Always remember that when things go wrong it isn't always the birds which are to blame. Ninety per cent of the time it is your management that is at fault.

 

What are you trying to do Breed better birds?

Edited April 1, 200817 yr by Daz

I always blame myself, but also there are things you can't second guess!

Each budgie is a individual and as such it is only through knowing your birds can you know what they require.

 

Man that's poetry!! I must write that down! I surprise myself sometimes!!

 

The Boss reads some of the things I post on here and asked :book:

" why don't you talk like that here? Instead of the grunts and groans that you normally use to communicate! "

 

:(Laughing out loud):

hehe cave man throwback???

I always take into account what went wrong was my fault because it was... OR bobs :angel1:

TRYING TO BREED BIRDS BETTER THAN YOU'VE EVER BRED BEFORE

 

by Alf Ormerod, U.K.

 

It is very hard to get to the top in any walk of life, and this is certainly the case as far as Breeding and Exhibiting Budgerigars is concerned. However, if a Novice or Beginner realises that there are plenty of headaches to be surmounted, and he or she does not try to make progress too quickly they cannot but find enjoyment in this hobby. By this, I would not like Beginners to feel that they should not aim their sights at the top of the tree.

 

Anyone with ambition will want to climb through the sections until he or she becomes a Champion. This is as it should be. The way one makes a start in the fancy usually has a great bearing on later years. It is best to make progress slowly, rather than rush into buying stock and equipment and find out later that it would have been wiser to have first sought advice and gone about it in a totally different way. At Club meetings, one often hears it said that the ordinary working chap has no hope of getting to the top unless he wins the pools but many of us had only limited means when we started.

 

The fancier who is interested in breeding exhibition budgerigars must limit and control the colours and varieties he keeps so that he knows what to expect from his pairings and also how to select the best mate for each bird. Beginners often ask me "which colours are best for them to start with?" This is a difficult question, as none of us see things exactly alike. A colour that appeals to one person may not suit another and this is how it should be otherwise new varieties would never improve. My advice therefore, is to visit one or two big shows. In this way you can study the various colours and especially those that are winning major awards. Then make your own choice.

 

In the past a lot has been written about breeding budgerigars. Many Beginners get the impression that all they need to do is buy birds, cages and equipment and then start booking orders for their young ones. I do agree that breeding pet birds is easier than building up a top class exhibition team. The better however the quality, the more difficult it becomes to maintain it and produce big winners regularly. To me this is what makes the hobby a challenge. Try always to breed a bird better than you've ever bred before. It is quality one must aim for first, not quantity. This is what counts and yet one must not lose sight of the fertility potential of your stock or else you very soon have good looking birds that cannot produce their like.

VITAL SHOW POINTS

 

How do I start my breeding season? First of all, during the show season, I am always on the look out for new 'blood' birds that carry certain good points. They are not necessarily class or special award winners. They just have the Vital Show Points one needs - you must never be satisfied with your stock. In most cases when one gets to the top, the birds you fancy can't be bought at any price, but sometimes you can gain your objectives by making an exchange. Many years ago I exchanged three very good birds to get the one I wanted. Financially I was well out of pocket, but that was a move I never regretted.

 

By the end of October I have more or less planned my pairings and these are put down on paper. It makes it a lot easier when pairing day comes, rather than having to study each bird with its pedigree at the same time. I select the best hens of each colour - good hens are essential for success, but they must have a good pedigree as well as looks. I am always dubious about using a good hen from poor stock as in general they breed youngsters like their background. Next I select the cocks. If a hen has any feature I want to improve, then I find a cock which excels in that point, but of course they must be compatible in colour and pedigree for the mating to be a success. I never put any pairs together just for the sake of breeding youngsters. The object is to improve all the time and if I don't think a pair can achieve that, it is a waste of time and seed.

