Posted August 6, 201113 yr Seeing how long this list is might be a good way to illustrate how much is involved in breeding budgies, it's not just a matter of, "Hey slap two birds in a cage and give them a nest box". Sorry that the items aren't listed in any organized manner, it's just random as I thought of things. Anyone who wants can add things they use, that I may have left off. Here's the list: Breeding cage with two perches Nest box and cup hooks for attaching it to cage Nesting material (Carefresh, pine shavings, oatmeal, etc.) Mason jar feeder Plenty of good seed Pellets, and food cup to hold them Bird charcoal Oyster grit Mineral powder 3 finger draws or small feeders to hold the above Carrots Greens (Collard, spinach, swiss chard (silverbeet) etc) At least 2 clothes pins to hold carrots and greens Water drinkers (1 per cage, plus spares) Liquid calcium Good quality vitamins with D3 Cuttle bone and holder Mineral block and holder Oranges Budgie egg biscuit Oat groats Saucer on floor of cage to feed the above Newspapers for lining the cage floor Toys and swings, if desired (Cocks can get bored, they like swings, and toys are in place for chicks when they fledge) Note cards and pen Candling torch Sharpie marker for marking eggs (something non-toxic) Triple C Probiotics Doxycycline Hand rearing formula Pipettes Syringes Small dishes and measuring spoons for preparing formula Wash cloths and paper towels for cleaning chicks faces Baby applesauce Leg rings Millet sprays Brooder tank set up Heating pad Thermometer and hygrometer Notebook and record keeping charts Kindie cage set up Boxes for sold chicks to ride home in Soft toothbrush for cleaning chicks CFL and full spectrum light bulbs Digital scale Lightweight plastic bowl for holding chick on scale I'm sure there are things I forgot, and it seems like I'm always adding more ideas. Like, I didn't write camera for recording chicks progress.
August 7, 201113 yr I don't have half that stuff. Most of it you should already have. Keep it simple. Edited August 7, 201113 yr by splat
August 7, 201113 yr wow that is so helpful. i went through the list and have just over three quarters of the stuff. better go shopping.
August 7, 201113 yr I agree with splat, I don't have a lot of that stuff lol but I have the essentials
August 7, 201113 yr protein is good for keeping weight on the hens during the process. They tend to lose a lot of it and the last thing you want is skinny hens feeding hungry mouths. It also plumps the chicks up as well which is never a bad thing Hand rearing is something to have on hand in case something goes wrong, like if a hen decides she doesn't want to do her duties. I might not have everything on that list, but I definitely have those two.
August 7, 201113 yr What's the baby applesauce for? Also, what are oat groats and pipettes? Edited August 7, 201113 yr by Taylor
August 8, 201113 yr what do you use the candeling tourch for To candle the eggs... You hold the small torch above the eggs to see if they are fertile or not. You can't fertile straight away, but when you do you can see veins and then features of the chick as it grows.
August 8, 201113 yr Join your local club all these things can be sourced from there at good prices. Edited August 8, 201113 yr by corka
August 9, 201113 yr well in my breeding room you find the following on hand bar the obvious( breeding cages ,perching, nest box and mason jars, water drinkers and budgies ) when i set up my cages each cage get following one calcium block one iodine block one peace of 007 horse mineral block (this is the only one i know safe to birds )has every possible mineral needed as back up to birds whom dont use blocks cuttle fish if i have it sometimes i run out as birds play with it more so ,why the added oo7 three finger draws with the following three fillings one pvm powder one breed n bicky mix one seaweed powder they have three fed jars one with hulled oates one with canary breeders mix /budgie mix one with red palaniam (spelt wrong) one water drinker (large) changed dayly and every two weeks i add benidine wash in to the water at two drops (NOT THE BROWN BOTTLE DO NOT ADD THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT IT EXACTLY IS ) when chicks hatch i give breeders grade solivite d one time a week i use citrus ginni pig /rabbit bedding sawdust in breeding cabbinets and chicks are normally fed milit sticks from two weeks on however i have not been able to buy bulk this year so the just get bit of canery breeders tossed in dayly from two weeks on i feed the breeders once a week carrot grated with boiled egg mashed shell and all add on weetbix and mix i now sprinkle polenta on to this mix once the chicks hatch they get it twice a week and they get two of the following daly spinach or silver beet carrot fresh seedling grasses milk thistle dandelion orange or mix frozen veg just boiled lightly and a square of bread i clean the breeding cages once every two weeks thoroughly and at moment vac breeding room once two weeks i sweep every once a week untill chick all hatched when i vac dayly i dont mark my eggs i do candle once at around day eight if a nest has irregular fertility i will check again if not i just leave until day 15 where i will look one more time and remove anything empty or suss oh they usually always get small shell grit however right now they are lacking this but wont be by end of next week Edited August 9, 201113 yr by GenericBlue
August 9, 201113 yr my friend has breed for years and only gives her birds seed veg water and a nesting box
August 9, 201113 yr my friend has breed for years and only gives her birds seed veg water and a nesting box birds will survive on just seed and water and veggies but they also need iodine and calcium block or they will run down so fast i when i breed my pets only ever gave veg daily seed but all types i do here and iodine and calcium blocks show birds are a whole new world believe me
August 11, 201113 yr Author What's the baby applesauce for? Also, what are oat groats and pipettes? You know what, I don't actually use the baby applesauce. I just read on the label of the hand rearing mix that if you are hand raising a chick and it's crop doesn't empty, you can mix some baby applesauce into the formula to help with that. So I got one little jar on hand just in case. Oat groats are the same thing as hulled oats. Pipettes are small plastic tubes with a bulb on one end, used for feeding a newborn chick if the mother isn't feeding it. well in my breeding room you find the following on hand bar the obvious( breeding cages ,perching, nest box and mason jars, water drinkers and budgies ) LOL! That's what I forgot to write, BUDGIES!!
August 11, 201113 yr Finnie can you post a photo of the pipettes please Edited August 11, 201113 yr by splat
August 11, 201113 yr If anyone has AI tubes they are the greatest ever thing for feeding newborn chicks. I used to use a soy baby formula, I saved a lot of chicks.
August 14, 201113 yr Author Finnie can you post a photo of the pipettes please Here you go: Usually I get smaller ones, but this size works fine too And while I was taking photos, I thought I'd get one of the bowl I use to weigh the chicks. When they get old enough, they won't stay in it anymore, but will usually perch on the edge. But then when they stop cooperating even that much, then I have turned the bowl upside down over the top of the chick, just long enough to get a weight, and then let it out!
August 14, 201113 yr Those pipettes are identical to the oones that they have in our chemistry labs at school, ill know where to go if i need some.
August 14, 201113 yr Author So is weighing the chicks important? Not so much when the parents are raising them. But if you are hand feeding them, then it is good to know that they are growing steadily, and you can be assured they are getting enough to eat.
September 24, 201113 yr Great ! That is very helpful, but you forgot money and knowledge ! But of course, you'd hope everyone has money for any dramas and knowledge for dramas too.
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now