Breeding Show Birds

Posted December 6, 200816 yr

One thing I haven't done is to express my thoughts on breeding show birds for those that are thinking of geting into them.

Breeding of show birds are much different than the smaller pet type birds.

The pet type are easier and less hassle.

When pairing up I look for a hen that is in season. No good starting with a hen that doesn't want to lay.

I then pick 5 cock birds that I think will compliment her.

The hen is placed in one of the training cages perferrably the middle one. The cocks are placed in separate cages around hen.

I then judge which two cocks to be most suitable in features for her. After this I check the rings and my data base to see what the relationship is.

If it is not too close eg, brother to sister or mother to son, the best cock is placed in cage with her.

They are left for 15min to get aquanted. During this time, both of there lives are at stake. It has been know that either the hen or cock will injure or kill the other one if they don't get on. I stay in the breeding room while they are together to make sure all goes well. If I see them starting courtship I place them straight away in a breeding cabinet that has already been prepared. (But No nest box).

They stay in the cabinet for 3 to 4 days or untill I see them feeding each other. It is then that I place the nest box on the cage.

After the next box goes on I then need to trim the vent feathers of both birds. These will get in the way of mating so must be removed. Trimming by scizzors will help prevent quick return of the feathers.

The birds are then left to themselves. I use a seed mix with vetafarm breeding add. Finger draws with Vetafarm truegrit for vitamins and an iodine additive in the water for 4 days a week.

With in 10 to 13 days the first egg is laid. An egg every other day is laid until a full clutch is laid. I start to check the egg by torch after the fourth egg is laid. If the 1st egg is not colouring up, it is thrown out. when the 5th egg is laid I check the 2nd egg and so forth. There will only ever be three eggs in the nest that hasn't coloured up at any one time. Some time I find the fertile eggs coming late in the clutch but as the eggs are removed it promotes further laying. If I find that there is no eggs after 21 days, the pair is broken up and send back to the flights for a few weeks to a month and then retried.

18 - 20 days after the first fertile egg is laid the 1st chick hatches. The big question is will the hen feed it. If you catch the ckick just after it hatches, it is always good to give it a drop of room temperature water to rehydrate it from hatching. This is the best start it can get. If th ehen isn't feeding it and you have another nest with simalar aged hicks, swap one that is 2 to 4 days old. It will screem up a storm that will get the hen feeding it. Then after a day swap it back. The first chick would have been feed by the other he and would now be strong enough to scream for food. If you don't have another nest to swap with you need to give room temperature skim milk until the hen starts to feed.

On or about the 8th day I ring the chicks.

On or about the 21st day after the first chick hatches the cock should be involved in directly feeding the chicks. Here is another problem. What will the hen do at this stage. I have had one hen kill the cock because she didn't want him in the nest. I have had a hen stop the cock entering the nest but she stops feeding the chicks and lets them die. In both cases it is best to remove the hen and let the cock feed the chicks. Keeping an eye on the chicks to make sure they are being fed. I place the hen in a holding cage if and return her after the chicks fledge if I want to continue the pairing. I usually have no problem with the bond.

Between the 28 and 32 day the chicks start to come out the nest box. Next problem the parents can see them as intruders and try driving them out of the cabinet. As this can't happen they are usually killed or worst. I have had a beautiful chick scalped by the cock bird. If I don't know how the parents will relate to the chicks outside the nest, I place a small box on the floor that the chicks can hide in. The parents / cock will feed the chcick through the openings until he is used to them and is then happy to let them free in the cabinet. If you find the chicks are still geting attacked, take away the offender if you can be sure who it is.

The next problem at this stage is the hen chicks. The hen will see them as a threat if they try to return to the nest and the cock can see them as a sexual partner outside the nest and will not properly feed them. You just need to be aware of this.

By the time they are 42 days old and have been feeding outside for the past 10 - 12 days they should be ready to go to a holding cage for the young. I call this my nursary. Mine stay in the nusary until they are 3 months old and then go to the Junior flight until they are 6 months old.

Thing that can go wrong other than what I have addressed. The hen can become egg bound. A drop of medicated olive oil to the vent and then placed in a warm cage (Hospital Cage) wll result in the egg being laid, most of the time. If not a trip to the vet is needed urgently.

The hen can prolapse. The egg is almost laid but is stuck 1/2 to 3/4 way out. Again a drop of Medicated Olive oil around the egg can help but a vet is better help. The bird can usually die some times after due to strees and shock.

Both of these problems can be avoided with good diet and supplimenting with Calcium suppliments.

Finding a chick cold on the floor of the cabinet because it got carried out with the hen can be revived by holding it in your hands and blowing hot air onto it. When revived place back under the hen. Kaz has a great post on this.

Other problems can be Fench Moult or finding your best developing chick turns out to be a mop.

Pairing and laying eggs is just the start on a long road to get that chick onto the perch, into a show cage and hopefully on to the front bench to win Champion of Show.

Edited December 6, 200816 yr by Darryl