If you have a couple of feathered pets, most likely you have wondered how parrots reproduce, how they mate, and whether special conditions need to be created for the successful birth of healthy offspring.

Considering that birds do not have genital organs, they reproduce through the contact of cloacae. The male is positioned on top of the female so that his cloaca is in contact with the female’s cloaca. At this moment, the female raises her tail and spreads her wings. The male seems to hug her with his wings.

The testes with canals in males extend directly into the cloaca, and in females, during mating, the oviduct and ovary open into the cloaca. For fertilization, the male will need to rub against the female's cloaca, and this process can be repeated several times.

In this video you can see how budgerigars mate:

In nature, parrots reproduce quickly, since the couple is in danger at any time. Therefore, even at home, the mating process can be quite fast, which is why bird owners do not always notice it. Sometimes one time is enough for fertilization, but it happens that a couple can mate several times a day for several days, and sometimes even weeks. Moreover, their intercourse can occur until the appearance of the last egg in the clutch.

Mating of lovebirds takes longer compared to other parrots:

Fertilization occurs at the beginning of the oviduct - a mature egg, fertilized by the testes, passes through the oviduct below along with the corpus luteum. There it is covered with two shells that look like parchment - after some time they will envelop the undershell part of the eggs. The shells of the eggs at the exit from this section of the oviduct take on water, swell and enter the uterus. Here the eggs form a calcareous shell and the eggs are colored with pigments characteristic of a particular species of parrot. After the required time has passed, the egg returns to the cloaca and then comes out - this is how parrots are born.

Read also: Why do parrots bite and how to stop them from doing so?

The courtship process: what precedes mating

The behavior of parrots during the mating season is very interesting. The male becomes especially attentive to his girlfriend: he cleans her feathers, tries to feed her from his beak, chirps and sings provocatively, dances, showing off in front of her in all possible ways (shakes his head, raises his crest, spreads his wings, fluffs his tail).

If the female accepts his advances, she also caresses him, squints her eyes, and sits pressed close to her suitor. The female, ready for mating, tilts her head favorably, sits lower on the perch, the male first throws one paw on her, then the other, then climbs on her and, moving her tail and hugging her with his wings, begins characteristic movements.

In this video, watch how Corella parrots have intercourse:

Suitable conditions for reproduction

It is best when the mating season for parrots begins in late spring, summer and early autumn. At this time it is warm, a lot of sunshine, an abundance of greenery, fresh vegetables and fruits.

Not all breeders are able to breed parrots at home. The process of reproduction of most species of these birds is not difficult; the main thing is to create favorable conditions for them and know some of the nuances.

1. Partners must like each other. If a female bites a male, hisses at him and pulls out his feathers, they will not create a pair capable of reproducing. If she reciprocates his affection, they have a chance to soon become parents.
2. The established pair must be placed in a separate spacious cage.
3. Be sure to prepare a nesting house. The absence of a nest will not stop the mating process of parrots, but the eggs will be unfertilized.
4. To breed healthy offspring and keep their parents healthy, it is important to provide them with an abundant diet rich in nutrients. Although you shouldn’t be too zealous here, since obese parrots, as well as underweight ones, refuse to hatch eggs and, subsequently, when the chicks appear, do not feed them. Every day, pets' diet should include grain sprouts and wild herbs (plantain, dandelion and others), low-fat cottage cheese, chicken eggs, and specialized vitamin and mineral supplements.
5. To stimulate reproduction, you need to gradually increase daylight hours (up to 15 hours), using special lamps for this.

Read also: Why does a parrot's feathers fall out and what to do about it?

At what age do parrots start laying eggs?

For beginners, breeding parrots at home should start with simple breeds of birds that do not require special conditions - these are budgies, lovebirds and cockatiels.

In cockatiels, the ability to have offspring begins already at 7-8 months of age. However, often parrots that breed at an early age do not yet know what to do with their offspring, so it happens that their chicks die. It happens that in females that are too young, the oviduct does not develop enough, which is why the egg can get stuck at the exit. Then you cannot do without the help of a specialist. The optimal age for breeding cockatiels is from 1.5-2 years to 5.

Budgerigars can lay eggs at 6-7 months of age. For males, such early reproduction can lead to the fact that he will never become talking, but for females this is fraught with death. This is due to the fact that when bred at home, the genitals of these parrots develop more slowly than those of their counterparts in the wild. The minimum age for intercourse of wavy animals is from one year.

Lovebirds can breed from 9 months, but they should not be allowed to breed at this age either. Young parents are not mentally prepared to raise their offspring. They either don’t care for them at all, or they spend all their energy feeding them to their detriment. As a result, parents become weaker, increasing the risk of them dying or raising unhealthy offspring. The optimal age for mating lovebirds is from one to four years.

How to determine if a female is pregnant

A few days after fertilization, the pregnant female becomes anxious and aggressive. She refuses to eat on her own, and during this period the male feeds her. The structure of her litter often changes.

Breeding parrots at home is most often the result of certain efforts on the part of the owners. In order to achieve offspring from feathered pets, it is necessary not only to take care of their health, but also to satisfy a whole range of bird needs: from the right pair to the correct placement of the nest.

