Cockatiel Pairing Question

[lalaclassic]

What do they say, I'm a long time listener, first time caller... Err... long time lurker, first time poster... :wavey:


All right, I have a cockatiel around the age of 5 or so and a 3 or so year old female... I don't really remember there ages at the moment. I'm bad at that. Anyway. I want to breed them in the relatively near future. The problem is, is that they aren't in the same cage. I got him a couple years before I got her. They were both given to me and they are both tame. The female wouldn't hurt a fly, and the male wouldn't hurt a fly if the fly was me... He's a one person bird, and is usually only overly kind to me, though he has shown niceness to others sometimes. Anyway, they have sat next to each other in seperate cages and the talk to each other and spread there feathers and all the cute bird stuff and I have tried to get them out at the same time, and they both are all right with the experience. My question is, how do I continue with this.:nod: I'm worried the male, who is stronger might hurt the female. I want to get a nesting box within the next couple years and see what kind of babies they will have. :eyebrow: She is a lutino and he is a pearlie.

[PyscoFalcon]

If you don't know there genetics and that of there parents then don't bother breeding them.

Any can be carrying genetic faults that could kill or cripple the chicks.

[lalaclassic]

Well that's a pessimistic view point... I guess people shouldn't breed either, because of the "genetic faults" that could be in their background. I do know something about genetics, and I know that recessive genes may pop out at any moment, because it is a random probability of what genes will be transferred so it doesn't matter if you know the birds genetic history because you can only see the phenotype of the genes, you never really know the genotype, unless you do genetic testing, which would be ridiculous in my opinion.

[lovechick]

also baby birds need special care, since they are so fragile they can become ill any time if u know nothing about taking care of them. The female can also become egg-bound, which is most likely end in death of the bird, or will cost u plenty in vet bills.