help please!! regarding breeding with cockatiels

[prettybird89]

I have had two cockatiels for about 2 years now (male and female) and i was so excited when i first got them so that i could be able to help feed their newborn and make them accustomed to me because the parents bite often....i have even put a box big enough for a nest in the cage and cut out a hole just big enough for them to get in and out easily. The thing is, the female hasn't laid any eggs at all not even one and i just don't know why. The male seems to be affectionate towards her, but there has been no progress in terms of her laying eggs. Any advice? Why do you think this is?

[KimBear]

Breeding parrots, even a relatively easy to breed species such as cockatiels, isn't like breeding dogs and cats. Parrots need some pretty specific conditions before they'll go to nest, lay eggs, incubate the eggs, hatch the eggs, and care for the young. Examples of the conditions include: the right nesting environment relative to privacy, tempertature, humidity and lighting; as well as many diet and other health issues. So just setting up a nest box with a male and a female isn't usually enough.

It would be a good idea to purchase a book about cockatiels (try to get one that's been published fairly recently) and do some research about setting up the right breeding conditions. The last time I checked the shelves of my local Barnes and Noble, there were a lot of cockatiel books to choose from. I think Cockatiels for Dummies would be one of the best choices. Not that you're a dummy, but the "Dummies" series of books are usually very well done, and make great resources, even for non-beginners.