If one pair of parrots lives in a cage, then a nest or birdhouse can be hung directly there. If there are a lot of birds, then it is necessary to either provide them all with separate “bedrooms” or place them in different cages. It is better to do this in mid-spring, since summer is the best time for hatching chicks. The reason for this is that this season has the most optimal daylight hours. In addition, in the summer months it is easier to provide your pets with proper nutrition, rich in vitamins and essential microelements. In the summer, it will be easier for birds to bear the stress associated with hatching and feeding chicks.

The temperature that should contribute to the awakening of the reproductive instinct is 20-24 degrees. Humidity should be maintained around 60-70%. For more accurate measurements, it is better to purchase a thermometer and a hydrometer.

Cages for breeding parrots of any species must be of such a size that the parrot can at least open its wings freely without the risk of breaking off its feathers. The ideal cage is one in which the birds can move freely.

Pair

Without the right pair, breeding parrots of most species is almost impossible. It is necessary to make sure that both future parents are from different families, since inbreeding is also undesirable in a feathered environment. In addition, both birds must be young and healthy, otherwise the offspring will not be viable.

In order for parrot breeding to be successful, sympathy must arise between the birds. If the birds preen each other's feathers, spend time together, and kiss, the couple is a success.

The best age for breeding is around 18 months. Birds aged 2-4 years are the most fertile.

Nutrition

Breeding parrots at home requires close attention to the pets' nutrition. It is especially important to provide green food rich in vitamins. Be sure to pamper your parrots with young branches of rowan, linden and birch, dandelion and nettle leaves. Fresh fruits and vegetables will also benefit the birds.

In addition, be sure to add cottage cheese, sprouted grains, and eggs to the food. A boiled egg should be given several times a week. To avoid vitamin D deficiency, you can add a little fish oil to the food. To meet the increased needs of birds for phosphorus and calcium, you can either add crushed egg shells and chalk to the food or put them in a separate bowl.

Chicks

Most often, if the necessary conditions are met, 8-15 days after the start of mating communication, the female lays the first egg. Then, every 4-5 days large breeds and 1.5-3 days small species lay another egg.

Most often, the shape of the eggs is oval, the color is matte white. 7-10 days after laying, you can find out whether the eggs are fertilized. To do this, you need to bring each of them to a burning lamp and look at the light. If a darkening with vascular network is visible, the egg is fertilized. Practice shows that young couples are capable of producing fewer chicks than mature birds. On average, small breeds of parrots lay on clutches of 4-8 eggs, while large breeds need 2-4. If an empty egg is found in the clutch, it is better to leave it. The fact is that the female, during incubation, will warm him too. And it will then give this heat to neighboring eggs, in which the parrots develop.

In general, it is not recommended to touch the eggs again, so as not to force the birds to abandon the nest. If an egg is heavily soiled with excrement, it can be washed gently with warm water. If minor damage to the shell is detected, this area can be sealed with a plaster. However, remember that the chick will begin to peck at its container from the blunt end.

The incubation period varies for different species of parrots and lasts from 17 to 35 days. All this time the female warms the eggs. They need to be heated to 37 degrees, while moisturizing. The female does this with wet feathers, so you must ensure that there is always water in the cage for bathing. The male feeds the female, so it is impossible to remove him while the eggs are incubating.

First, one chick hatches. The rest will hatch at approximately the same frequency as the eggs were laid. At the age of a week, their eyes open, and after another 3-4 days, feather stumps appear. By day 15, the chicks are covered with downy feathers. They are fully fledged by 30-35 days. At 40-45 days they can be placed in a separate cage.

The chicks peck their way to freedom as soon as they mature and gain enough strength. Sometimes it happens that two chicks mature in one egg - in this case they are twins.

Be that as it may, in order to get healthy offspring, it is very important to monitor the health and provide proper care to your pets long before the actual breeding of parrots begins.

Business

Many people believe that the work of life is, firstly, their own business, which, moreover, does not require large financial expenses and brings pleasure. It is desirable that the pleasure be not only for the owner, but also for those around him. Those for whom these statements are relevant should consider breeding parrots as a business. After all, beautiful, cheerful feathered creatures not only lift your spirits with their pranks, but also decorate even the most unassuming interior.

Many people want to have an unpretentious pet at home. Therefore, there will be no problems with the sale of chicks. At the first stage of establishing this business, you need to purchase cages for birds to live in. And, of course, the parrots themselves. About two dozen creatures of different sexes. The place in which cages with birds will stand all year round must be well heated, sufficiently light and spacious. The better conditions we can provide for parrots, the healthier offspring they will be able to produce.

It is worth keeping in mind that some birds that prefer life in a flock (wavy birds, lovebirds, some other species of parrots) also reproduce “synchronously”. Therefore, the more pairs have access to nests at the same time, the more offspring will result.

On average, a pair of birds can hatch about 5-7 chicks at a time. Young parrots can live independently from 2 months. Most species of parrots can hatch chicks several times a year, which is undoubtedly very beneficial for business. But it’s still worth taking breaks between clutches so that the birds have time to fully recover. In order to prevent a new clutch, it is enough to simply remove the parrot house or nest from the cage.

