Sometime in April of 2003 (around the first week I think... the 1-4th) we noticed a small egg in the bottom of the cage one evening. I think I remember seeing it that morning but I'm not sure.

That's when we began talking about what to do, and given that we had no experience in this. It was when the second egg appeared and I had read something about this that we began to be concerned over what to do.

We ran out that weekend and bought a nest box. You can buy them from PetSmart, Pet Supermarket, or your local pet store. They are about 12" x 12" made out of wood with a small perch inside and a small indentation so that the eggs don't roll around. The next problem was what do you put inside, or do you put anything inside. We found (thorough experience) that paper towel(s) at the bottom of the box with some peat moss (thin layer) works quite nicely. This keeps the eggs moist (necessary), and after the babies hatch it soaks up the babies droppings. Doesn't do much for the smell though :)

We put the (now three) eggs inside the nest box and waited out to see if the parents would go into the box, lay more egss and of couse sit on them (incubate). Turns out our birds were champs and had no problems figuring out what the nest box was for, or how to use it. After a few days, we found 8 eggs in the box. For first time parents, that's a lot of eggs. Normally with the first clutch, they lay 4-6 with 4 being the norm.

During the night of May 1-2nd, 2003 our Cockatiel babies started hatching. It took another full 5 days before all 7 were hatched (out of 8).

Here they are at 2 Days old.
Here they are at 12 Days old.
Here they are at 14 Days old.
Here they are at 18 Days old.
Here they are at 21 Days old.
Around 25 days old, one baby became ill with an eye/sinus infection.
Here they are at 29 Days old.

More about the baby and all the additional fun later...