza in the United States. USDA has been monitoring and responding to this situation since its development in 1997. It is strongly advised that interested parties, including aviculturists, keep themselves informed by monitoring the USDA Animal & Plant Inspection Service's web-site for the most current and accurate situation:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/avian_influenza/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/ - All inclusive information on a variety of special topics for Avian Influenza
AFA Statement Regarding Avian Influenza - Regarding Aviculture and Avian Influenza

Bacterial Diseases: An introduction

First of all, I commend those on the internet that have spoken of their trials and tribulations breeding cockatiels, especially those who have been bold enough to speak of their disease transmissions. A long time breeder, Phil Feret, once told me: "If you stay in cockatiels long enough, its not a question of getting a disease, its WHEN will you get it". I have found this completely true as I learn from my problems and others around me. I like to use the following to compare our cockatiels to humans. As a mother, I stayed home with my second child. Unlike my first, he rarely got sick and I was so happy he wasn't in daycare where he could catch all those colds. Colds are usually bacterial or viral and are often passed from one child to a toy to another child. My first child had ear infections, colds, and the like. Then, my first child went off to school. I didn't realize it then, but the instances of colds were really not an issue. He rarely had one and was quite health. Now, my second child reached kindergarten age. Well, lo and behold, he was the one catching all the colds. He rarely spread it to his brother and I asked his pediatrician why. Immunity, that is why. Every child has to get their immunity to colds. They either do it when they go to preschool or when they go to kindergarten. A child who has built up their immunity early on will experience their excessive colds at an earlier age. This can be equated to birds. We can't lock our children up in the house for the first couple of years and expect that nothing will touch them. It doesn't work that way. Birds MUST be able to handle a certain amount of bacteria. Bacteria is an important part of their lives. They gain tolerance to small bacterial growths and will rid them asymptomatically from their systems. Bacteria is everywhere. Its on our hands when we grab them, its in their environment (in water dishes especially) and its considered "their flora".

I often see folks having bacterial problems when they introduce new birds to their flock. You have five cockatiels and soon, because we know they are addictive, we have purchased 20 more. To us, we preach quaranteen. And its a good thing to preach. We must protect our flock from new stock and the dangers they possess. But, regardless of any amount of quaranteen, we must expect new additions to upset the balance of our flock. Additions of birds into our flock bring the stress of a new flock member vying for position and learning where he or she fits in. They also bring with them a "new" flora that your present birds must get used to. The same is true in the opposite. The new birds may be exposed to new bacteria that our present birds are used to living around. With the stress of the additions, comes a small decrease in immunity brought about by stress. Therefore its very important to reduce stressful situations such as fighting and incompatibility in the flock before and after the introduction. The less stress, the more successful the introductions will be. Buying birds from reputable breeders help but does not total guarantee birds free of disease and bacteria. Proper veterinary care and preventatives should be discussed with your veterinarian before and after introductions. Many folks will test birds for devastating diseases (such as psittacosis, polyoma, and beak and feather) while the bird is still separated from the flock. Its not enough to have the birds away from the flock, they must be in a totally different airspace and you must have good biosecurity between the two areas.

That being said, in the next article I will discuss a few bacterial diseases. My discussions will site references of research and what I have experienced as a breeder. None are to be used as guides for treatment. Only a qualified veterinarian can help you with that. Testing will result in better antibiotic choices and courses of action (disinfection techniques and isolation techniques). I always refer to my veterinarian or local department of agriculture before I can be sure of a complete diagnosis. Overuse of medications can result in, at the least, poor results and , at the worse, making the problem worse. Antibiotics can hurt tender organs and dosages must be exact. Your veterinarian should be able to give you what type of bacteria (if at all) is present and the sensitivity test can be run on the antibiotics to find which antibiotics it is sensitive to. I strongly urge against using any antibiotic not prescribed by a veterinarian or following "internet" advice.

Mate Aggression in Cockatiels

It is rare that I see extreme forms of mate aggression in my cockatiel pairs. Since cockatiels are flocking animals and form bonds with many birds in their flock, they normally will pair up with a mate and be content to live in a smaller cage for breeding. I have witnessed a couple of birds that have more aggression problems but I will see this crop in the aviary atmosphere long before I put pull them for breeding.