A professional approach to breeding will make it possible to turn a simple hobby into a profitable business. When building your business, we must not forget about maintaining a high level of bird maintenance, because only this is a guarantee of healthy chicks and high income. It is worth showing patience, and then all your efforts will be justified.

Rosella

One of the curious differences in the breeding of these birds is that sometimes it is not possible to select a pair of parrots of the same subspecies. Then even experienced breeders allow crossing between representatives of different subspecies.

The Rosella parrot is not difficult to keep, so such chicks are in good demand in pet stores. Those who are interested in breeding for starting a business should take a closer look at this type of parrot.

For breeding, these parrots need a fairly small house, but the size of the entrance should be about 8 centimeters. The bottom of the house is lined with wood dust or sawdust.

Incubation of rosella lasts 20 days. The male feeds the female and guards the nest. Chicks become independent at 8-10 weeks.

This type of parrot chooses its partner very carefully. If they have not felt affection for their intended partner, they will not reproduce. Therefore, it is better to provide birds with a wide choice for pairing.

Budgerigars

The ideal breeding pair would be birds of the same age, although this is not necessary. The color of the feather in pairing does not matter. Age should preferably not exceed one year. Breeding budgies will be more successful if the house is hung outside. If birds are kept in an aviary, the birdhouse should hang no lower than a meter above the ground. In addition to food and water, the cage should contain sand for bathing, ground chalk and shells.

All females can lay eggs, but not all chicks hatch. Therefore, their eggs must be checked for transparency. If they are all empty, they are thrown away.

A house for budgerigars should be about 25 centimeters in length, and 15 in width and height. 2-3 centimeters of sawdust are poured onto the bottom.

The chicks peck at 18-20 days. Parents should feed the chick no later than 12 hours after it is born. These days you cannot look into the house, otherwise the birds may not return there. You can look in without touching anything with your hands no earlier than the young animals are 10 days old.

The male feeds the lactating female, who feeds the babies with crop milk. Until the chicks have fledged, the male should not often enter the house. As the chicks get older, the responsibility of feeding the older one passes to the male. Once the youngest reaches the age of approximately 40 days, the oldest will be expelled from the nest by the mother.

If the house is not cleaned in time, the female herself will disperse the chicks and lay new eggs. At the same time, we must not forget that it becomes noticeably simpler as their number grows - flocking birds have the ability of “synchronous” reproduction. So the more pairs, the more chicks you can get at the same time.

Corella

Corella parrots, the breeding of which is not difficult, still differ in some features. So, although parrots are ready for breeding from six months, birds should be allowed for breeding at least one and a half years old. If you have purchased an adult bird, the proper care of which you are unsure of, it is better not to allow it to mate for 5-6 months, all this time providing it with careful and proper care. It is advisable to form a pair at a young age and maintain it throughout life, since these birds have very strong mating bonds.

The desire to reproduce appears in them only when there is a long daylight hours - at least 16-18 hours. At home, this can be an artificial day, but then before this you need to keep the birds on a short day - 8-10 hours of light per day.

It is better to make a nesting box made of wood, with a long perch on which two birds can fit at once. The nest should be large enough to accommodate two parents and chicks. Secure the box outside the cage. You cannot choose boxes that are varnished or made from chipboard - the smell of glue and varnish scares both the birds themselves and their offspring. In addition, it has a negative impact on health. Sawdust or shavings of deciduous trees are placed at the bottom of the box. A small depression is made in the bottom (a board no thinner than 2 cm) so that the eggs do not roll around the nest.

Incubation begins after there are already 2-3 eggs in the nest. It is typical that the male incubates them, while the female lays more eggs. In general, these parrots sit on eggs alternately. Most often, the male sits during the day and the female at night.

Chicks fly out of the nest at the age of 35-40 days. From this point on, the female can begin laying eggs for the next clutch. This process can be continuous, leading to the death of the female. To avoid this, after the chicks of the second clutch have fledged, the house must be removed. It is not worth repeating the nesting season earlier than after 6 months.

Chicks no younger than 7-8 months can leave their parental cage and find new owners. Only by this age do they become completely independent.

Lovebirds

Breeding lovebirds differs slightly from breeding budgies. They are given a small house, about 20-25 centimeters, with a bottom area of ​​about 17x17 cm. There is no need to make bedding on the bottom - instead, thin twigs should be placed in the house and cage, which the female herself will split into fibers and make a soft bedding for her.

These birds incubate their eggs for about 21-26 days. Parents feed their offspring on their own. The chicks leave the nest at 35-40 days, but their parents feed them for about 14 more days. After this, the chicks can be placed in another cage. The best time for breeding is February-May and August-October. The reason is that the summer months are too dry for the eggs of these birds - cases of embryos drying out are common.

Ozherelovye

Necklace parrots are taken into breeding at the age of 1-3 years. Birds kept in an aviary will give birth without problems, but cage housing does not often give the desired result.

