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breeding
Jul 19, 2014 1:37:19 GMT -5
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Post by davey on Jul 19, 2014 1:37:19 GMT -5
I've had my blue Quakers for 3 months now in my aviary. I've got a nest box up . But there not breeding yet. Can anyone give me any advice. There are a year and half old
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Post by biteybird on Jul 19, 2014 3:32:28 GMT -5
Hi Davey, I read somewhere that quakers are not sexually mature until 1-and-a-half to 2 years old. So, although you were told they are a breeding pair, maybe they are just too young yet(?). I'm not sure at what age they become adult birds.
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 19, 2014 12:52:48 GMT -5
Are you sure you want to breed them? Do you know how to handfeed? I don't mean to be a downer here, but I would really think about this. Do some research on handfeeding. Most breeders pull the chicks at 7-10 days, but if the parents don't do the job then they have to pull them much sooner. Are you able and willing to feed every 2 hours round the clock for a couple weeks? A couple days ago you wanted to tame them, and were considering rehoming them. Please think long and hard about this.  |
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breeding
Jul 19, 2014 15:24:35 GMT -5
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Post by davey on Jul 19, 2014 15:24:35 GMT -5
If it comes to it I don't think I can get rid of them . I've got attatched to them . Really want to keep them
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Post by siobhan on Jul 19, 2014 15:50:20 GMT -5
So why breed them? They might not even be male and female. They could both be the same sex. Breeding is tricky business if you want the babies to be tame, and if the parents aren't even tame, it's going to be even harder to do.
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 19, 2014 15:54:58 GMT -5
That's what I like to hear! Here's what I would do if I were you: if you already know an avian veterinarian, excellent...if not, I would find one, make an appointment with them and (if they're not already) get them DNA sexed, so you know for sure that you have a male and female. Ask the vet any questions you may have about breeding. Here is the link to the classified ads that I found to give you an idea of pricing. www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/list/3360/birds.html?keyword=quaker%27 I would contact one or two breeders near you (the ads for handfed babies are your best bets) and ask if you can meet them to talk about breeding and raising babies. And you know you can come here and we'll help you in any way we can. To add to Siobhan's post, if you want to tame them you can seperate them and work with them individually. |
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Post by biteybird on Jul 19, 2014 21:14:54 GMT -5
Hi again, Davey, I agree with Siobhan and Dani. I was told by my quaker's breeder that unless you have proof of DNA testing (i.e., a certificate provided from the shop where you bought them) there is no way of physically telling if they are male or female. Also, re breeding, it is pretty much constant work for about 8 weeks if you decide to remove the eggs from the parents and incubate & hatch them yourself under heat lamps, as you need to have formula and timed feedings etc. I was reading your other thread regarding them squawking and avoiding you in the outside aviary. We have an outdoor aviary with 2 cockatiels, 20 canaries and a few Bourke's parrots (they are a native Australian grass parakeet) and we've found that the aviary birds are not interested in humans when they have each other. When we separated one Bourke's parrot and brought him inside, he became much more a 'people' bird...yep, we "experimented" on him! Hope this helps. Cheers! |
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breeding
Jul 22, 2014 13:29:05 GMT -5
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Post by davey on Jul 22, 2014 13:29:05 GMT -5
Got told from the petshop today that I bought them from. That the 2 blue Quaker are male and female
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 22, 2014 15:19:05 GMT -5
That's good. You should still find and establish a working relationship with an avian vet. Birds are very different from dogs and cats, and the majority of vets won't see birds...and if a "regular" vet agrees to see a bird for anything other than euthanasia, run the other way. I called every single vet in town when I needed our Canary put down, because my regular and back up vets were on their lunch hour and he needed to be put out of his misery immediately. None of them would see me, so I had to wait an hour, comforting him as best I could. If you're going to breed (or even own birds - they can get sick) you're going to need a good avian vet. |
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Post by biteybird on Jul 24, 2014 5:31:12 GMT -5
I suppose another question to ask is whether the male and female are closely related....a possibility if they are both exactly the same age? You may not want to breed them if they are brother and sister (I've been told that between mother & son and between father & daughter are OK, but best to avoid brother & sister offspring).
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