Abstract
Years ago, so many that I've forgotten just when, I sipped coffee and chatted with Nancy Reed about the book she wanted to write on cockatiels. She was excited and enthusiastic about cockatiels and wanted to share those feelings and her knowledge with everyone alive. Of course, the whole world loves cockatiels and wants to know more.
Well, at long last, after all these years, Reed has done the job; she's written her book. And, I'm glad to say, the excitement and enthusiasm is sti 11 there and so, also, is Reed's offbeat sense of humor that I especially enjoyed in her conversation. In the book's introduction, Reed relates an incident wherein a person complained about the extremely noisy song of the Zebra Finch and wondered if a cockatiel might make a more peaceful pet. Reed recommended a pot of ivy. Well said. And there are other examples of her humor sprinkled like spice throughout the text, adding much to the flavor.
Indeed, the language of the book is one of its blessings. If you want pompous, lofty pronouncements drifting down from some avicultural mountain top, go elsewhere. Reed's writing, like her coffee klatch conversation, is direct, to the point, humorous and sincere. It is also extremely well informed and based upon first hand experience with cockatiels. You'll never get the feeling that Reed's book is a well done library research paper.
Although Cockatiels is subtitled Pets, Breeding, Shows, you actually get more than that. The introduction alone would almost suffice as a short but well done book on the cockatiel's various qualities, colors and specific behaviors. While touching on genetics and color mutations in the introduction, Reed said something that gave me a knee-jerk reaction. She said it is becoming difficult to find pure normal gray cockatiels. She would like to see a few breeders perpetuating pure stock so it isn't lost to aviculture. Sometimes I forget how we av ic u lt u r i s ts strive tO manipulate nature for our own reasons. Somebody, please, breed normals.
There are ten chapters following the introduction: cages, flights and equipment, diet, common ailments and diseases, pets, preparation for breeding, color mutations and breeding expectations, breeding, how-tos, showing, and The American Cockatiel Society Show Standard. Space doesn't permit a detailed analysis and report on each of the ten chapters but there are a few things that sort of floated to the top - based, I suppose, on my own experiences with cockatiels. In the first chapter, Reed mentioned night lights. Bless her heart. She figured out that cockatiels as a species are unstable. In short, certifiable wackos. Airhead is the word. Without a night light, some of your cockatiels will commit suicide. All of a sudden a whole flight full of cockatiels will rise in a panic and fly hard and fast for Australia. If they see the aviary wire in time, they'll reverse and head for Alaska. If they don't see the wire, they will crash and die. Please heed Reed's warning.
In the next chapter, Diet, one item stood out graphically because I've seen it abused so often. Reed says water is cheap, accessible and absolutely necessary to keep your birds alive. Keep their water so fresh and clean that you could sip it yourself.
We all know that rule but it can't be overstated. The rest of the chapter contains good advice and valid data but doesn't seem very important to me. I've had several birds eat just one or two kinds of seeds exclusively no matter how large a variety was available. And then there is my brother who has eaten almost nothing but peanut butter sandwiches for over 40 years and he's nearly normal. Oh well. Pay no mind to my peculiar attitude. Take Reed's dietary advice.
The chapter on Common Ailments and Diseases was written by two veterinarians well known in the bird world, Dr. Richard E. Baer and Dr. Al Decoteau. They run through a short list of health problems that commonly occur in birds and, in layman's terms, point out the most effective home remedies. I was very glad to see that these two vets actually expect you to treat your bird at home. Too many vets advise expensive vet care for the simplest ailments. Perhaps for a beloved pet no expense is too great, but the true aviculturist who breeds numerous birds has to think like any old farm boy and keep costs to a minimum. The experienced animal breeder learns at what point professional veterinary care is necessary and he doesn't hesitate to use it. The information in this chapter will help you a lot with the majority of lesser problems.
In her chapter on Pets, Reed gives much good advice based upon experience and wisdom. She makes one statement, however, that I take issue with. She says, "I know of no one having any experience with cockatiels who can negate the virtues of cockies as pets'.' Nancy Reed, allow me to introduce my sister Kim Dingle. Years ago, I gave Kim a young, sweet co ckatiel pet. A few months later, Kim returned the bird saying, "This little S.0.8. is so mean I could rob liquor stores with it'.' Perhaps my sister's cockatiel experience is not normal (nothing else about her is normal either) but cockatiels may not be for everybody as Reed seems to think. For the vast majority of pet lovers, however, cockatiels are quite suitable and Reed's advice is quite good. 1 especially agree with Reed's explanation of the two methods of taming, i.e. patience and force. Read this section carefully if you are tempted to try to tame a cockatiel. What she says works.