What to look for in your aviary:

• The male cock bird that consistantly follows any hen around the aviary. Once he looses interest in one hen, he'll move on to another. This male needs to be kept in a separate flight and monitored for aggression towards other males. He is often the first one to eat and the dominant bird in the aviary. Sometimes this aggression is seen in yearling cocks and the aggression subsides with age and with breeding.
• The male that consistantly chases other males. I see this as an even more of an aggressive bird than the one described above. This is a male that is trying to establish a dominance in the aviary and fights can break out when the established dominant birds try to put him "in his place". The mixed sex flight aviary is a dynamic group of birds. Birds gain and loose dominance in the aviary. There is a constant and necessary struggle that occurs between the aviary residents. I find myself watching the flock and notice several groups of birds that I will give my "term" to later.
• The male that is territorial to the food dishes (by either keeping others from eating or consistantly "singing" to the dish). This is another trail of the above birds and this trait, if not taken to the extreme is exhibited in many cocks at once. I watch these birds but if they will let others eat after they finish, I find that these birds can safely live with others in a flock atmosphere.
• Hens. While I rarely see hens being aggressive to each other, some of their aggression will come with pulling crests off other birds and hissing. Hissing of hens seems to tell other birds to leave them alone. They can pull out their wings and puff themselves up to keep other hens away from their spot in the aviary. Again, this seems like a functional way for the aviary to exist.

I have seen in my breeding cages only a few cases of a cock having extreme aggression. One case recently was one of a cock who would not let his egg laying hen out of the nestbox. I took the hen out of the nestbox and put her in the cage to see what the cock was doing. He drove her aggressively back into the nestbox and stood by the opening. My only resort was to remove the hen and put her back in the aviary and remove the cock to his own cage. When the cock was released at a later date to the aviary setting, he again displayed signs of aggression to both hens and cocks. This cock is still by himself until I can learn how to successfully control his aggression. I am hoping that age will mellow his personality and that future trips to the aviary will make him more comfortable in an aviary setting. All future breedings with this cock will be suspended until I can see a marked improvement. Overall, this bird is not aggressive to me. He is a nice bird but I would guess he is very hormonal at this time.

My Flock

As I mentioned above, I have some definate groups of birds in my aviary. I will try to describe each group.

The first one is my favorite its the "Batchelor Group". I have a group of unmated "batchelors" who act as a team and spend alot of their time together. You will see these cocks sitting together, eating together and being very communal as a group. The group is normally 5-6 cocks and there seems to be no hierarchy among them. My aviary usually sways around 30-35 birds. So, they are a small part of the aviary

The second group is not really a group at all. They are pairs. Bonded pairs of birds often like to stay bonded in the aviary. You will see previously set up birds living with their mates in the aviary. The cocks will preen the hens, make sure that they eat and follow them around. They spend a lot of their time just perching with each other. This is makes up quite a bit of my aviary. Mates that are bonded to another bird will often go back to their original mate even if they have been previously mated with another. These are very strong bonds that I see mate excellent pairings. Obviously, jealousy is not an issue as it is with humans as the females readily take cocks back and vice versa.

The group I have to watch out for are the "lone bandits". These are the aggressive birds that are constantly harassing other birds. There are no "gangs" in these guys and they are often removed from the flock to lessen the stress of the aviary.

The next group are single birds. Often you will see that these birds are trying to find mates. They look for single hens and court them. They flock with a variety of birds. Cocks that are not as dominant often join the ever so famous "batchelor group" if their attempts at finding a hen are fruitless.

I have smaller flights for "problem birds", yearlings, and just weaned birds. They will not enter an aviary setting until I see that they have been successful in the smaller flights. I will introduce them to the aviary in pairs or trios to lessen their stress and will watch them cautiously for a few weeks to make sure they have figured out the setup of their new surroundings. Some birds will have difficulting finding and getting to the water source (three water bottles) and I will have to return them to their smaller flight until they mature and can defend themselves.

Chronic Egg Laying in Cockatiels

I had a question from a reader today who asked me some questions on how to break down pairs that have been setup for breeding to ensure there is no aggression or chronic egg laying. I will base this article on what I have experienced in my aviary.

Chronic Egglaying:

I see alot of questions on the internet on chronic egg-laying and yet I have not experienced any of my (over 100) cockatiels have chronic egg laying. I conversed with a fellow breeder who never experiences it either. Maybe our positive experiences can help out breeders who do have egg layers.

First, I believe some of my success in keeping hens from laying is that I offer a community flight. My community flight has mostly hens and a few cocks. Hens are allowed free flight and there is nothing to hide in. Sometimes I think that the smaller cages (less than 6') holding cages causes hens to begin to nest. Maybe its the lack of a suitable nesting spot and the competition of the larger flights that causes them not to chronically lay. I occasionally will notice a hen who is persistantly on the ground. I can almost guarantee that an egg is sure to appear one day on the bottom of my aviary. When it does, I take the egg and move it to a safe place so that the hen can sit on it. Usually she doesn't and ends up playing around with the egg for a few days before she deserts it. This happens in almost all cases and normally her egg laying will stop with a few eggs. If the hen is really nesting, I can consider two things. I can take her eggs and substitute them for fake eggs (or non fertile eggs that I often keep from my breeding pairs). I don't want babies hatching on the floor for obvious reasons. I can also consider, if they are infertile, letting her sit on the eggs until she tires of them. Either way works well.

