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Pairing Question


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How to you plan pairs?

I put my 8 birds in an avairy, waiting for them to pair up then moved them. I have a cock bird I really like (below)

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And would like to pair him with a hen ( would love suggestions as to which colour hen) that w

 

That would produce chicks that have colouring like him

null_zps6e6ed5e9.png

 

So my question is how to I get the two I want to bond? As with my previous pairs they picked their own mates

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If you want a specific pair to bond you will have to put them in a separate cage and if you want a bird like him you will have to put him with a blue series hen not green

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I'd recommend seperating the males and females into seperate cages for several weeks (if that is possible) and then putting the pair you want together in a breeding cage.

That way they are more likely to bond.

 

You could just put the pair together in a breeding cage but if they have already bonded with another bird while in the avairy it will delay them bonding together and breeding.

 

Also be aware that just because you want a pair to bond and breed it doen't mean that they will.

 

Best of luck,

 

Wayne

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Thanks. It is possible to seperate them, my four pairs are already on eggs ( 2 pairs in each avairy) I'm just thinking about my new ones, they are in quarantine at the moment

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Hi Rhiannan

 

It is probably too late to seperate them if they are already sitting on eggs. Unless of course, you are happy to throw the eggs out and break up the pairs, OR combine eggs into fewer nests and break up the pairs you want to seperate. (Not that I would recommend this unless you knew the eggs were all laid around a similar period)

 

Having said that a couple months ago I had a light green cock bird die after his hen had been sitting on eggs for nearly 2 weeks. I put the light green cock bird (that was by itself in the cage next door) in with her and he started feeding her in the nest. She sucessfully hatched out two chicks from the previous mate and now the new cock bird and her are sitting on a new lot of eggs.

 

You didn't mention any new birds in quarantine in your first post - just your 8 birds that were in an avairy.

Quarantine periods are usually recommended to be about 6 weeks but I have been caught out before and would suggest 8 weeks instead.

While birds are in quarantine I give them a splash of apple cider vinegar in their drinking water once a week to keep them healthy.

 

If the pairs are already sitting on eggs it is probably best to let them finish hatching and then when the youngsters are old enough seperate the particular male and female that you would like to pair off next.

If you are at Blackwater QLD (I grew up in Central QLD) it will be getting a bit too hot by then to breed your birds, so I would suggest seperating the pair from the others until February/ March next year. That will give them time to bond and get back into breeding condition.

 

If you have a wire breeding cage and a nest box with ventilation holes you may get away with breeding them over December/ January but there is always a risk losing the hen from the heat.

 

I hope that helps. Others may be able to give you better advice.

 

Best of luck,

 

Wayne

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Thanks Wayne,

Yep I know its too late to seperate them now I was just thinking about in the future, I'd like to do it properly & put pairs in cages to breed, was hoping to do that with my new birds that are in quarantine as the pairs I have now seem very much in love with their partners lol

 

Yep blackwater qld weather isn't too bad at the present but as u know it does get bloody hot up here lol

 

Also the bird I have that is on a nest of four eggs, she hatched a chick 4 days ago it was and still is heathy, growing great, I checked at midnight last night and another was in the process of hatching but I just checked again now and its dead I'll put a photo up, wondering if u can give ideas on why its dead, the first chick is massive compared to the dead one

 

Thanks :)null_zps3ff76303.jpg

 

 

 

 

I think my first post might not of been clear, I ment my pairs that are on eggs now I let them into an avairy & they picked their own pairs then I moved two pairs out so my question was how to pick pairs myself & get them to bond as previously I only let them pick thief own pairs., any of they make sense? Lol

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First I would set up separate breeding cages, 1 pair per cage. Water seed etc. nest box. Add the hen you want to breed with, AFTER A FEW DAYS/WEEK , Pick out a cock bird that you think may make a good pair, add Cock bird to cage, wait to see if they are going to bond, MAKING SURE BOTH ARE IN BREEDING CONDITION AND AGE (12 MTHS OR OLDER). If after a few days they ignore each other you may have to swap birds and try again, they usually bond if it's one to one.

 

Then let Mother Nature do her thing. Good luck. :)

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My method is slightly different than Robyn's. I keep my hens and cocks separate when they are not breeding, and when I want to breed, I put the cock and the hen in the breeding cage at the same time. But I keep the door to the nest box closed for the first week, because I don't want the hen getting the idea that she can just go in there and lay eggs before she mates with the cock. I don't put the hen in by herself, because I don't want her to get territorial of the cage, and then fight with the male when he is added. But it sounds like Robyn doesn't have that problem, so maybe I'm being overcautious for nothing.

 

Anyway, when I put them both in at the same time, there is usually mad courting immediately, followed by shameless mating before I have even finished getting the next pair into their cage. I attribute that to their having been deprived of the opposite gender for most of their life. But it doesn't always happen that way. Sometimes there are pairs that take a while to bond. Most of them usually do eventually. I've not had any pairs take an instant hatred to each other, but I've read it can happen, so you have to watch for signs of fighting, too, just in case.

 

If I want to pair up two that aren't in breeding condition, I just keep the door to the box closed until I see signs that the hen is ready to breed. (Brown cere, chewing up the newspapers, laying an egg on the floor of the cage, etc.)

 

When I used to house both genders together, I would set up my pairs and then make them wait two weeks before giving them a box, to make sure the hen had no leftover sperm from any possible mating in the community cage.

 

It sounds like your first pairs are doing well, and you will have some good experience under your belt for next season.

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This sounds like a good plan Finnie, if I had the room or separate aviary's I think I would use the same method. As I only breed pet types I have all my birds in together until I "get clucky" and decide I want some new chicks. Then I close off half my aviary and add cages to one half and leave rest for birds. I agree with leaving no box for 2 weeks, as I got caught this season with 2 " ring in" chicks from an aviary encounter, before pairing my birds.

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Your way sounds good too, Robyn. Everyone has to make use of what they've got. I would dearly love to have an outdoor aviary, or even a walk in flight indoors.

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