Ask Lafeber

Cocktails

Why the cocktails birds want hatch. And it’s getting spoil I gave vitamins but small birds want come what can I do

Hi,

Getting birds to breed involves a lot more than vitamins. And giving vitamins is not spoiling them, it’s giving them something they need whether they breed or not. If you are feeding seeds and adding vitamins, they probably aren’t getting the nutrition they need. When you add vitamins to the water or soft foods, they don’t drink enough water and rarely eat enough soft foods to get the full benefit of added vitamins. You should be feeding your birds a nutritionally balanced diet like a pelleted food. Loose seeds do not provide much nutrition, and vitamins are added either on the seeds or as little vitamin bits. The vitamins are lost when the bird removes the seed hulls, and they usually pick around vitamin bits. A pelleted food guarantees they are getting the nutrition they need. You should also offer dark leafy greens, chopped veggies and an egg food – this can be a cooked egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. Also make sure they have a cuttlebone. They need a large cage and a large wooden nest box that is designed for cockatiels. It is best to attach the nestbox to the outside of the cage, as high as possible. And the pair needs a lot of privacy. Not all pairs will breed, or the male or female might be infertile, or a number of other issues can prevent any results. All you can do is give them what they need and hope they produce fertile eggs, care for the eggs and then care fo the chicks.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda