November 13, 2023
Cockatiel mummy
So I have mum n dad cockatiel on veg diet n seeds n pellets ..with a vitamin in there drink..do I need give anything different when there babies hatch..
Question:
Answer:
Hi,
They need a very healthy diet which should be pellets, greens, veggies and some fruit. You need to stop feeding them seeds because they get no nutrition from the seeds. You don’t need to give them additional vitamins if their main diet is pellets. So first you need to get them to eat pellets only and stop offering seeds. Then you can think about setting them up for breeding. Both birds need to be over two years old. Unless they are bonded as a pair, they should not have a nest box. They need to be feeding each other, preening each other and spending most of their time together. When you see them mating, then you can give them a nest box. You should start feeding egg food daily once they have the box. This can be a dry commercial egg food or you can cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. Offer some daily before they lay eggs and until any chicks are weaned. If they raise and wean chicks, remove the nest box as soon as the chicks leave it. Remove the chicks to a different cage as soon as they are eating on their own. Do not give the nest box back to the parents until they have been rested for at least 6 months.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
