How do I Breed Exotic Stock?
- 1). Choose healthy breeding stock. The ultimate well-being of the young you breed will depend on the health and "genetic" strength of the parents that you choose to breed from. Your breeding stock should be well filled out, without being overweight. Their eyes should be clear and their feathers should be well groomed.
- 2). Ensure a correct diet for breeding stock. Correct nutrition is an extremely important aspect of a successful breeding program. Certain bird types feed mainly on fruit, while others are principally seed eaters. Ensure a balanced and sufficient diet for the species of exotic bird that you are breeding. Parrots should be fed a diet consisting of pellets fortified with vitamins and minerals, to which fruits, vegetables and seeds are added. Softbills need to be offered a combination of figs, pomegranates, bananas, sweet corn and flowers, such as hibiscus, nasturtiums and dandelions. Avocados, however, are toxic to exotic birds, regardless of the species that you choose to breed.
- 3). Use the correct size breeding cage. Breeding cages do not need to be anywhere as large as the aviaries that non-breeding birds are housed in. Breeding cages are species dependent, but as a general rule for parrots and softbills, the pair should be able to move about freely and require access to a nest box, nest platform or log. Suspended cages work well for the smaller species of birds. A wire or mesh bottom, will ensure that faeces drops through the cage, which assists with overall hygiene. Breeding cages must be located away from excessive noise and activity. The cage bars must be so positioned that the breeding pair cannot escape.
- 4). Remove the first egg laid to encourage the birds to double clutch. Place eggs from the various first clutches in an incubator, with a temperature of 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity at 40 to 50 percent. The eggs of larger species require humidity at the lower end of the scale, while the eggs of smaller species require exposure to higher humidity.
- 5). Rear the chicks in a heat-regulated nursery room for the first few weeks. Hand reared chicks will require a special diet that has been formulated for their specific species. Feed the hatchlings 1ml to 2ml of formula through a syringe every two hours (throughout the day). Keep temperatures in the nursery between 95 and 97.7 degrees Fahrenheit for the first three days, after which it can be slowly dropped to 77.9 degrees Fahrenheit at weaning.
- 6). Wean the chicks. Between eight and 10 weeks of age, progressively wean the youngsters onto solid food. At this age, the birds can be introduced into an outdoor aviary or be made available for sale. Young birds of this age, particularly parrots and other species in this family, bond better with new owners than do older birds.
Source...