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Author Topic:   Seperation and orange spots??
Wirraway
New Member

Posts: 3
From:Blue Mountains, Australia
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 12-09-2003 07:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Wirraway     Edit/Delete Message
We got my two cinnamon pearl 'Tiels when they were young, counting on the stall owner's guess from personality - he guessed two males. Well, he got one right. We found out Stan was actually Stella now over a year ago when she laid her first egg.

Now, I am faced with a number of problems. My first are they are brother and sister. The second - they are horrible parents. Their first clutch, 3 healthy babies hatched, were about 2 weeks old when my family had to go to Melbourne. A relative was looking after my pets, but unfortunitly all 3 chicks died, apparently early on. We thought it was from cold, the cage being in the kitchen which was usually warmer. After we took a sick chick from the next clutch to an avian vet, we found that it was actually Croptosis - the parents overfeeding the chicks so much that food in the crop goes bad while waiting to be digested. Since then I have had to handraise a few babies (the 2 still alive are thriving, the 1st is about a year old and a beautiful female Cinnamon Pearl Lutino, though she has inherited her father's bad temper). Well, my birds were up to their 5th or 6th clutch now, when yesterday they seemed to abondoned it. I took the nesting box out: one unhatched egg, one egg died while hatching, one dead chick and part of another dead chick. Usually the chicks I have to take out are about 2 weeks old - the oldest of these was supposed to be about a week! My birds are just getting worse and worse. The hen only likes to sit on eggs and the father is over dedicated to feeding chicks. Also, both parents praticlly starve themselves, which isn't good at all in cases like the last hatching!

So, the only thing I can think to do is seperate them, but I'm worried they might stress (leading to feather-plucking etc). The male (the tamer one) would be kept inside while the female stays out in the aviary. Any suggestions? Should I buy some new companions for them?
I was already set up for taking on new chicks to handrear (I don't like the idea of buying chicks before they're weaned, but I'm really desprate for some more babies) and it's an ideal time, so I may buy some and they could end up being the current two's company.

Also, (gee this post is getting long, sorry guys!) earlier in the year both the hen and cock started growing a few odd fluro orange (a similar shade to the cheek feathers) just around their heads. Is this to do with the breeding season? It's been 1 or 2 moults since and they've started getting a few more.

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charmedagain
Member

Posts: 790
From:uk
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-10-2003 02:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for charmedagain     Edit/Delete Message
HI, How old are all the tiels is it just the bad parents that are laying eggs??

Both adults need to be atleast 18months old before breeding is aloud this is to make sure both male and female are both mature.

Soft foods should be introduce early on in the breeding cycle as parents over feeding there chicks with just seed can cause problems which you have found out.

I would remove the nest box and not allow these birds to breed again as sounds like you will have the same problem.

1 of my pairs have raised lots of chicks in the past until this year when they laid they killed 3out of 4 of the chicks and i hand raised the 4th one.

Birds should not lay more than 2 clutches without atleast a 6month break this is due to calicium deficencies that can arise.

Cuttlebone, vitamin blocks should be given to breeding birds this helps keep them in top condition.

Fresh fruit and veg daily is also good for them intoduce things like boiled egg with the shell crushed into ir this will give them added calcium aswell as nutrients..

If you would like more info or help please feel free to email me at....

boro_lad1976@hotmail.com

and i will be pleased to help out.

mike .

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Samsintentions
Member

Posts: 944
From:Columbus, Tx ,USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 12-10-2003 08:30 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Samsintentions     Edit/Delete Message
Defiantely separate them. But, place their cages close together so they can still be "together".

As for the chicks dying. Cockatiels aren't the best of parents. Most oftem they have to be hand fed. It takes a time or two for them to figure out how to raise the chicks.

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Wirraway
New Member

Posts: 3
From:Blue Mountains, Australia
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 12-10-2003 07:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Wirraway     Edit/Delete Message
Thanks for the info guys! I really appreciate it I'll see what I can do about getting another aviary to put next to the one I have now, as Samsintentions suggested.
FYI, I think both are turning 4 years next Feburary, this is about their 4th clutch where the eggs have hatched, and they will breed even without the pressence of the nesting box - I put the box in only when the hen has laid an egg at the bottom of the cage or is obviously carrying eggs.

Thanks again!

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charmedagain
Member

Posts: 790
From:uk
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-12-2003 03:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for charmedagain     Edit/Delete Message
Hi, To help try and stop them from breeding if you dont want to seperate them is re-arrange all toys in the cage reduce the amount of light the birds get a day by 4hours covering with a sheet to block out light is usually enough to reduce the light.

If possible move the cage every couple of days this makes the hen uneasy and wont lay if she does not feel safe.

If she does lay and you dont want the eggs to hatch remove eac one as it is laid mark it with a number boiled it let it cool and replace back with her to sit for the incubation period..

Some cockatiels make great parents others dont, The males are usually the ones that kill the babies as they are ready to mate again after the eggs have hatched and will kill the babies hoping for the female to remate...

mike

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