For successful breeding, high humidity is necessary, so in addition to normal conditions, these birds are given wet peat mixed with sawdust in their nesting house. There are usually 2-4 eggs in a clutch, which incubate for 21-30 days. The chicks acquire independence at the age of about 2 months, after which they can be placed in a separate cage.

Song parrots

Keeping several pairs in one cage or enclosure increases the possibility of inciting aggression in the males of these birds, which leads to the killing of their own chicks. Egg incubation occurs within 20-21 days. The male feeds the female, but does not sit on the eggs. The parents feed the chicks together. Departure from the nest occurs approximately on the 35th day, however, the parents feed them for another 2-3 weeks.

Song parrots are very popular. Breeding them, however, involves some difficulties. The fact is that males very quickly learn aggressive behavior towards their offspring. To the point that it often kills chicks that have not even fledged yet. For this reason, most breeders try to breed only young parrots. If a male has destroyed at least one offspring, he is almost unsuitable for further breeding. You can try to put it in another cage after hatching the chicks, but there is a high probability that the female herself will not cope with feeding.

Whether you are going to breed parrots for income or are doing it for yourself, the main thing you need to remember and follow is that first of all you need to take care of the health of the birds. Proper maintenance, free cages, fresh and varied food, a responsible approach to pair selection - these are the main things that will make your birds healthy and happy. And a healthy bird always has healthy offspring.

To get healthy offspring from a pair of budgerigars and start breeding birds at home, you need to take into account many factors that will help organize this rather troublesome process correctly. For the birds, it is not only necessary to create comfortable living conditions and organize a nesting site for future babies, but also to follow a number of practical recommendations from experienced ornithologists on the proper feeding of pets during the mating season and the daily care of hatched chicks.

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Features of reproduction

Breeding budgies is not as simple a process as it might seem at first glance. And the owner of beautiful birds must approach it with all seriousness and responsibility, because the health and life of the future offspring depends on it. It is important to pay attention to the following points:

• correct choice of period for mating birds;
• creating a couple;
• arrangement of cages and nesting areas;
• preliminary preparation of pets for reproduction and analysis of their behavior;
• enrichment of nutrition with essential vitamins and minerals;
• hatching eggs.

The right time for mating

The best time for mating birds both in the natural environment and at home are considered to be the summer months (mainly June), as well as the first month of autumn - September. This period is characterized by long daylight hours, elevated air temperatures, and food rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper development of future chicks.

Experienced zoologists give practical advice:

• This process should not be started in the spring, especially in March. The birds' bodies were greatly weakened last winter; they suffer from vitamin deficiency and are unable to hatch healthy chicks.
• If the birth of offspring is expected in winter, then the owner needs to create additional conditions for the development of the babies. Daylight hours should be extended with the help of daylighting to 14-16 hours a day, and the air temperature in the room should be kept at 20 degrees. It is also necessary to provide the female with fresh greens three times a day.
• It should be borne in mind that the mating season for parrots can occur a maximum of three times a year. If you mate pets more often, this will lead to the appearance of stillborn chicks.



Making a couple according to all the rules

To obtain healthy offspring, it is necessary to choose a partner for your feathered pet by following the following recommendations of ornithologists:

1. 1. Budgerigars are flocking birds. To choose a suitable party, they need enough space and several options for election. The female always chooses - this is a guarantee that the pair will not break up for a long time.
2. 2. For a boy parrot, it is advisable to acquire a girlfriend at the age of 2–4 months. As long as she grows up, she will have time to get used to him and will not subsequently dominate him, as is customary with “volnushki”.
3. 3. If a suitable girl has already been selected for breeding, you should choose a male partner who has already been in a loving relationship with birds of his own species. Having experience of “family life”, he is quite capable of enduring the quarrelsome nature of the female.
4. 4. Individuals must be from different clutches. Close relationships between birds can cause various genetic abnormalities and hereditary diseases in future babies.

It is also worth considering the age of the future parents and their physical condition:

1. 1. When choosing a pair, you should give preference to adults who are at least one year old (for males, 10 months is enough). Otherwise, the breeding season may extend over the next three years. In addition, female parrots that are too young have not yet developed enough organisms to lay eggs, which will lead to their death. Budgerigars reach their highest level of fertility by 2–4 years of age.
2. 2. Older (over 8-10 years of age) or disease-impaired birds are often unable to lay fertile or viable eggs.
3. 3. The chosen ones must have a moderately well-fed physique. Birds that are too thin are also unsuitable for long-term incubation of eggs and adequate feeding of chicks.
4. 4. Selected parrots must be completely healthy, active and free of stress. Only in this case are they capable of rapid mating.

Overweight and obese individuals are not allowed to lay eggs. They may have various tumors, and besides, they are unsuitable for hatching eggs, since they roll off them. Birds in the process of molting and birds with physical exhaustion undergoing rehabilitation after a long illness are also not suitable as fertile females, since they do not mate and will not be able to bear clutches.

