Customer Reviews

Cockatiels! Pets-Breeding-Showing

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ms. Reed's book is a wonderful reference. While some may say it is dry or technical I find that to be untrue. I have had the book in my personal library for a number of years. I have several copies due to the wear and tear from use. My first copy is highlighted, underlined, and filled with my personal notes. I raise a considerable number of handfed baby cockatiels every year. I advise everyone who buys a bird from me to pick up a copy of Ms. Reed's book. What I really like about the book is the range of topics covered. This book is not a simple introduction to cockatiels that is quickly outgrown by the cockatiel owner. This is a book that will be useful for years to come. There is expert information to take the reader from pet owner to breeder and on to showing.

While some of the information may have become dated (mutations), the overwhelming majority of the information in this book remains relevant and accurate. It has been a lifesaver many times over the past years. I look forward to the revised edition!

While I've had companion parrots for a number of years, breeding was something new....after talking to several breeders, my husband and I decided to try our hand at cockatiels. Prior to actually purchasing breeder stock, I visited a local pet store and purchased this book----it was the best thing I could have done at that point. The book is very good at explaining all the different aspects of breeding---I highly recommend it for anyone who is thinking about breeding. This book may not be for a companion cockatiel owner, with a lot of technical information that is not exactly an exciting read, but as far as knowing what you are getting into before taking the step of actually setting up an aviary it is a must have.

My husband and I have two cockatiels, a Normal male and a Cinnamon female that, until this year, have shown very little interest in each other. When they exhibited signs a few weeks ago that they were going to start breeding, I looked for a good piece of solid writing for reference. I picked up this book pretty much at random, and looked at the section about breeding. From reading that section alone, I knew I had to have this book! All of the sections are very well put-together, with anticdotes and clearly written explanations. It is by far the most comprehensive book I have ever seen on bird behavior and care. It has already greatly enhanced my enjoyment of my birds, whom I thought I couldn't love any more than I already did! I have to confess, however, that the articles alone did not sell me on this book. I was hooked immediately on all of the wonderful photographs, illustrating marking and breeds, as well as a few just to show off how beautiful these birds really are. If you own birds or are considering owning birds, no matter what variety, this book is a must have. It is both entertaining and informative, and I can guarantee that the photos will keep it a well-used reference for a very long time. Thank you, Nancy Reed!

This is the first book I reach for when I have a question. It is good for basic pet owner information and indispensible for the breeder. A valuable resource.

As the President of the North American Cockatiel Society and a breeder of cockatiels for 13 years, I have had the opportunity to read a number of books on cockatiel care and breeding. This is one of the better books on the market, however, some of the information contained in the book is outdated and needs updating.

We have had tiels since Easter 92 I purchased a male lutino for Cheryl for Easter. We became breeders December of the same year, when our little male started laying eggs. So we barrowed a known male from a friend and we embarked upon the road to cockatiel paradise . We started with very little bird experience . (wife's Granddad raised parakeets) And with little or no technical material to be found. I believe we purchased every book we could find on cockatiels, of course these were to be found at the local pet stores and discount stores, so we couldn't expect much. Anyways when we located this book it was every thing we were looking for. It isn't overly technical, and for non avian people like us, we could understand what she was saying.THIS IS THE COCKATIEL BIBLE. I consider us to be ametuer breeders, we have two pair of tiels we breed 2 - 3 times a year .We have had a multitude of questions with no answers, and a host of problems with no solutions. Now with Nancy Reed's book we might be considered rookies , but we are more knowledgeable than the average rookie. This book has made us feel more comfortable handling the cockatiel emergencies and the every day chores and joys of cockatiel husbandry. You don't own cockatiels you coexist with them, they enrich your life as you enrich thier life. This book " COCKATIELS pets- breeding-showing", has made life with tiels easier and more enjoyable. We have been looking for more cockatiel books by Nancy Reed. We have read the articles she has published in the bird magazines , and we want more, more more. Thank you Nancy Ree

First, let me say that I am not a breeder. I just have a little cockie friend as a pet. I found the book to be informative, but weighing very strongly to the breeder and less to the new owner. If I ever do decide to breed, then this book will be a great reference. However, I found that it didn't offer as much basic information in detail that a newer owner would like to have as other books that are less geared to breeders.

this is such a great book. it has so many quality pictures and has tons of information for the novice and advanced birld lovers!

Ms. Reed's book is obviously for the advanced or intermediate bird fancier. There is a bundle of information included in this book.

The book deals with various issues such as diet, breeding, disease control and showing your bird at competitions.

While the book is heavy in information and breeder advice, I found the book rather clinical to read and not very inspiring for a new owner of a pet cockatiel.

The style of writing is often very dry and is written more for the person who is very, very serious about raising cockatiels as a hobby rather than for someone who is interested in owning one for a pet/companion.

She writes from the perspective of a professional breeder and that is the major fault of the book. There is hardly any advice on the daily aspects of cockatiel behavior, how to relate to your pet, how to take care of bad pet behavior, what to look for in a pet, how to determine if a cockatiel is the right pet for you, how to select a good pet, etc.

In short, the human element is missing.

If you are looking for just information and are interested in the show aspect of cockatiels, then this book should do well for you. If you are more interested in the human/bird aspects of cockatiel ownership with a simpler more to the point book on cockatiel behavior, I believe you could do better by buying another book.

While there is nothing wrong with information when it deals with your pet, there has got to be more heart in the writing added to the information on the daily aspects of raising your pet.

I would not recommend this book to new cockatiel owners.

As a new cockatiel owner, I found this book to be much too heavy on breeding techniques and the process of 'showing' your bird for competition. The book delves into diet, nutrition, and pet care but is written from a 'professional' point of view.

The information is overwhelming in the book and I found it to be dry and technical. I believe that there are much better books on the market than this one for the everyday 'common' cockatiel owner. If you are a 'professional', you will love this book. But I dare say that most owners of cockatiels enjoy them for their company and not just for breeding/showing.

This book is *definitely* NOT the bible for cockatiel care!