# Co-parent?.



## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

Hey there everyone!.

and now I'm planning to co-parent with my breeding pair when they have chicks witch I'm working right now. they just mated few days maybe eggs will appear right away..

my question is can I co-parent with my breeding pair if they are afraid of me? I'm afraid when they see handling they're babies they will abandon them..

and I have read that handling them 15mins a day 4 days a week at the age of 12days will be the best to handle and the result is close to handfeed babies,

I have bought the supplies of handfeeding In case problem has come.

so the time I will handle the chick should I shoo the parents from the nestbox? or just open the box while the parents are in? or anything to do? please give me a instruction or procedure. I have read a lot of website on handfeeding and handtaming a baby cockatiel. but they did help me a lot but at least I have knowledge of it.

thanks and apology of being ignorance regarding this, just love my tiels and always wish the best for them


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

By the time the chicks are 12 days old the parents will be spending most of their time out of the nestbox getting food for the babies. It will be best if you can get the parents into a different cage before you take the babies so they won't go into the nestbox and see that it's empty, which is a disturbing sight. If the parent birds are strongly bonded to their chicks then being separated from them for a few minutes won't lead to abandonment.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

hey good news this morning we have eggs..

I can't separate them because I cant even touch them they are now in a large flight cage.. so i wont catch them and put a lot of stress with them.

do you think if a put a cardboard on the nest box hole while I will handle the chicks work?.

or what if the parents are not so bonded to their own babies? what should I do? start handfeeding right?.

any faqs or previous experience of you handling chicks or co-parenting with your tiels will help me a lot thank you


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Iv just been reading cookies and bailees breeding journal http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=2498 i loved every minute reading it, which im going to read others


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> do you think if a put a cardboard on the nest box hole while I will handle the chicks work?.


If you can block the nestbox door effectively then that will keep them from seeing that the nestbox is empty. It's harder than it sounds though because the parent birds can be VERY determined in their effort to get in.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

tielfan said:


> If you can block the nestbox door effectively then that will keep them from seeing that the nestbox is empty. It's harder than it sounds though because the parent birds can be VERY determined in their effort to get in.


Yes, I'l find a way to block it perfectly. they are scared of me, when I check the box outside the cage one of them surely outside, and they wont even go near the box to see what am i going to do they will go into the other side of the cage. but when I open the box they wont go out they are really protecting their eggs, this morning I check the box the female is inside, then they switch. hm are they already sitting at the eggs? why they stay the rest of the day inside?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If there's almost always a parent bird in the nest, then it sounds like they're sitting on the eggs! The most common pattern is for the male to do most of the sitting in the daytime and the female to sit at night, but there are many variations.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

Yeah your right, 

this morning they have 3 eggs now and when i check the box both of them are inside, then when I came back to give their water bowl, the female is already outside maybe they switch that morning.

I've read that cockatiel eggs are incubated 21 days, so if the 1st egg is laid at November 24 when will it be the expected hatching time? is it december 15 or 19? when should I start to count? from the 1st egg or the last egg? or when the time they sit on the eggs?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> I've read that cockatiel eggs are incubated 21 days,


Hatch time is actually more like 16 to 18 days from the time incubation starts. But some birds don't start incubating right away, and that's why it's recommended to wait at least 21 days to see what happens.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

o thank you for that info

so what is the expected date of hatching time?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> so what is the expected date of hatching time?


Figure out which date they started incubating, and it should be 16 to 18 days after that.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

ah, thank you for your kindness,

good thing the hen stop laying and now they are incubating three eggs. I don't want large nest cause it is their first time. it may have a lot of difficulties for them..

I wish it would be successful,

any other tips? or advice?

humidity is important right? so what can I do to maintain humidity in the nest, some here at the site said that mist inside the box, should I mist while the parents are in or out? shallow dish with water is always available but I don't think they recognize it as a bathing dish.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

The natural humidity in the Philippines is probably all you need. I live in the desert where it's VERY dry. My parent birds don't soak themselves and go into the nest and my chicks still manage to hatch just fine. 

If your house is especially dry due to artificial heating, there are several ways to add moisture: use a humidifier, hang a wet towel in the room, or set out a big bowl of water and let it evaporate into the room.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

Good news! 1st egg had already hatch hope the two egg will hatch soon, so excited to touch those cuddly little cockatiels


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

cant wait to see some pics


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## shelagh (Nov 2, 2010)

How exciting!