The quickly arising sympathy between individuals is the key to the appearance of offspring in the near future. You can determine whether your pet has the chosen partner for it using the following signs:

• When a new couple first meets in a cage specially designated for them, they should not show aggression towards each other, nor try to pull out feathers or peck on the head. If the birds get along quickly, then you won’t have to wait long for the chicks.
• When the male likes his girlfriend, he begins to intensively court her. It cleans its feathers, gives food from beak to beak, makes unusual sounds reminiscent of a pigeon's crowing, actively flaps its wings and lifts its crest.
• If a girl parrot agrees to accept the courtship of a gentleman, then she expresses this with the following signs of attention: nods, touches her partner’s beak with her beak, slightly closing her eyes (from the outside it resembles a kiss), stays near him, even when there are other contenders nearby.
• Love affection, if one has arisen, lasts a lifetime in budgerigars. Mating itself occurs within a few minutes and it is very difficult to catch the birds in this process. Occasionally, birds reproduce over the course of a week or even two.

Sometimes it happens that the union of the chosen couple did not work out. In this case, the girl parrot actively ignores her partner, stays away from him, and shows signs of aggression at the slightest appearance in her field of vision. Birds can start fights, tear out each other's feathers, and demonstrate disinterest in relationships in every possible way. In such a difficult situation, it is necessary to think about replacing the male with a calmer candidate and observe the female’s reaction to the appearance of a new suitor.



Optimal choice of nesting house

It is necessary to properly prepare for the reproduction of pets and lay eggs and improve their living conditions as much as possible by organizing a comfortable home. It must meet the following requirements:

1. 1. Be quite spacious, clean, with regular access to heat and light. If the space in the enclosure is too small, the adults will begin to destroy their own offspring. The optimal dimensions of the cage, taking into account the future chicks living in it, are as follows: height - over 65 cm, width - over 60 cm, length - from 70 cm. For two pairs of birds neighboring in the same territory, the area of ​​the enclosure should be doubled.
2. 2. Be made of durable material. There are three types of bird housing: vertical, horizontal and compromise. But whichever one is chosen, its design should be simple and the material from which it is made should be durable. It is desirable that the bottom slides out freely, and the nesting house can be easily attached to the side panels. A folding or removable roof is the key to timely inspection of the masonry, cleaning and disinfection of the nest.
3. 3. The nest box should be suspended as high as possible. Its dimensions should be as follows: bottom area - 22 × 15 cm, height - 20 cm, diameter of the entrance - 2.5 cm. It is likely that the expectant mother will not immediately get used to the unfamiliar structure, but gradually she will begin to explore it from the outside and inside, and then he will certainly settle down in it.
4. 4. Be in a quiet and peaceful place. The cage should be placed in a quiet and secluded place, away from drafts, for example, against a wall, at eye level. It is advisable to limit all extraneous noise and loud sounds as much as possible.



During the breeding season, expectant mothers usually change their habits. They become more mobile, active and begin to chew on everything, including the bars of their own cage, jewelry, toys, and even the feathers of the male. To avoid such situations, it is necessary to provide the female with small pieces of fresh carrots or apples, fruit branches of various diameters and lengths, and a fortified sharpening stone, which can be purchased at a pet store.

It is important to take into account that the nesting box is placed directly into the cage no earlier than a week before the expected laying of the first egg. But before this, it is necessary to thoroughly disinfect both the cage itself and all bird property - feeders, toys, drinking bowls. To carry out this procedure, you need to wash the items with a stiff brush moistened with a water solution of baby soap, dry the metal items in the oven, and dry the plastic items in the sun for 6–8 hours.

Preparation for reproduction

To properly prepare birds for mating, the following points must be taken into account:

1. 1. You need to start preparing parrots for breeding three weeks before attaching the nesting house to the cage.
2. 2. Daylight hours should be gradually increased to 15–16 hours a day with the help of additional lighting. A sharp increase can lead to premature molting. First you should add two hours, then an hour and alternate these intervals until the duration of the light period reaches the desired length.
3. 3. The temperature in the room plays a very important role, therefore it is necessary to ensure that it does not fall below 18-20 degrees around the clock. In cold weather, birds will expend too much energy to stay warm. High temperatures are also not allowed. If the body temperature of the birds increases, this will cause further death of the embryo.

Feeding parrots

Experts advise paying special attention to the diet of your birds during the mating season. In addition to traditional grain mixtures, it must contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements:

1. 1. Nutrition should be comprehensive and as balanced as possible. It is worth enriching your food with fresh green leaves at least twice a day. Fill the feeder with plant food; wilted or rotten treats that are not eaten on time must be removed immediately.
2. 2. Sprouted grains are considered the most nutritious food for budgies. They are indispensable during the breeding season and are useful for birds throughout their lives. It is necessary to double the average daily portion, starting a week before laying the first egg.
3. 3. The water in the drinking bowl should be changed every day.
4. 4. To make the immune system of birds stronger and more resistant to various diseases, you need to prepare a fortified supplement more often and give it to the birds every 3 days. To do this, mix half a boiled chicken egg, cut into pieces, with grated carrots in equal proportions, and also add powdered eggshells or special calcium for birds from a veterinary pharmacy to this composition. Fortified chalk and a sharpening stone with grains can be a source of additional calcium.
5. 5. Thin branches of fruit trees are useful not only as additional feeding and a kind of “sharpener” for the beak, but also as building material for the nest.

