Ask Lafeber

18 years Cockatiel

Can my 18 years old Cockatiel still breed? it would be the first time. Thank you

Hi Armando,

The bird may technically still be fertile, but I would not start a bird out at this age, and he\she would have already been retired from breeding at this age if the bird had already been a breeder. If this is a female, I definitely would not recommend it because laying eggs is a huge strain on the female’s health. However, the male does a lot of work helping to incubate the eggs and feed the chicks, and this is also hard on his health. At 18, your bird is considered a senior. This is a very old age for a cockatiel these days, as most only live to about 12 years old due to poor diet or genetic issues. Also, if this is a pet bird, you would not be able to handle the bird anymore, and the bird would be unlikely to bond well with a mate after being a pet for so long. It’s best to just keep taking good care of your bird and let it enjoy the senior years.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda