Daz 0 Posted December 15, 2006 Member ID: 4,838 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 247 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 4,882 Content Per Day: 0.25 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 36,650 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 19/11/08 Status: Offline Last Seen: July 2, 2022 Birthday: 02/02/1964 Share Posted December 15, 2006 “The Mechanics And Mechanisms Of Breeding” Although there have always been a number of fanciers who have bred their birds continually throughout the year, it has not been the common practice to do so. It had been and to a large degree still is generally accepted that the breeding season in both the United Kingdom and the United States runs between the end of November and the end of May. Several factors, none of which were related to scientific understanding of the Budgerigar breeding cycles, play a role in determining this breeding season. First among them has been ‘tradition’. Most countries around the World have borrowed heavily from the British breeder’s knowledge regarding breeding room management. Much of our understanding of Budgerigar husbandry comes directly from the manuscripts of English authors and it has not been until most recently that this traditional practice has even been questioned in the UK. The second factor relates to ring issue date. The British and American Budgerigar Society leg bands are officially distributed at the start of the calendar year. Setting up for breeding in November ensures a number of early rung young birds for the forth coming show season. This practice of issuing rings at the start of January has not been exclusive to the UK and many other International Budgerigar Associations have also used this date. In recent years, several mainland European countries plus the USA have moved their ring issue dates to November, which more closely corresponds to what they feel is the Budgerigar breeding cycle in their countries. In Britain and a number of other countries, where a change is not being contemplated, breeders are altering their thinking and pairing up their birds when they come into breeding condition no matter what time of year it is. Whereby improving their chances of breeding more good birds, regardless of ring issue date, is justifiably their present day goal. Show Season Influences The third factor has been linked to the show season, which in general begins in late May and ends in late November. By beginning in late autumn, breeding through the winter and ending in early spring, the best adult birds are available for the show bench during much of the exhibition season. In the early history of the development of the hobby, winter shows were not uncommon. In fact, they were even well attended. While it could not be expected that the show season would change in any dramatic way, it can be expected that it will be less of a factor in determining when hobbyists commence breeding. Master breeders of Budgerigars are as interested in breeding quality young and improving their line of birds as they are in exhibiting. They understand that by breeding throughout the year, there will be birds in their aviary in different states of condition. Some will be in a moult, some will be in breeding condition and some will be ready to show. By not adhering to a “traditional” rigidly imposed breeding concept and instead, exhibiting those that are in show condition and breeding those that are in breeding condition, the best of two worlds can be achieved. A final factor, which has influenced when birds are paired, took into account weather variations throughout the breeder’s country. In America, some areas of the south and southwest, 1000+ F temperatures are common during the summer months. In the north and northwest, winter temperatures often dip below freezing. It was believed by many that breeding during these periods would subject the birds to excessive environmental stress. As we have become more sophisticated in our knowledge of the effects of temperature on breeding, however, we have realised that Budgerigars will breed over a wide range of temperatures. Actually, they can tolerate both the heat and the cold quite well. It is only when there are wide ranges of temperature fluctuations, as when it is very hot in the day and extremely cold at night that breeding is interrupted. Armed with this knowledge, aviary managers have counteracted the extreme fluctuations in temperature by installing heating units and/or air conditioning as needed. As a result, external conditions have begun to play less of a role in determining breeding seasons. In fact, with these advancements many present day birdroom environments are so little influenced by what is happening outside, our freedom to breed continuously throughout the year without adding additional stress to our breeding pairs has changed dramatically. While these were all at one time, reasonable explanations as to why we bred Budgerigars during the time frames that we did, there is little doubt that the changes, which are currently underway are a direct result of a broadening of our understandings of Budgerigar reproductive physiology and behaviour. For years, little consideration was given to the fact that some of these past practices may have accounted for breeding room problems such as high infertility and low hatchability. As this was brought into focus, the result of a growing body of research and the progressive, inquisitive thinking of a number of the hobbies leading breeders, a subtle but ever growing shift in management practices has occurred. This is particularly true with regard to our recognition of Budgerigar breeding cycles and breeding condition as the major factors influencing when we pair our birds for breeding. Resistance To Change As with all change, there remains a strong current of resistance to new ideas and some breeders wish to hang onto the belief that Budgerigars are a continuous breeding species that can be bred at their convenience. All that is required for them to go to nest, they believe, is seed, water, and a nest box. The experienced Master Breeder, however, recognises that this is not the case at all. In feral (wild) Budgerigar populations, there are definite gonadal cycles. In the far south of Australia, breeding takes place in the spring; North Australia in the winter; and in the mid-latitudes, spring, summer and autumn but not winter. Current research with domesticated Budgerigars, confirm that in captivity, there are also definite gonadal cycles. These active sperm producing cycles have been identified as: Early October to early November November to mid February Early March until the end of April Early June until mid September These sperm producing periods, as well as the barren and near barren periods in between, are regulated by a very small structure in the brain called the hypothalamus. During periods of infertility, the testes of the cock birds are atrophied and do not produce sperm. Testosterone production, which is responsible for secondary sexual characteristics, is halted and in hens, the ovary is shrunken and inactive. It is not until the hypothalamus, acting as a control centre, receives specific messages from the environment that it is stimulated to send certain peptides, called release factors to the pituitary gland. The pituitary, after getting feedback that all is well with other internal systems, acts on these messages, and releases two important hormones, LH and FSH. It is LH and FSH that stimulate the testes and ovary to grow, which in turn brings about changes in sexual oriented behaviours as well as secondary sexual characteristics such as cere colour and feather condition. Recognising when our Budgerigars are in an active fertile cycle, or breeding condition, is not always an easy task. Even the most experienced breeders have put up birds that have failed to go to nest, been “out of cycle”, or have not fertilised their eggs. In fact, some studies suggest that up to 76% of all infertile Budgerigar eggs laid in captive breeding programs are due to: Failure to mate due to lack of pair bonding. Incorrect apposition during mating. The cock or hen not being in a fertile cycle. Short of physically testing a male for fertility and visually inspecting a hens ovary, we have to rely on our observations and knowledge of: Mate selection. Pair forming. Sexually oriented behaviours. Changes in secondary sexual characteristics. Informtion from The Master Breeder. Link to comment
Elly 0 Posted December 15, 2006 Member ID: 1,641 Group: Site Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 414 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 15,350 Content Per Day: 2.23 Reputation: 0 Achievement Points: 99,335 Solved Content: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/10/05 Status: Offline Last Seen: January 1, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2006 very interesting Daz Link to comment
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