Hatching offspring

Waiting for little parrots is a very exciting moment. First, you should determine by visual examination whether the female is pregnant or not. The behavior and appearance of the expectant mother changes significantly:

• there is a noticeable increase in appetite;
• the bird begins to look for a secluded corner in the cage if it has not yet settled in the nest;
• the feathers on the chest and belly thin out or fall out completely (she rips them out herself to insulate the nest);
• the stomach becomes slightly rounded.



The function of the male at this time is reduced to simply sitting near the nest, chirping loudly in order to call his companion to him and periodically feeding her. Based on his behavior, one can judge that the first egg will be released soon. During this period, you should not bother the couple in vain, checking in vain for the presence of masonry. It is better not to approach the house so that the expectant mother does not abandon her home or die because she was unable to lay an egg in time.

It is necessary to take into account the following nuances:

1. 1. Several weeks may pass from the moment the female settles into the nest until the clutch appears.
2. 2. Younger individuals lay fewer eggs than the experienced older generation.
3. 3. In most cases, 2 to 4 eggs are incubated.
4. 4. A new father never cares for his offspring on his own; this is done exclusively by the female.
5. 5. A week after the last egg appears in the clutch, it must be inspected. The fertilization of the egg is indicated by its gray-white matte hue, while unfertilized eggs are glossy yellow-white or spotted.
6. 6. Hatching itself occurs for a maximum of 20 days. If the eggs are in the nest for more than a month, they must be removed immediately. It is necessary to check the house every three days and remove dead chicks or eggs with a dead embryo from there. If the egg has a small crack, you can apply non-toxic nail polish to it. Sometimes it is possible to save the chick this way.

Caring for chicks

As for caring for young animals, experts give the following recommendations:

1. 1. After the first baby hatches, it is necessary to exclude sprouted grains from the diet of the feathered parents, replacing them with a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables with a high content of carotene.
2. 2. Chicks hatch approximately every two days. At the same time, they are completely naked, blind and helpless. Babies cannot yet eat regular food for parrots, so the mother feeds them herself with a mixture that is secreted from her glands intended for this.
3. 3. After the chicks reach two weeks of age, the behavior of the female changes significantly. She becomes more balanced and leaves the nesting site more often. It is advisable to take advantage of the current situation and clean the house of droppings and feathers, carefully lifting the chicks with your hands wearing sterile gloves (so that the female does not abandon them later). After changing the litter, they must be immediately returned to their place.
4. 4. Chicks begin to leave the cage at the age of one and a half months. At this time, you can remove the house, and the babies themselves can be moved away from their parents into a new cage, but not earlier than 50–60 days after hatching. The parents' hour-long day should be reduced to 9 hours, and the female should be given exclusively grain food to stop laying.
5. 5. After three months, the young animals can be returned to the common cage, but only on the condition that their plumage has become stronger.

When breeding budgies with your own hands at home, it is very important to strictly follow the rules of hygiene and provide your pets with comfortable living and proper nutrition. The very first masonry requires such close attention. And after the owner studies the behavior of his feathered charges and receives strong offspring from them, this most exciting and enjoyable activity can turn into a profitable business.

Budgerigars are quite popular as pets. Fans of feathered friends strive to create optimal conditions for birds so that they feel comfortable. Many owners not only want to keep and care for parrots, but also strive to increase their numbers through breeding. It is important to understand that creating offspring is a troublesome task; it requires attention to detail and compliance with the peculiarities of the content. Let's look at the basic aspects in order and give practical recommendations.

Under what conditions is reproduction possible?

1. To begin with, it is worth noting that only healthy parrots can mate. Sick and weak birds that undergo rehabilitation are not suitable for the role of parents. They will not be able to lay eggs, making reproduction impossible.
2. In addition, it is important to consider the conditions under which the chicks can be born. This includes the sexual maturity of the parrots, a properly balanced diet and the feeding area itself, the length of daylight hours, the nesting house, and the temperature regime (about 24-26 degrees).
3. By the time you decide to breed parrots, make sure that the birds have reached sexual maturity and can reproduce. The optimal age for birds of this kind is considered to be from 1 to 8 years. If you go beyond these limits, the babies will hatch sick or weak, and the female may die because her body is not formed for laying.
4. Obese individuals are not suitable as fertile females. They often have tumors, and the birds do not hatch eggs well, rolling off them. It is also worth paying close attention to the bird’s plumage: if it molts, reproduction becomes impossible. Give the female vitamins, otherwise she will not be able to bear the clutch.

