Lonster
Hatchling
Happy owners of loving green Quaker "Squineechie Boy"!
Posts: 9 
|
Post by Lonster on Apr 18, 2016 9:45:13 GMT -5
Hi, We have a friend who has a female Quaker who is in heat right now. He has asked us if we would like to bring our guy over and have them see if they can get together and have some baby Quakers. We are quite interested in the concept and just wondering what was involved, eg. how long do they have to be kept together, special equipment, etc.
We really like the idea of our guy having a little offspring of his own but are hesitant, since we haven't done this before.
Any ideas and advice would be appreciated!
Thank you!!!
Lonnie and Lilly
|
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Apr 18, 2016 12:57:01 GMT -5
I must tell you that breeding QP's is not an easy thing to do. Especially after the babies are born. If you are thinking of eventually selling or giving the babies away... and if you want them to be friendly birds... they must be hand reared. That would mean someone has to hand feed them every 3-4 hours 24 hours a day. Setting the alarm clock and getting up to feed them.
I have not personally bred QP's but I have bred love birds. When they get into mating it will go on for a very long time.... my would take a few weeks at the least. They will require a special place to lay the eggs within the cage that she lives.
I truly suggest you either speak to a breeder yourself or do a lot of research on the subject. It is not as easy as "let them mate" and have babies. You will need special food for the babies... it needs to be heated to a certain degrees... etc. etc. Has the female ever laid an egg before? They will lay eggs even if they have not been fertilized... and was she okay afterward? Did she get the right amount of vitamins afterward? There is much to learn.
Please proceed with caution.
|
|
|
|
Post by easttex on Apr 18, 2016 13:02:30 GMT -5
Hi there. This is not going to be the sort of advice you're looking for, but I have to tell you there are many reasons why this is a very bad idea. Firstly, you can't breed parrots the same way you can dogs, horses, etc. They don't go into heat in the same way, either. Given the right environmental conditions, they can breed anytime. But parrots don't do one night stands, and must first form a strong bond with each other. You can't really predict how long that will take, or if it will occur at all. Once they have bonded and started a brood, they should be kept together. They are essentially no longer human companions. It would be a cruelty to break them up, even after raising a brood. If you do split them, you and your friend will both have markedly different relationships with your birds. Parrots are either breeders or pets, but not both. Parrot breeding is not something that should be done casually. There are a lot of breeders out there who really have no business doing it, in my opinion. It should be left to those who have the knowledge and commitment to propagate desirable traits, and ensure that genetic weaknesses are not being reproduced. Of course we all believe our own Quakers are perfect specimens  , but it's unlikely that most of our pet parrots are the product of that kind of professional breeding. One more reason not to do it: the number of parrots already here who need homes. If I were in charge of the world, no more pet breeding would be allowed until we took care of the ones who desperately need it. |
|
Lonster
Hatchling
Happy owners of loving green Quaker "Squineechie Boy"!
Posts: 9
|
Post by Lonster on Apr 18, 2016 13:51:40 GMT -5
Wow! Okay, I guess we will have to rethink this whole having Quaker babies idea. Thanks for the input everyone! This is why we wanted to ask the Forum for advise before proceeding.
Thanks again!
Lonnie and Lilly
|
|
|
|
Post by biteybird on Apr 19, 2016 2:39:36 GMT -5
Hi Lonnie & Lilly. I have zero experience with breeding quakers but Julianna and Easttex have raised some excellent points. When we picked up Bonnie from the breeder it looked to be a full-time job (I mean feeding the baby quakers around the clock, cleaning, etc...) and this would go for at least 8 weeks until the babies can eat on their own. That's without the parents being involved, because as has been said already, you'd want the babies hand-reared by humans, not the parents. I agree - a HUGE task, with lots of ramifications and definitely not for the faint/half-hearted! Good luck with deciding. |
|
Lonster
Hatchling
Happy owners of loving green Quaker "Squineechie Boy"!
Posts: 9
|
Post by Lonster on Apr 19, 2016 8:03:27 GMT -5
Hi Guys, thanks so much for all the great input and advice. Lilly and I have decided to leave the breeding to the professionals and take a pass on our friend's request. Not quite like raising kittens...lol
Thanks again so much to all of you! This is a GREAT forum. We love you guys!
Lonnie and Lilly
|
|
|
|
Post by wsteinhoff on Apr 20, 2016 20:48:10 GMT -5
I think you've made the right decision to not proceed. I have raised many orphaned baby birds and baby pigeons when my breeders have refused to care for them. It's not for most people. You have to be able to dedicate all day every day for several weeks to several months depending on the type of bird so that you can be there to feed them.
|
|
, but it's unlikely that most of our pet parrots are the product of that kind of professional breeding.