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## 4birdsNC (Dec 4, 2010)

Im Jelous! My Abby has laid three clutches and none have hatched. Pictures soon I hope?


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

it's so cute! hm its hard to take a picture because they always sit on their chicks but i will do my best to share it to all of you, hope the eggs will hatch to, the second egg will hatch tomorrow. hope so? 

I have question regarding the parents diet, the base of their diet is seeds, this morning I give them bread and bok choy, and soaked oat groats, what soft diet should I offer to them so that I can have and healthy chicks, I'm sprouting this night and Its available on Wednesday, any suggestions? my 1st time thanks a lot.! giving an bok choy everyday, is that okay?. I will try to take a picture tomorrow morning.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

here are some pictures of them inside the nest box,

I apologize for not so clear pictures because I dont have any camera's I only take picture on my phone
too bad can't take a picture of the chicks alone, aha lol the parents are so strict.

look how strict is the mother









the father too









nyaha spot where the chick is!


































one big happy family

















so happy to have this nest

by the way should I remove the broken shell? or the parents will do it?.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Very cute!!! My only question is, is there any way you can put more bedding in there? It just looks a little bare and that's not good for the babies. But super cute!!!


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## tielmom (Aug 4, 2010)

Oh...the baby is so cute...congrats !


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

roxy culver said:


> Very cute!!! My only question is, is there any way you can put more bedding in there? It just looks a little bare and that's not good for the babies. But super cute!!!


thx there roxy, uhm should I put more?.

how? put more on the other side then the parents will take over arranging it?. any Idea?.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

tielmom said:


> Oh...the baby is so cute...congrats !


thankyou thankyou. how I wish they will grow healthy, tomorrow will be the hatch day of the last egg, so excited


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

A surprise! haha this afternoon I check the box I saw not two chicks but three! haha so happy they all hatch all i pray now is that they will grow healthy,

Should I call them the Three Musketeers! haha or Three Kings! haha

Game?.

spot the chicks!. haha


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

A surprise! haha this afternoon I check the box I saw not two chicks but three! haha so happy they all hatch all i pray now is that they will grow healthy,

Should I call them the Three Musketeers! haha or Three Kings! haha

Game?.

spot the chicks!. haha


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Awww my god so cute i want one lol


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

thank you!

wish they are all grown ups!

regarding the eggshell should I remove it?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes once the babies hatch remove the egg shells. To add more bedding see if you can't tempt the parents out of the box and drop some in under the babies. I handle my babies after they're born all the time with no issues so there shouldn't be a problem.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

thankyou for your kindness I'll try to catch the parents when they are out of the box,


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

good to all,

I have read articles about baby cockatiel problems,(splay legs, sour crop, yeast formation etc.)
I'm so worried now for my 3 musketeers, any suggestions or advice to prevents this possible problems? prevention is better than curing right?

any advice is greatly appreciated, specially from food of the parents, as of now I give them sprouts everyday.. 

thankyou for all of you! just love this little tiels.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

The oldest looks like it has red eyes, so it is a lutino.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> I have read articles about baby cockatiel problems,(splay legs, sour crop, yeast formation etc.)


Nice deep bedding will prevent splay legs. The digestive problems are mostly associated with hand feeding. You're not likely to have problems if the parents are feeding appropriate soft foods to the chicks.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

srtiels said:


> The oldest looks like it has red eyes, so it is a lutino.


wOw!, good thing you recognize their eyes I was about to ask question about it, then you've got it right! hehe thankyou.!


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

waA! this morning I check the nestbox, the corner of the nest box were the toilet of the chicks is(the corner were the chicks bunch their poop) had a mold!? the thing that is look like a cotton and color orange, is that normal? can't catch the parents going out of the box to change bedding. what should I do, I'm worried with my chicks.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

The mold won't bother them. You can sprinkle fresh bedding over those areas.


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## tweetycockatiel (Nov 18, 2010)

I have change the whole bedding and put more, about an inch. but the mother change behavior, she is more afraid with me now. but did not abandon her chicks, hope no more problems will come,


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