Choosing the right pair

1. To successfully obtain offspring, it is extremely important to choose the right pair of budgies. It is worth clarifying that in order to obtain strong offspring it is necessary to select individuals from different parents. Another option suggests the presence of possible anomalies in the chicks, as well as diseases associated with heredity.
2. When choosing a female and a male, give preference to individuals who have previously formed pairs with other birds. If you unite parrots artificially, they can “delay” reproduction for about 2-3 years.
3. If the selected parrots are completely healthy and active, they will mate fairly quickly. The first meeting of the newly-made family men takes place in the cell allocated for them. If you notice that the birds do not try to tear out each other’s feathers, but, on the contrary, get along, then offspring can be expected in the near future.
4. When a male chooses a female, he begins to fiercely court her. This behavior is manifested in cleaning the feathers of its “lady” and feeding from beak to beak. Also, males often make certain sounds like pigeon songs, raise their crests and actively flap their wings.
5. As for the female, if she accepts courtship, she begins to nod her head, kiss her gentleman on the beak, and close her eyes. The girl tries to stay close to the boy, not paying attention to the cries of other parrots (if any).
6. Budgerigars' affection for each other lasts a lifetime. Coitus occurs in a matter of minutes, as a rule, the owners do not notice it. In some cases, birds mate for about 7-20 days until the process is started. If mating has occurred, budgerigars can find their mate among other birds. They spend a lot of time together.
7. There are often cases when a couple does not become “newlyweds”. In such situations, the female ignores the male, sits aside, and behaves aggressively when he appears. Birds pluck each other's feathers to show their disinterest. Try replacing the rebellious boy with a calmer partner and watch the female’s reaction.

Suitable period for breeding

1. The optimal period for breeding budgerigars is considered to be from June to September. During this period, birds have enough daylight, warmth and food rich in vitamins.
2. Experienced zoologists do not recommend starting pimping parrots in early spring. In March-April, pets are still weakened after the past spring. Their body lacks vitamins, the birds will not be able to create healthy offspring.
3. Chicks can hatch much later, for example, in the winter season. However, in this case you need to create additional conditions. This includes extending daylight hours to 14-16 hours using daylight lamps or special lighting. It is also important to maintain the temperature at 20 degrees. The female needs to be fed fresh greens 3 times a day.

Preparation for breeding

1. Start preparing parrots for breeding 2-3 weeks before you plan to hang the nesting house. Increase daylight hours to 15 hours using backlighting, monitor the temperature in the room, it should not fall below 18-20 degrees. Otherwise, the birds will expend additional energy to keep warm.
2. To prevent parrots from molting prematurely, increase daylight hours gradually. First add 2 hours, then 1 hour, alternate intervals until you reach 15 hours. If the body temperature of animals is elevated, this will cause the death of the embryo in the future.

Nest house for breeding

1. A visual examination will help you determine whether the female is pregnant or not. The bird has an increased appetite, it loses feathers on its chest, and its belly becomes round. At this time, the male sits near the nest, chirps, and feeds his “lady.” Signs like these indicate that the first egg will hatch soon.
2. Young individuals lay fewer eggs than their older generation. The male does not incubate the offspring; the expectant mother does this. After 6-7 days after laying the last egg, they need to be checked. If the egg is fertilized, it will have a gray-white hue (matte), while unfertilized eggs will be glossy yellow-white or spotted.
3. As a rule, the duration of incubation is 18-20 days. If the eggs remain in the nest for more than 3 weeks, they must be removed. Check the house every 3 days, remove dead chicks and eggs with a dead embryo. After the first chick hatches, reduce the pets' diet, excluding sprouted grains. At the same time, increase the amount of vegetables that contain carotene.
4. When the chicks reach the age of 14 days, the female's behavior will change significantly. She will become calmer and begin to leave the nesting site more often. During this period, clean the house from droppings and feathers, carefully lifting the chicks with a gloved hand (!). Change the bedding, then return the babies to their place.
5. The chicks begin to fly out of the cage after 1.5 months. Separate them from their mother 60 days after birth, and then return them to the common house after three months. Remove the nesting area, reduce the pair's hourly day to 9 hours, and give the female only grain food to stop laying.

As a rule, parrots aged 2-4 years are considered the most fertile. They can bear 3 offspring in 12 months if properly maintained. The older the birds, the more difficult it is for them to reproduce. Take into account the pet’s health, previous illnesses, difficulties with feeding, sleeping, and behavior towards the opposite sex.

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Someone breeds a certain type of bird for sale, someone simply wants to increase the number of feathered pets, and someone just dreams of making chirping friends. Therefore, many of us wonder which feathered creatures are the easiest to breed? Nowadays, one of the popular bird species is budgerigars, which even novice poultry farmers can reproduce at home.

So, the owner of parrots planning to breed them will have to pay attention to the following issues:

1. Selecting a pair.
2. Cage and nesting equipment.
3. Studying the behavior of birds.
4. Enriching the diet with useful substances.
5. Caring for parents and little parrots.

Matching

Individuals chosen to be parents must be strong and agile. Elderly or weakened pets often lay unfertilized or non-viable eggs. In addition, the birds should be well-fed, but not excessively. Thin individuals usually do not want to constantly sit on eggs and fully feed their offspring.

The chicks will be healthy if the parents are purchased from different producers (this will eliminate the possibility of inbreeding). Females who have reached 1 year of age and males from 10 months are considered sexually mature, but the highest fertility occurs in the 2-4th years of life. With proper maintenance, parrots are able to reproduce up to 9-10 years of age, and sometimes longer.