 

I won't go into the subject of early and late breeding, as budgerigars will breed at any time if they are in condition and you make arrangements to meet their needs such as extra light etc. As our closed rings are issued on January 1st, and I agree with this, most of us pair-up to have chicks ready for ringing by that date. However, for the first four or five years, there has been a change in our birds in the U.K. I don't know if it is the weather, but we never used to get so many birds absent at the B.S. Club Show because of moulting, as we do today. A bird can be in a slight moult, yet be in breeding condition and will do well, but if it is a heavy moult you are taking a chance. Unfortunately, many of us do this, come the end of November, and regret it later.

 

For the past few years I have been doing the same as the Americans. They put some pairs together in August and September when they always do well. The young develop very well and are good enough to compete at the early shows the following year.

SOME HENS DO NOT HAVE BROWN CERES!

 

It is written that if a hen does not have good brown cere she is not ready for breeding. I don't fully agree with this as some hens vary. I used to have a good family of Opalines and when the hens were in peak breeding condition their ceres went milky white and only turned to brown after breeding. It is a case of knowing your birds and knowing when they are ready. This comes easily as one gets more experienced, but I am always doubtful about a cock that hasn't a good blue cere as they very rarely fertilize.

 

Having put the pairs together, I like to stay in the birdroom for a while and watch points. For this reason I advise the working fancier to pair up at the weekend so that he has more time to spare to observe if any cases of serious fighting break out. After a few hours you can generally tell if things are going to be alright, but even so one can never be certain.

 

Make sure, if your are using cages that divide up by the use of slides, that these are a good fit and are secure Some birds want to pay more attention to what is next door and if a slide is loose they can force a way through. By the time you get home from work you may have a dead or badly injured bird on your hands.

 

If I am using birds that have been used in previous years, but have been given new partners, I arrange these birds as far away from each other as possible. Even so you will often find them calling to each other for a few days before they settle to their new partners. Some however, won't give in and you have eventually to put them back together or remove one bird out of earshot. Some pairs will fight, then feed and mate and all goes well, but when you have a pair that both want to be boss and are constantly fighting it is unwise to leave them together. When eggs start to be laid, a fight in the nest box means eggs get broken. In this case, I remove the cock after the hen starts laying and I put him with her for a short spell while I am in the birdroom. In this way, he will tread and you get fertile eggs. You can leave the hen to sit and rear on her own and then when she is due to start laying again, re-introduce the cock, as before, for a short spell each day. If they appear to have got over their difference you can take a chance if you wish, but as a safety measure take the eggs away as they are laid and give her a clear egg each time to sit on. Mark the eggs you remove and put them under other pairs. If all has settled down, you can if you wish, return to the hen her own clutch of eggs.

NEST BOXES - IMPORTANT?

 

Some of us have different methods of pairing up. Personally I put the hens into the cages where they are going to breed first and they are left there for a few days before the cock is introduced. Three days later I put up the nest box. If I put up the box, when pairing, I find some hens go straight in and the cock never gets a chance to tread properly. This can lead to fighting in the box. Nest boxes can play a big part in successful reproduction, especially when the hens are not of your own breeding. Some hens won't entertain the box of your choice, others don't worry. As a guide, when you buy your hens, enquire from the seller which design of box he uses and whether it is placed inside or outside the breeding cage? If, subsequently, the hen won't conform to your plans you can then change the box design.

 

Before putting up the nest boxes I sprinkle insect powder under each concave as a precaution against mite. I then add a good handful of coarse sawdust, medicated or sterilised. If you use sawdust straight from a mill and the wood had been pre-treated you risk losing hens as the box gets warm from the sitting hen. The sawdust will give off fumes which enter the hen's body. I, and many others have lost good hens in this way. Some hens do not like the sawdust and will throw it out, which doesn't matter, but I always like to make sure that the niches between the concave and the box are filled with sawdust. This is because, some hens, or youngster, can easily get their claws caught and permanent damage can be done. Make sure that perches are a good tight fit, as loose perches can ruin all attempts at copulating.

