Too old?

Question
I have a nice female pearl cockatiel and i wanted to know if 2 years old is to old to breed. Also is it true that once you breed them they will never be nice to you again?

Answer
Hi, Sarah,

Two years old is an ideal age to start allowing your tiel to breed.  They should be this old before they start.  It's not breeding them that makes them "mean," it's the fact that birds prefer other birds to humans.  In other words, a bird would rather have another bird as a companion than a human.  Therefore, when you have a pair of birds together, they have each other and don't necessarily need you as a companion any more.  It would be the same as a human on an island with a bunch of birds....would you prefer the birds or another human as a companion.  If birds were tame before breeding, they might be tame afterward, particularly tiels.  It's the hormonal activity, responsibility of caring for eggs/offspring, the breeding process itself, that results in instinctive behavior kicking in.  It's instinctive for birds to protect their eggs/offspring.  To do so, they can become "mean" to their humans, other birds, etc., in order to protect their families.  Once their families are raised, they can revert back to their old personalities.....some do, some don't, it just depends on the individual birds involved.  

Chrys