Abstract
Selecting Stock
Whether one plans to produce Cockatiels solely for the hobby, pet trade, or exhibition circuit, the thoughtful selection of viable breeding stock chosen from robust bloodlines is key to establishing any successful Cockatiel stud. It is advisable to begin wisely by securing good foundation stock. Such individuals should be selected on the basis of health, appearance, and family bloodlines, if possible. Healthy individuals immediately attract attention. They display a sleek tightly-feathered appearance, bright eyes, and exude vitality. Often times, such outward appearance is referred to within the Fancy as "condition". Top condition generally goes hand in hand with good health and such birds should demonstrate vigor, enthusiasm, and activity.
Today, aviculturists are faced with a number ofbreeding techniques ranging from the simplest selection methods to more elaborate and intricate diagrams to follow. There are, however, essentially two major choices when approaching the breeding of most livestock.
The first approach is the planned pairing together of unrelated individuals to produce as large and divergent of type, including the production of perhaps some outstanding individuals. Such a practice might be quite appropriate for undomesticated species such as most psittacines, passeriformes, and certainly threatened or endangered species. The goal is to assemble as varied and diverse a collection of genes as possible from which to base the future generations of a particular species. Or, put another way, carefully stocking all genes available to a species in its "future bank of survival".
Linebreeding
The second approach, and one commonly employed when raising semidomesticated species such as the Cockatiel, is the systematic mating of related birds. The goal of such a program is to product uniformity within the stud while yielding offspring which retain the superior qualities of their parents or family strains. This method of pairing back distantly related relatives, or linebreeding, has been routinely utilized over the years by both successful hobbyists and breeders of exhibition stock.
However, most breeders make the effort to distinguish between line breeding, i.e., the breeding back of less closely related relatives, e.g., niece to uncle, grandchild to grandparent, cousin to cousin, etc., and that of inbreeding, i.e., closer unions usually defined as the breeding together of brother to sister. More rigorous proponents often include the mating of offspring to opposite sex parent, and the pairing together of halfsibblings, under the stricter definition of inbreeding.
While inbreeding may be a beneficial tool to be used under very special conditions by the skilled aviculturist, it should not be practiced indiscriminately by the less informed, or novice breeder. However, linebreeding can be an excellent and responsible system in which to create a family strain or stud of birds. When practiced correctly, such a method will produce family lines demonstrating very specific attributes, qualities, and uniform family characteristics, which are immediately recognizable as inherent to that line. Without linebreeding it would be impossible to form a strain of birds, attain consistent high quality, uniformity, and other desirable qualities. It is not a "hit or miss" venture, but rather a carefully planned enterprise.
It may be a distinct advantage if one is able to locate a stud of Cockatiels which the owner has been linebreeding. By beginning with linebred stock, much of the work will have already been done. Breeders choose to linebreed because they wish to set certain visual characteristics in their stock, e.g., physical attributes such as size, color and markings, crest length, etc.; or non-tangible traits such as fertility, hardiness, personality, etc.
By purchasing linebred birds, these desirable characteristics may have already been set in the line, and one may expect to produce a majority of young which will carry such characteristics outwardly. Over time, linebreeding can help to carry on attributes one is striving to maintain. Only an occasional outcross, or unrelated bird, may be necessary to rejuvenate bloodlines. If one wishes to reproduce Cockatiels which carry a family resemblance and have certain highly valued characteristics set in their lines, then one must consider line breeding.
Selective Breeding
Selective breeding is one method of producing uniform family resemblance among individuals. Selective breeding is the deliberate process of choosing individuals who visually demonstrate one or more attributes which the breeder wishes to set in a line that will be evident in future generations.
The selective breeding of Cockatiels usually dovetails a linebreeding program and may at some point include one or more attempts at inbreeding, usually under a special set of circumstances. Such conditions might include ridding individuals of hidden traits (e.g., bringing serious faults to the surface), pursuing hidden characteristics, or setting valuable qualities in a line which otherwise might not be obtainable through alternative matings (e.g., rare color mutations, although every other avenue should be exhausted).
Although selective breeding may be practiced with unrelated outcrosses, such matings of unrelated stock will in no way guarantee that such selected qualities will be inherited as dominant characteristics in future generations. This is why experienced breeders of Cockatiels will advise against purchasing birds from too many sources, however excellent the individual birds may be.