The classical belief of stopping chronic egglaying is to decrease the amount of sunlight. I often propose this to pet owners as they normally don't have flocking birds. I tell them not to remove the eggs and to let them sit. If there is a cock in the cage, considerations must be made as to the compatibility of the pair and whether the pet owner truely wants to become a "breeder". I oftentimes will educate pet owners of the responsibilities of taking care of the breeding pair and their babies. Handfeeding babies result in cancelling of trips or revising them to travel with birds. Late nights are no longer an option as well as day trips. You must wake up early to feed the young ones and the parents must be fed a complete diet to help the chicks along. Breeding can be rewarding but it can also be heart-breaking. Cockatiels do not know that they are supposed to act as us humans want them to. Instinctually they will abandon nests, kill babies, and cull younger babies that they feel are not needed. This is the reality of the "survival of the fittest" instincts that have made birds one of the oldest creatures on this earth.

Other items that can help take a hen out of chronic laying (or re-nesting) are:

• removal of mate
• removal of anything they can nest near or around
• pulling down the amount of light
• removing anything that they can preen upon
• rearranging cage or moving them to an alternate cage

If your bird still won't stop laying eggs, a trip to the veterinarian is needed. Make sure cuttlebone or mineral block is available at all times. Chronic egg-laying takes a tole on a cockatiels system. It needs to be dealt with as a medical problem if they lay more than three clutches with no breaks. In first-timers, I would consider more than six eggs a chronic layer. Keep a watch of the hens and make sure that they are done laying (a quick look at the vent area will tell you). If its bulging, there is another egg (or two or three) left. Eggs can back up in your hens and this can be lethal for your bird. Vet care by a qualified avian veterinarian is the only option at this point.

Next article: Mate aggression before and after clutching.

Early Chick Mortality

by Patricia Tucker


The most heartbreaking complication to occur in our aviaries is Early Chick Mortality. (ECM), and inevitably, we will all encounter this phenomenon in some form during the course of our avicultural experience. The definition of Early Chick Mortality, for the purpose of this writing, is the loss of chicks in the nest between the ages of 0 and 4 days.

The causes for this phenomenon are numerous, but seem to encompass three basic categories:

Behavioral

Accidental

Physiological

The most common cause of Early Chick Mortality in cockatiels, based on my experience to date, is behavioral and usually occurs with young, inexperienced birds when they are faced with a large brood or too many chicks hatch simultaneously. In these cases, the parents voluntarily reduce the clutch size by rejecting the youngest chick. This behavior is principally due to the overburden of an unusually large clutch, thus ensuring the survival of the brood. Another behavioral cause of ECM includes the rejection of young because of visual differences such as the presence of a red-eyed chick amongst black-eyed clutchmates or a whiteface chick (covered with white down) in a nest of yellow-downed siblings. In the above situations, with careful nest monitoring, it is possible to successfully save the life of a rejected chick, but the beginner should be aware that it is risky to interfere with ANY nest during this high-risk period. Parent birds are extremely protective of their brood during their first week of life and unless the birds exit the nest or are extremely tame, there is a danger of the remaining chicks becoming injured during the removal of the rejected chick. Assuming parents allow nest inspection and a problem is identified, the chick should be removed periodically and given a supplementary feeding. This will ensure that the chick remains strong enough to beg in the nest and once the chick is 4 or 5 days old, the parents usually take over the feedings completely.

Another behaviorally-caused rejection I have witnessed occurs when chicks are FOSTERED from their natural parents due to inadequate feeding or abusiveness, such as feather picking. This behavior usually manifests itself when the relative age of the fostered chick is substantially younger or older than that of the foster parent's natural chicks. In these situations, the foster parents may not be willing or able to feed the chick and may either reject it totally or feed it with disastrous results. Ideally, the median age of fostered chicks should equal that of the natural chicks in the nest, with a variance of 2 or 3 days at the outside. If the appropriate circumstances are not present, a safer alternative may be to pull the chick for handfeeding. However, this is a substantial undertaking at such a tender age. It will be necessary to feed the chick at two-hour intervals from 6:00 AM to Midnight with one feeding at 3:00 AM for the first few days to ensure survival.

