Once a pair has bonded the male checks the nest (or nest box in the case of breeding in captivity) to check if it's safe enough for the female. He will jump in and out of the box several times and whistles and bangs his beaks from inside. When this happens it indicates that mating will occur soon. During the act of mating the female raises her tail feathers and crouches low on the perch. The male then mounts the female's back from the side and tucks his tail under Breeding cages Mating GalCaho cCkoactkiealtoo hers. He rubs his vent against hers and swishes his tail from side to side until the act is complete. The male is normally gentle and kisses, preens and whistles to his mate during copulation. Copulation may occur several times a day but eggs will not be produced from each mating. If you're breeding Cockatiels in captivity, make sure to trim the male's toenails. Long toenails will result in incomplete copulation. You could also clip the feathers around the vents to ensure more breeding success. Once copulation takes place, the eggs are laid around 7 - 10 days later. An egg is laid approximately every 48 hours until the clutch is complete. The clutch can have anywhere between 2 and 8 eggs. You must get help if egg binding occurs. Before you start breeding find out what the signs and symptoms of egg binding are. While laying the eggs, the female will have very large and odorous Clutch GalCaho cCkoactkiealtoo droppings. She will hold it and relieve it only once a day, at morning. Often Cockatiels don't start to incubate the eggs until a few eggs are laid. This is done to ensure that a few eggs hatch at the same time. But incubation has to start seven days from the time they are laid. To check if the egg is fertile, on the fifth day of incubation hold the egg in front of a candle light or a bright flashlight inside a dark room. Make sure you hold the eggs carefully without tilting, rolling, shaking or spinning them. It might be a good idea to place the eggs in a bowl of birdseed to prevent damage. If the eggs have a red, spider like shape then they are fertile. You will also notice a dark spot in the center, the development of veins and also a white space (the air cell) inside. Mark each egg with a permanent, soft, felt tipped marker to track when it will hatch. Check the egg once again before it hatches. You should be able see the chick and dark veins. You will also notice the expansion of the air cell. The The fertility test GalCaho cCkoactkiealtoo chick will then move into the air cell and hatch soon after. Don't forget to sanitize your hands every time you handle the egg. Eggs are incubated by both parents. If you see the male and the female fight and bicker during the egg laying process, do not panic, as this is normal. You must never separate the pair. All bickering stops once the eggs hatch and even if the parents fight, they make peace almost immediately. Separate the male from his family only if he injures his mate or attacks and plucks his babies' feathers. Keep a bowl of water in the cage during incubation. The female will wet her lower body to moisten the eggs. This is done to maintain humidity levels so as to keep the embryos from dying. Eggs will be turned every hour. This is done so that the baby does not stick to the eggshell and also helps in the proper development of organs. Incubation GalCaho cCkoactkiealtoo It might be a good idea for you to check on the eggs often. If you find any of them cracked, repair them by applying a coat of white, non-toxic, water-soluble glue. If the crack is large then place a strip of sterile gauze over the crack and apply several coats of glue over it. You should also monitor the hatching of the egg you mended as the chick may have difficulty breaking the shell around the repaired area. Use a hand sanitizer every time you handle the egg as bacteria from your hands are harmful to the growing embryo. |