 

My feeding methods are simple, but I ensure that I get the best possible seed. It is the cheapest in the long run. I use a medium sized canary and pearl white millet only. This is fed in separate pots because this saves waste. The birds don't scatter it as they do when offered a mixture. Off and on, all through the year, I mix Scotts Emulsion in with the canary seed at the rate of approximately one teaspoon per pound of seed. This is allowed to soak in for a day before being used. The emulsion helps prevent egg binding. I also feed dry oats, and mung beans that have soaked, but they are also a good tonic.

 

I also use Kilpatricks' Pigeon minerals. This is a mixture of granulated charcoal, rock salt and herbs. I appreciate this product may not be on sale overseas, but charcoal will be obtainable and it is known to be very good for all livestock, including racehorses and dogs. The wild bird will fly many miles to where there has been a forest fire in order to 'bathe' in the embers and eat the burnt wood. Cuttlefish bone and very old lime mortar is always available and these are needed for calcium. If cuttlefish bone is gathered from the sea shore, make sure it is well washed and dried in the open air. Check that it hasn't been in contact with any oil and this also applies to sand and gravel from the beach should you use this for cage floors.

DRINKING WATER

 

In the drinking water I use various tonics. Since brand names vary around the World, I will state that the vitamins needed for good health are A, B, C, D, E and K. If you go to a chemist you can buy various mixtures that contain all of these and in general they are sold for human babies.

 

If any hens have not laid two weeks after the nest boxes have been put up, look out for a heavy swelling at the vent, since the hen could be laying inwardly. This is now happening a lot more than it used to, even in young hens that have never laid an egg. If such a hen is left in the breeding cage, the lump gets bigger and bigger and she will die. If you take her away from the nest box, she will recover, but she is generally finished for breeding. I have known some hens that after twelve months exercise, will eventually lay a few eggs, so if it is a really good hen it is worth a try.

 

Some hens will not offer to go to nest with one cock, but will with a different partner. Some cocks can be seemingly infertile with one hen even though they have been mating, but will breed well with a new mate.

 

During the sitting and feeding period, watch your hens for any swollen legs, caused by being inactive. Another cause is sawdust that gets trapped between the leg and the ring which sets up inflammation. Try to move the ring round and then dip the foot and the leg into white iodine (this doesn't stain as badly as the normal iodine) or witch hazel. I find an egg cup is ideal for this process. Fill the egg cup and put the foot and leg in for a couple of minutes, then put the bird back in the breeding cage. Do this a couple of times a day, but if there is no eventual improvement you must remove the ring. This is not easy if you haven't done it before, or you haven't the right tools. In this situation I would advise the Beginner to seek help from a more experienced breeder.

 

Do not be afraid of inspecting your nest boxes. Get the hens used to you doing so before they have laid. From the time I first put up the box, I make a regular habit of looking in every day. This process lets the hen realise she is in no danger and then when she starts sitting and you open the box, she is not scared and she doesn't scatter the eggs. All my hens, whilst sitting and feeding, just walk gently out of the box when I wish to check the eggs or ring the chicks.

 

It is not necessary to use heaters in your breeding room, (we couldn't afford it when I was younger), but now I have one for my own comfort. If you do use heat, make sure you keep your humidity correct, either with a humidifier, or containers of water near the heaters. If the latter, make sure it is covered by wire mesh so that if a bird escapes from a cage it does not fall into the water and drown. If your humidity is not good, you will have problems from dead-in-shell since the 'skin' inside the egg becomes tough and the chick can't hatch properly.

 

Always remember that when things go wrong it isn't always the birds which are to blame. Ninety per cent of the time it is your management that is at fault.

a great article, thanks for posting it. whenever something goes wrong my first thought is always "what did I do wrong" or "what could I have done to prevent this" and use that information for the future and adjust my managment as needed.

Great article. It is always good to have more experienced breeders help us with articles ike this.

It's good to sit back and read articles from those that have put their lives into their birds. By opening our minds to some of these concepts we can move forward with our birds.

I am not a shower or breed show type budgies But when ANYTHING goes wrong i always blame myself .... what did i do wrong what could i have done better ..... I guess that is just me being me and a mother

Well I proved myself right. After the disaster of the start of the month, it was found to be my fault.