How to Read a Leg Band on Bird
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Pet bird breeding is a demanding simply highly rewarding activeness. Some people practice it as a personal hobby whereas others practise it for turn a profit. Any your reason, at a minimum you'll need a pair of healthy, mature birds plus the correct equipment and bird convenance supplies.
Choosing the correct pair of pet birds
This one's a no-brainer, you obviously demand a pair of male and female birds that are the same species. However, most bird species will mate for life so yous need to ensure that the pair gets on well earlier you try to begin breeding. As well, some species are easier to await after than others and you'll also demand to check the health of your birds.
Selecting the species
Most people simply go with the pet bird species that they already own. Withal, if you're completely new so here are a few bird species which are easier to begin breeding with. When looking for a beginner species to start convenance, yous want 1 that is:
- Smaller (these are easier to manage)
- Matures rapidly (which requires less initial intendance)
- Strong and sturdy (frail species are harder to brood)
- Is mutual (then there's already lot's of species specific information on how to practise everything)
Bird species that match up to the to a higher place criteria include:
- Budgies
- Canaries
- Finches
- Cockatiels
Checking the wellness of your birds
Earlier birds beingness breeding, you lot should check the following:
- Gender of the bird – a rookie mistake is incorrectly sexing your bird. Easy in some species but much harder to determine in others. Yous tin can even do information technology genetically (with kits such as this one kit or pack of 5).
- Sexual maturity and fertility – each species will mature at different ages. Find out when your bird reaches sexual maturity before you start breeding.
- Strong and disease free – avian disease screening is possible at nigh vets and is necessary to prevent diseases from spreading to the offspring of birds. See this resource from the AAV for a list of tests you lot tin can perform.
- Genetic health and unrelated pairs – a number of companies will let you know the genetic details of your bird to check they are not related too as checking for genetic diseases. This is especially of import for show birds. Some of the companies that offer this service include:
- Avian Biotech
- IQ Bird Testing
Species specific instructions for breeding
People accept been breeding birds for centuries and instead of trying to reinvent the cycle, yous can just learn from the hard-earned mistakes of others. However, each species is dissimilar – which is why we recommend researching information on the species you are about to brood. Listed below are some how-to videos of the best birds to breed:
- Instructions for breeding Parakeets/Budgies
- Instructions for breeding Lovebirds
- Instructions for breeding Canaries
- Instructions for breeding Cockatiels
9 Essential Bird Breeding Supplies
One time y'all take called your birds and screened them, the next matter to do to first convenance properly is to buy some of the following pieces of bird breeding equipment:
one) Bird convenance cages
A bird breeding cage is what you go when you place 2 normal sized cages next to one another. Considering of this, bird breeding cages sometimes get chosen a double bird muzzle or divided bird cage. Withal, in between the two cages is a mid-section that is removable. This is and then you tin separate the males and females from one another when needed during the breeding cycle. Each half of the cage will accept its own water, feeder, perch and everything else that is normally included in a cage.
There are 2 master types of bird breeding cages. Both types are normally stackable in example y'all own several pairs:
Small bird breeding cages
The cage listed above is an instance of a smaller sized bird breeding muzzle that is aimed at finches and parakeets.
Parrot breeding cages
The above cage is aimed at larger sized birds such as macaws and African Greys.
2) Bird breeding boxes
A breeding box is where your bird volition be encouraged to lay its eggs. These boxes like the ones listed below are fastened to the side of the bird convenance cage. Most bird cages will come with their own convenance box door upon which you can attach your convenance box to and some fifty-fifty come with a window so y'all can peek inside and see what's going on.
Breeding box for small birds
Breeding box for parrots
iii) Incubators
Once a fertilized egg is laid, it can either exist raised by the mother bird itself or placed in an incubator and hatched. Whether this should be washed depends upon the species of bird and whether or not y'all or not you want the female parent bird to be involved in raising the chicks postal service hatching. Incubators are needed if anything happens to the parents of the birds.
Incubators can be designed to concur several eggs, provide heat and monitoring and will rotate slowly so that heat is dispersed evenly:
This incubator from Brinsea is ideal for providing everything yous need to raise several fertilized eggs at one time.
four) Brooders
After incubation, the egg will accept hatched and the bird can now be transferred to a brooder (if the parent is unable to aid the chick). A brooder provides heat and humidity for newly born chicks whilst they are in this delicate period of fourth dimension. Brooders are also useful if the pet bird is sick or injured.
The brooder listed above is aimed at people raising chicks and ducklings by providing a constant flow of oestrus. The estrus panel top can be adjusted so it works with different species of bird.
On the other paw, this brooder shown above from Brinsea allows you to monitor and control the temperature, humidity and air flow/filtration (which helps finish airborne diseases). Perfect for newly hatched exotic birds.
Once past the heart-searching stage, you tin can so recollect about getting a bird cage heater as detailed in our guide hither.
5) Thermometers and Hygrometers
Constant warmth is needed for a properly fertilized egg to develop. When using an incubator or brooder, you'll desire to continue this warmth at a steady temperature and the all-time way to monitor this is via a digital thermostat like this one pictured in a higher place. This also tracks the humidity levels using the built-in hygrometer considering you don't desire the heater making the air besides dry.
6) Avian Scales
Monitoring the weight of a newly born bird allows you to have a expert thought of how fast it is growing. The problem is that information technology's quite difficult to get your birds to sit still on normal scales. Luckily, specially made avian scales exist (such every bit the i listed in a higher place) that come up with a perch pre-installed into them – which makes your task much easier.
7) Avian lighting
Brooders and incubators can provide the initial rut required during early development. Only later on, a bird kept in captivity will need full spectrum lighting to maintain it'southward health. You can read our guide to this here.
8) Nutrient, nutrition and supplements
Y'all can get specialized bird feed mixes such as the 1 listed above that are aimed at birds which are breeding babe chicks and so need actress energy.
Whereas the bird nutrient listed above is aimed at newly built-in baby chicks and non the parents of those chicks.
Additionally, cuttlebone is ordinarily provided to breeding birds considering it is a good source of calcium that is required in the development of eggs. For information on bird vitamins and supplements, check out our guide here.
ix) Bird Banding and Leg Identification
All new pet birds that have been born should too eventually have a leg band applied to them. Y'all can read our full guide to bird banding here.
Starting a bird breeding business organisation? Attempt this direction software
This is for people that are managing multiple birds, breeding birds for profit or if you're a geek and similar to keep an eye on information. Some of the popular bird breeding software bachelor includes:
- ZooEasy Bird Breeding Software
- Birds Evolution Pro
- AviMate
One concluding thing
Don't forget to check the legalities of your land as to whether or y'all're allowed to breed your species of bird. Also, check your landlord contract or home owner's clan rules if applicable.
How to Read a Leg Band on Bird
Source: https://www.herebird.com/pet-bird-breeding/