What does a breeder need to get started?

LOL, Mario! I agree, I would never try to handle my breeders, although I've heard that some pets make excellent breeders. They just can't be handled when they're in breeding mode, but go right back to being sweet as pie when they're done.

You can buy "candling sticks" from bird supply places for a small fortune or you can go to an auto supply store and get the same thing for next to nothing! It's a lot easier (and faster) to chase mama off the eggs for a few minutes and candle in the box, than it is to take each egg out. Try it - you'll like it! LOL

Hello,

By the way I like the light on a stick thing Busters mom that is a great idea.


I hope you dont mind if I try doing that instead of getting the eggs out of the box.

Mario

Hello,


I agree you can talk to them I do as well but I just do not have any physical contact with them. I should have been a little more clear when I posted that. Sorry for that. Ronda I have to tell you that even if you by a Proven Bonded pair that there is no gaurantee that they will breed. I just want you to know so you do not get upset if they do not breed. It is like the talking in parrots, if a bird talks its a bonus. There is no gaurantee that a bird will talk. Just wanted to throw that out LOL!!!!

Mario

Being in the other house they probably won't get too much interaction anyway, I mean when I go over and feed, I'm sure I will talk to them, just hard not to lol. As for handling though, I have heard that, that they can't be pets.

I want to let the mother feed for the first couple of weeks, I have read it is just better for the baby. Nothing like mother. Of course if she won't feed than I will have to learn even more, but I would like to be prepared. And as for her sitting on the egg, I guess that kind of goes in hand now being I want her to feed them for the first few weeks. We do have a huge huge incubator for eggs. We use it for chicken eggs lol. But if we ever had to I'm sure we could warm it up and use that. But I would like them to do it for the entire time until it is time for me to take them from nest and wean them from there.

To follow up on what ziggy said, with you being a first time breeder, I would recommend that you let the parents sit and feed and not try to feed day one babies (unless the parents won't feed). It is far too easy to aspirate day one chicks. I always pull my babies at 2 weeks, not 3, only because I band and usually by the time they are 3 weeks old, their feet are too big to get the bands on. As far as candling, I never need to remove the eggs from the box. I have a gadget that looks like a stick with a light on the end and I can stick it in the nest box and candle them there. It has been my experience that interacting with breeders in no way hampers their breeding. If they want to breed, they will, if they don't, they won't. I talk to my breeders every day while cleaning their cages. This is just my two cents worth - I know every breeder has their own ways.

Hello Ronda,

I will start off by saying good choice of bird to start with. Quackers are a pretty simple bird to breed. Quackers are sexually active at the age of 18 months and have a strong sex drive. What I like to do is to have a breeding box attached to the cage and have a pine bedding in it. I have the box attached at all times. I do not have it removed and then replace it when the so called season comes around. Quackers like conures like a dark and closed place to sleep at night. Thats why I leave my boxes on the cage all year round. You need to make choice of are you going to pull the eggs out and put them in an incubator or are you going to let the hen roost them. That first. Then are you going to let the hen start to feed the chicks or are you going to pull the babies right away and going to feed them. If you are going to let the hen feed them you will not pull the babies until they are 3 weeks old. Then you will whean them out from that point. See you need to let me know what you want to do and I can help you a little more. The room you have will work just fine. The one thing I have to tell you that as a bird lover you will want to make the breeders into pets. You MUST at all causes not do that at all. They will not be pets and please do not try to make them pets. They will be a totally different kind of birds. They will not come out of the cage, they will not be held, they will not want to be around you at all, and they will act very aggressive. I just want you to know some of these things because they will not breed if they have a lot of human contact. Your job will be to just feed and clean the cage and thats all. The less contact with humans the more they will be up to breeding. Just want you to know before you spend the money and then you do not get any eggs at all. When you are having the hen laying eggs it is important to let them roost them even if they are not fertile eggs. You will also need to feed them foods higher in calcium such as almonds and broccolli. I always have a cuttle bone in the cage as well. A hen needs a lot of calcium when they are laying eggs. A week hen from calcium defissiantsy will die if you dont watch her. I just lost a cockateil this way. She would not eat at all. You will need to after 8 days of seeing the egg to remove the egg and candle it to make sure it is fertile. You will see the air sack and red blood veins that look like red spider webs. Then you have a fertile egg. What I do is I have a log of the day the egg was laid and then I keep all of the records on the hatch date and the times. I found that using a log it keeps you right up to the moment on the progress of the eggs. I also have a log after the chick is hatched. I put all the feedings and the weights down and watch out for any weight loss and feedings that are going down in CC's. I do this just to have a record of the progress of the chick. I will help you out with it just let me know how you want to go about it.

Mario

Hey Mario!

Thanks! I am looking to breed Blue Quakers. I wanted something I was familiar with and something that there aren't a ton of like cockatiels around here. I just wanted something small to start, because I know the sad thing is, when learning I will probably loose a few until I learn how to do everything. I know everyone hopes to god it won't happen, but I'm sure it does. I would like to build my way to Grey's in the future.

As far as room goes for breeders I have a second house next to me that is ours. We call it our in-law suite lol. I was going to use a bedroom out if it for my breeders. But the rooms aren't huge by any means. I am leaving the master bedroom for our friends and family that come to visit us. So we are just talking about a bedroom. And a small one at that. I have seen a brooder made out of a fish tank. I would like some ideas on brooders and just say I was to get the pair tomorrow and they had an egg soon, what would I need to have this baby survive?

Hello Ronda,

No problem I will get it for you. If you would can you narrow it down a little on what you want to know. I have so much that it would take me a month to post it all. What kind of birds are you looking at to breed? are you going to make it a small business for yourself? how much room do you have to start the breeders? there are so many different things to take into matter. Just think about what you want and I will get the info for you.

Mario

Thanks everyone! And thanks Mario, I will be looking for it

Hello Ronda,

I will get you a bunch of info for you and post it for you. I have it in another computer and I have to transfer it into this one. I will get back to you on it.


Mario

I know that the breeder that I am getting the congo from uses a box like this.

She attaches a heat lamp some height 13" ?? above the box and only has it covering about 3/4 so the babies can move if they get too warm. Nest box (obviously), hand feeding formula, syring, scale, ummm...just throwing things out there. I know that once the babies get older (8-10 wks) you can put a towel in it with a heating pad underneath part (with cords safely arranged). Not really sure what else. I am sure that someone who knows what they are talking about will give you info. I am just guessing based on what I have seen.

Good question Ronda. I was thinking the same thing... maybe the year after next when I finish my degree.

Can anyone list some things that a breeder needs to get started with their own breeding business? I want to start small of course, thinking Quakers since we have had one for the past 9 years. But I just need to know all the things that a breeder needs. I know like a brooder, but I have also heard of some home made ones? Just some ideas if anyone has any would be helpful thanks! And keep in mind, I'm in no hurry for I have a bunch of reading to do on the subject, it's just something that I think I would really enjoy doing. Thanks!