This is the hatching of a
cockatiel, the pictures have been enlarged to show a little more
detail. Cockatiels take about 18 days to hatch depending upon
when incubation began.
From the yellow down on
this baby we can tell it is not going to be of the white face
variety, as the down would be white not yellow. Nor will it be Albino, Red Eyed
Silver, Fallow, we know this because the eyes are visible even at
day one under the skin and are dark not pink or red.
In the pairing of two
normal gray cockatiels, it is possible and always exciting to
produce a red or pink eyed baby and means that somewhere down the
line (generation) there was a gene for this.
This baby will not eat
right after hatch as it is still living off of the nourishment from
the egg sac. It must not be handfed at this time either if you are
planning to handfeed from day one. You must wait and can visibly see
when the gi track is clear than it is ready for the first feeding.
A 4 day old cockatiel
chick leaning over an egg, just like the one he came out of just
days ago. This chick wouldn't fit back in the egg now and is growing rapidly. It
is always an amazing transformation to watch there development as the eyes open,
pin feathers come in and the color comes into view.
Here are some 4 to 5 week
old baby cockatiels just starting to come out of pin feathers. It is always
exciting to start to see there colors start to show underneath the
shafts of a pin feather as they begin to color up. The questions
that swirl through your mind! I think it is? It might be? Cockatiels
are such a fascinating species and because they grow and mature so
fast it can be an exiting endeavor for anyone as a learning
experience of the how and why genetics work. It can even be a very
rewarding experience as a child's science project that can be shared
by the whole family.
Here we have a group of 8
week old baby cockatiels, and a mature (heavy pied) pair. Heavy pied always
refers to more light color than dark on the bird and generally is better than 50
percent of the bird to be considered heavy pied. Here these heavy pied's are
also clear faced which means absent of dark feathering on the face. Considered
much more desirable than those with dark feathers on the face. Originally it
took selective breeding of birds that showed
a small amount of dark feathers until total absence of dark
feathers were achieved. Any trait that a bird portrays can be breed for, it
always the hope to improve color, size, wing carriage, crest and more.
Cockatiels have long been
a passion of mine, their gentle ways and resemblance to the
cockatoo is what drew me to them at first. They did not prove to
be a disappointment, they are still a species I breed, and
probably always will. I still have one of the very first
cockatiels I bred. Just a normal gray, that is worth his weight
in gold only to me. He was hatched in 1981, and looks as good as
his two year old son, of course he has many off spring. And is on
his second wife, the first was lost to an accident. If it had not
been for that he would still be by her side, nice to know
something's are ever after till death do they part. I would like
to tell you all cockatiels are faithful, unfortunately many are
not, (an unfortunate human quality I guess). Remarkably this
fellow is still fathering off spring, it will be interesting to
find out how long this will continue. I hope his good health has
something to do with how we have cared for him. When breeding he
and his wife are set up in your typical 24 inch, by 24 inch, and
18 inch high, breeding cage, with a nest box. When we are not
breeding this pair they are housed with other cockatiels, in a
cage of 20 feet long, by 5 feet wide, with a height of 6 foot
which slopes up to 8 feet. Few perches are low, as to give lots
of flight room, since cockatiels are very fast Australian flyers.
Originating in Australia, where they live on wild grass seed,
buds, and yes even bugs.
This video is of a funny little cockatiel
"Mr. Birdie" that loves cameras and phones and will make sure he is the center
of entertainment, every time he sees one he takes center stage and will talk
continually.
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(an unfortunate human quality I guess). Remarkabl
y this
fellow is still fathering off spring, it will be interesting to
find out how long this will continue. I hope his good health has
something to do with how we have cared for him. When breeding he
and his wife are set up in your typical 24 inch, by 24 inch, and
18 inch high, breeding cage, with a nest box. When we are not
breeding this pair they are housed with other cockatiels, in a
cage of 20 feet long, by 5 feet wide, with a height of 6 foot
which slopes up to 8 feet. Few perches are low, as to give lots
of flight room, since cockatiels are very fast Australian flyers.
Originating in Australia, where they live on wild grass seed,
buds, and yes even bugs.
