# Question on bonding a pair.....



## Amy1569 (Oct 14, 2008)

Ok....this would be a long time in the future, which heightens the question even more. 

I have one male cockatiel and only 6 mos old (hence...in the future). 
IF...I wanted to do the baby/breeding thing...of course I would need to get a female. I really don't have the means, or the room (or a husband that's ready to add another pet into the home lol)at this time to add another bird. 


So lets say Toby is now 2 years old. 2 of my kids are out of the home (turning a bedroom into a breeding room/aviary etc) And I want to get a female. 
Question:
Do I get a baby female? Is that easier to bond? (I know it would be easier to bond with me..) I would than have to wait another, what...2 years? For her to be old enough...
Or do I find a tame older female?(I really don't want an untamed bird just for breeding purposes..I would want her to be a pet and part of the family as well)

Or would it be _*best*_ to maybe find a female at Tobys' age NOW(around 6 mos old)...and have them grow and bond for the next 2 years....?


It's all of your fault that are having babies..it's making me want some! 
(not that that's a reason)
There are no breeders in my town that I know of...I never see any signs or ads in the paper...so maybe I could start something! 

There are only 2 places I know of that sell cockatiels. 
Petsmart (and they rarely have them in)
And a local mom and pop seed and feed store at the other end of town....which is most likely where I would get the female. (they are hand fed, hand tame/raised by I woman I totally approve of. I had gone out there before I got Toby. She showed me how tame they were..and took them out of the cage..and how she handles them etc. 

Anyway...I again was just curious as to the best way to do this. (if I plan to do this) Adding to my already full plate. :wacko:
I've read alot about the time needed. And what happens if the babies are 'abandoned' and I would need to step in and feed around the clock (dear god :zzz: -I like-and need- my sleep too much right now lol)
And dud eggs...the disappoinment, or the 'what did I do wrong'....
you know?

Do they go through a 'mating' season? Or just even when the atomosphere is right?...

So....talk me into it...or talk me out of it....


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Well firstly Cockatiels are generally good parents. They don't always get it right on their first or even their second attempt. But once they have babies it is likely they will do OK. You should be prepared to hand feed but the 'round the clock feeding is over soon in fact when I had to pull Tiny at 4 days old I fed her every couple of hours during the day 'till as late as I could manage it and I'm an early riser by nature so that part wasn't hard. You have to be sure you allow the crop to completely empty once in a 24 hour period. You can make an effective brooder with a large plastic container and a heating pad. It would be good to get a young female now so that they can grow together however it can be tricky introducing a female into a males cage. It's a good idea to either get a new larger cage that isn't his home turf or completely change his cage around. New perches and new toys. Even changing the location of the cage can go a long way towards making the introduction easier. I would go to the Mom and Pop store if I were you and ask her if she could find you an unrelated female or better yet hook you up with the breeder so that you could get help when you needed it...if you needed it. Also I find breeders to be the best resource to finding other breeders. If you put an ad on Kijiji saying what you are looking for someone is bound to call you. The ads are free and you can even put the amount you are willing to pay. If you can't get one now don't worry. It can take a few months but in my experience 'tiels are pretty flexable. The longest a mature female of mine took to choose to mate was 5 months. So...yes disappointment is possible...and yes it can be a bit of work but by the time you get that far you will probably have several pairs and the loss of a clutch will be tempered by the pair in the next cage that have 5 eggs.


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## Amy1569 (Oct 14, 2008)

Thanks Sue!

So it is possible to wait maybe a year, get maybe a 5/6 month old female and wait a year....? That could work...Give them a year to bond, that would make the female 1 1/2 and Toby 2 1/2ish....?

As for several pairs...I don't see me doing that...just a main pair...but never say never, right? lol

Thanks again


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I can already see you developing MBS (Multiple Bird Syndrome). You can even get a mature female when the time comes. My bird that took 5 months to find her guy was 2 years old when I brought her home.


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## Amy1569 (Oct 14, 2008)

Was she tame when you got her? Did she bond to you?

You know..if it were just me...I would have a breeding aviary..no problem...but the hubby is kindof an anal retentive..freak?....lol....
And all of you guys on here don't help with the whole_...."Come on..do it...everyone's doing it....." _ HAHA :thumbu: Instigators! lol...


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I don't breed them in the aviary. I put them in a separate room in a breeder cage. The mature female I got was not tame when I got her. She had been a breeder only and not well treated at that. It was about a month ago that I posted about her. I was in the aviary trying to get some pictures and I felt something on my hip. It was her (Harriet) she was climbing up my side. So she trusts me and interacts with me but not to the same degree as a handfed baby would. I haven't even posted this yet but she laid an egg yesterday!!!


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## bigmikey36 (Aug 5, 2008)

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!! i hope she has first time luck Sue!!!
Mikey


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I don't know about Buddy (her mate) we'll see


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## Amy1569 (Oct 14, 2008)

I remember you talking about that....I'm glad that she trusts you..that's awesome the progress she's made with you...

And I guess I really didn't mean a 'breeding aviary' but more like an aviary with breeding birds..know what I mean?
Good luck to Harriet and new baby!(babies?)


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

That's good. I have often seen colony breeding lead to bad things! Fights, dead chicks. It just isn't pretty.


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