The mating season of budgerigars in nature occurs in June, but breeding of budgerigars at home can occur in other months, and up to 2-3 times a year.

Cell preparation

The main requirements for housing for budgerigars are sufficient dimensions, cleanliness and access to light. The parameters of the habitat should be calculated taking into account future chicks (area - 65x55 cm or more with a height of 65 cm). Crowding can cause parents to begin to destroy their offspring.

The behavior of females during the breeding stage changes greatly - they become more mobile and gnaw on everything that is in their field of vision. The owner must provide them with everything they need: pieces of apples and carrots, small twigs of varying thickness. Otherwise, cage bars, decorations, toys, and even the male’s plumage will be used.

It is important to take into account a very important nuance that pets such as: breeding these birds at home will be successful only when the daylight hours are at least 15 hours. The temperature in the room where the cage is located should be +18+20° C. In the summer, it will be enough to simply open the curtains in the morning, and with the onset of cold weather, artificial lighting and heating will not be necessary. With the advent of the first twilight, you will have to immediately turn on the overhead lights. It is unacceptable to keep pets in a draft.

How does an established couple behave?

The first meeting of the birds should take place in the cage intended for them. If the feathered “newlyweds” get along with each other and don’t get into fights with feathers being torn out, it means that we can expect a new addition very soon. During the courtship period, the groom shows off in front of his girlfriend, chirps provocatively, sorts out her feathers, feeds her from his beak, spreads his wings, and raises his crest. The female, showing reciprocity, stays close to her betrothed: she sits with narrowed eyes, responds to frequent kisses. This attachment lasts until the end of life.

- a very fast process, so it very often goes unnoticed by the owners. Sometimes one time is enough to fertilize the female, but sometimes the spouses do not stop mating for several days or even weeks.

The best time for breeding budgies is the period from June to September, when there is enough warmth, light and fresh vitamin food.

If the pair does not work out, which is extremely rare, then the birds fight or simply ignore each other, while the female does not pay any attention to the nest. In this case, the calm potential parent should be left, and the “rebel” should be replaced with a more peaceful relative.

Diet of budgerigars

During the breeding season, the food of feathered wards, in addition to traditional grain mixtures, must contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements. Also, future parents need to provide round-the-clock access to clean water. There should always be fresh plant food in the feeder. If the treats begin to fade or rot, they should be replaced immediately.

To improve health, you can periodically give special food to your little ones: mix a finely chopped boiled egg with grated carrots and ground eggshells or calcium from a veterinary pharmacy. Sprouted grains are useful for birds throughout their lives, but during the breeding season they are simply irreplaceable. Their average daily portion before laying should be doubled. Special pebbles and crayons are good additional sources of calcium. And thin branches of fruit trees are useful as food, as building material for the nest and as a “sharpener” for the beak.

Nesting and offspring

A day or two after the budgerigars mate, the behavior of the female changes - she begins to look for a secluded corner in the cage. It is at this time that the owner must take care of the nesting site. The bird house should be hung as high as possible. The parameters of the “maternity hospital” should be as follows: bottom area – 22x15 cm; height – 20 cm, diameter of the entrance – 2.5 cm. Don’t be afraid if the expectant mother avoids it at first. Gradually she will get used to the unfamiliar structure, begin to explore it from the outside and inside, and then she will certainly begin to restore order.

The female's belly gradually becomes rounder, her appetite increases noticeably, and the feathers on her chest and belly thin out (she rips them out to insulate the nest). And the function of the father during this period is to sit for a long time near the nesting site, chirping loudly and feeding his half. These signs indicate that the bird is definitely pregnant, and the first egg will appear soon. At this time, you should not disturb the couple by checking for the presence of masonry. It is better not to touch the house at all, so that the female does not abandon her home or die from an unlaid egg.

It should be borne in mind that a lot of time can pass from the moment the bird has settled in until the first egg appears - up to one month. Usually 2-4 eggs are incubated. After the first parrot hatches, sprouted grains should be gradually removed from the pets’ diet, and the proportion of vegetables rich in carotene, on the contrary, should be increased.

After the chicks reach 2 weeks of age, the mother’s behavior changes: she becomes much calmer and leaves the house more often. At this time, you can clean the nest. After waiting for the moment when the bird goes away to eat, you need to carefully take the nesting box and remove the young from it (not with bare hands, but with gloves, otherwise the female may not recognize her children later). By removing the waste and replacing the bedding with clean ones, you can return the offspring to their place.

When the grown-up parrots begin to leave the nest on their own, the house can be removed, and the babies themselves can be moved away from their parents into another cage.

The offspring can be separated no earlier than a month after hatching. After the parrots reach 2 months of age, they are returned to the common cage, but only on the condition that the juvenile plumage has become stronger.

Breeding budgies is not difficult. All that is required from a person is strict adherence to the rules of hygiene and providing pets with adequate nutrition. The most attention will have to be paid to the first clutch, and if the owner can thoroughly study the habits of his feathered charges, then strong offspring will not be long in coming.

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