1. COCKATIEL SCREAMING, HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC.
2. Cockatiel Cottage: My bird is screaming! Help! What should I do?
3. Stop The Squawk
   Discover these helpful tips of training parrots not to scream
   By Elise Kaplan
   

First, why do you want to breed? Do you have top notch birds or are they pet store quality? Are you aware that there are hundreds of unwanted cockatiels and budgies out there that are in shelters and rescues because they can't find homes?

Are your birds on a proper diet? Cockatiels can not all seeds, but not all pellets either. They need a constant supply of fresh healthy foods as well, which needs to be removed after 1-2 hours to prevent bacterial growth.

If you are wanting to breed budgies, did you know that they do better without pellets? A pelleted diet has too high of a protein content for their little bodies.

Also, if you are breeding budgies in the state of California, Colorado, and Connecticut, did you know that they must have a traceable state registered closed band on in order to be sold, traded or bartered legally in the state?^{1 2} This makes many of the budgies that are sold in small pet stores illegal. What will you do with 5+ chicks that you can never legally sell?

Next, are you aware that you need to wait until the birds are at least 2 years old before they should breed? What will you do if the hen is egg bound? What will you do if they refuse to feed? Can you spend 4-10 weeks hand feeding the chicks around the clock?

Do you know the signs of crop burn, other crop problems like slow or sour crop?

Do you have an emergency avian vet you can go to in any emergency with the chicks? What will you do if they get an infection or aspirate the formula? What if they don't wean on time? You cannot force wean a bird and expect it to be healthy.

What will you do with the chicks when they are grown? They don't sell for much, so you won't make money breeding them.

Not all breeders are wild, but they won't be cuddle bugs either. They will be bonded to each other, not you.

What will you do if one or both parent birds pluck the chicks? Not only does this make the chicks look ugly, but it causes them to use needed caloric energy growing feathers a second or even a third time instead of growing. This could stunt their growth permanently. At this point, you will need to pull the chicks and handfeed, even if you didn't plan on it in the beginning.

Last but not least, what will you do if your hen becomes a chronic egg layer? Constantly laying and depleting her system of needed nutrients? Are you willing to do what it takes to get her healthy and keep her that way, even if you can never breed her again?

1. Information on banding gained from Winged Wisdom Magazine 11/06
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww5eiii.htm

2. History Of The Leg Band
Originally used to trace the movements of wild birds, leg bands today are used to identify a pet bird’s origins
By Dick Schroeder

Medical and Emergency information	Specific Bird Care Information
Protecting Your Birds Through Quarantine By Joanie Doss	The Budgerigar (A.K.A. Budgie, Parakeet)
Safety Precautions for Birdkeepers by Carolyn Swicegood	HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC. Budgie info.
Find your local Avian Veterinarian	Budgie and Parakeet FAQ
Poopology	Budgies 'N' Tiels
Birds N Ways article Don't Play Doctor with Antibiotics
Dangerous and Safe Plant List NACS	The Cockatiel
Dangerous Foods For Birds	North American Cockatiel Society
Help! My Bird Is Sick Find out when to use first aid and when to see a vet - fast. By Lisa Paul, DVM	HAMILTON & DISTRICT BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY INC. The Cockatiel
Stop the Panic Accidents will happen. Your best defense is to remain calm and then to formulate a plan. If you portray serenity then your bird will too. By Liz Wilson, CVT, CPBC	Cockatiel Cottage
Treat A Burn - Fast By Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, Dip. ABVP — Avian Practice	Budgies 'N' Tiels
Save A Bird’s Life With CPR Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, Dip. ABVP —Avian Practice
Bird Marts: The Single Greatest Threat To Avian Health By: Ernie Colaizzi	Indian Ringneck Parrot
Parents Pluck Baby Bird’s Feathers What action to take when parents pluck their baby birds’ feathers By Diane Grindol	IndianRingneck.com
A BIT ABOUT GRIT Do Birds Need It? by Carol Highfill
Avian Biotech DNA Testing	Lady Gouldian Finches and other Finches
Help! My Bird Got Out of the House!!	National Finch and Softbill Society
Prevent Lost Birds Things you can do now to prevent your bird from getting lost By Crystal Apilado	Great information, Saftey, Training, Taming and more!
Tips for Creating Your Lost Bird Flier Use these tips to help find your missing bird By Crystal Apilado	BirdSafe.com
Lost Bird Action Plan Things you can do if your bird flies off By Crystal Apilado	Drs Foster and Smith FAQ sheets
Birds N Ways	Bird Talk Magazine information and training
Birdmart.com Classified ads Lost and Found	Mickaboo reading room
Greif: Pet Loss Support Centers	Bird Talk Magazine Bird Channel.com
	THE ABC's OF LEG BANDS by Carol Highfill
	Things to Look For in a Reputable Rescue Information courtesy of Fine Feathered Frauds - The Truth about a Wisconsin Bird Rescue
Toys, Food, Adoption	Online Chat Groups! Talk with other bird owners
Grey Feather Toys I personally love this place!!	Up At Six Chats
Drs Foster and Smith, Bird Toys	Bird Board Chats
Jar Sprouting Directions & Avian Naturals Herbal Supreme
Parrots First Parrot adoptions, care education, rehabilitation, and rescue. Los Angeles, CA

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