Another potential cause of Early Chick Mortality, which is difficult to diagnose with any measure of accuracy, is accidental injury in the nest. Accidental ECM, although highly speculative, appears to be either parent or sibling-caused. In these situations, unlike cases of rejection, the chick is usually found dead in the nest with a full crop. Although illness can't be ruled out without the benefit of a necropsy (postmortem exam) which is likely to be inconclusive at such a young age, it is reasonable to assume that the cause of death was accidental if the clutchmates are developing normally. Speculative causes for parental or sibling-caused injury in the nest would include occurrences as trampling, smothering or aspiration. Unfortunately, there are usually no warning signs to allow the aviculturist the opportunity to prevent ECM as a result of accidents of this nature. The most common explanation for injuries in the nest involving trampling or smothering is interference from an outside force which initiates enough fear in the parents to cause a accidental injury. For example, a "night fright" while parents occupy the nest can be lethal to newly hatched chicks. Experience has taught me that unnecessary handling of chicks under the age of 7 days is a dangerous practice. Aviculturists who are allowing their chicks to be parent- raised gain no ground by beginning to handle them earlier than 2 weeks of age, and nest cleaning should not be necessary until the chicks have reached 5 or 6 days. I do, however, recommend careful nest monitoring so that reversible ECM symptoms can be identified and corrective action taken.

The third and most mysterious cause of Early Chick Mortality is physiological. This category encompasses all aspects of physical problems running the gamut from deformities to infections to dietary problems. The physiological symptoms that I have been able to identify are:

Excessive Weakness
Deformity
Nutritional Deficiency
Infection

Excessive Weakness, although somewhat vague in description, usually has physiological implications. A chick displaying excessive weakness, due to dietary influences, poor incubation, or poor breeding practices such as inbreeding, may succumb to ECM by way of a basic law of nature, "Survival of the Fittest." In a large brood, a weak chick may not have sufficient strength to complete successfully with its clutchmates for food, and without adequate food will not survive. Early identification of this problem and supplementary feedings in the nest can be extremely successful in revitalizing a chick who is showing excessive weakness, providing there is no infection present. A second manifestation of Excessive Weakness is seen in full-term dead-in-shell chicks. In cases of this nature, when the shell is opened and the positioning of the chick is found to be correct, Excessive Weakness due to infection or genetic makeup should be considered.

Another possible cause of Early Chick Mortality is deformity; a result of improper development of the chick, possibly due to infection, genetic weakness, or dietary deficiency. I experienced an early death due to deformity in 1986 with a chick who's beak was not properly formed upon hatching. As a result, the parents refused to feed the chick, either because they were physically unable to or because they knew the chick would ultimately not survive. Because of the severity of this deformity, I chose not to administer supplementary feedings since I strongly suspected that this chick, had it survived, would never have been self-sustaining.

A particularly disturbing cause of ECM, which I was made aware of recently during a consultation with a fellow aviculturist, comprises two categories: physiological and behavioral. In this situation, a parent (in this case, the Sire) chewed the toes off his chicks, starting with the youngest. Since this was a first-breeding, the plan was to remove each parent separately for a period of time to determine which parent was responsible for the mutilation. When the male was removed, the chewing ceased and the mystery was solved. However, the interesting aspect here was that the chicks were showing abnormalities of the feet (believed to be caused by a calcium deficiency in the hen), and this could have provoked the male to initiate this action. The upside of this story is that one of the chicks did survive due to the initiation of a dietary correction. Extra calcium, in the form of MSA, manufactured by Nekton Products, and a powdered vitamin supplements were added to cooked rice which the hen eagerly devoured in her diligent attempt to raise this surviving chick on her own. Fortunately, the surviving chick (who has since feathered out as a Pearl) was the first hatched and had only minor injuries. She improved dramatically, due to the dietary supplementation, and at this writing is beginning to eat on her own.

The final and most disturbing physiological cause of ECM is illness resulting from infection. In these cases, parent birds have been known to exhibit behavior ranging from rejection to outright murder. The reality here is that this is nature's way of eliminating imperfect life-forms; however, early detection and appropriate treatment by an Avian Specialist have proven successful in these cases. In my opinion, illness in a newly-hatched chick is indicative of illness in one or both of the parents. If an entire clutch of new hatchlings are rejected or killed, the parents should be examined and treated by an Avian Specialist to determine the physiological problem. I am told that this occurrence can be strictly behavioral in cockatiels; however, since I have never experienced this situation, I assume it is rare.

Surprisingly, adult birds can harbor an infection which may not cause them visual distress, but excessive Early Chick Mortality, due to the transmission of infection is a warning sign which should not be ignored. It is wiser to keep fewer birds for which you can afford an occasional consultation with an Avian Specialist and appropriate diagnostic testing, than to allow a physiological disorder a chance to establish itself in your flock.

Experiencing Early Chick Mortality in some form is inevitable for the aviculturist, whether in the form of a full-term dead-in-shell chick or a 2-3 day old baby found dead in the nest for reasons apparently unknown. This is one aspect of aviculture I find difficult to take lightly and will never stop trying to understand it. The more we learn about this phenomenon, the fewer ECM victims there will be in our aviaries.