breeding parrots first time

Sep 03, 2011

breeding parrots first time
by: Linda

Well, unfortunately, this is not a good combination for breeding. The Blue and Yellow Ringnecks are what is called "Mutations". That does not mean they are monsters or anything, it is simply a term used to describe when a natural green pair of birds have one or more differently colored babies.

The strongest breeding for the mutations is with another natural Green Ringneck parakeet. The genetics are a bit complicated, but basically, out of each nest of say 4 babies, you'll have probably one that is Blue, and the rest are Green like the Green parent. I believe this is called a "sex linked" characteristic, and the Green babies are all split in genetics with the Blue Ringneck. In other words, when another Blue ringneck is bred with these Green birds, you can probably get say two Blue babies in this nest instead of just the one.

The reason for breeding back to a normal colored bird is that the Blue and Yellow birds are possessing many recessive characteristics. When too many recessives are put together, the birds, humans, horses are more fragile and open to disease and long-term illnesses. So, to be careful when breeding mutations, you need to breed normal to mutation.

Yes, you get less Blue babies, but the ones you do get will be much stronger and more able to fight off infection and less likely to have problem with long-term illness and/or problems with heart, kidneys and liver.

So, what you can do here, is to get a normal Green Ringneck for each of these birds and have two separate larger cages in which to breed.

Or, you can just put one of the Blue ones in a separate cage and get a mate for the other Blue one. These birds need to be at least two years old before attempting any type of breeding to make sure hen is physically able to lay an egg without getting egg bound.

Nest boxes made for birds the size of Cockatiels should be okay for the Ringnecks. Cages have to have an opening for the front of the nest box, while the rest of box hangs on the outside of cage. These openings can be closed when not breeding and open when you are breeding. Also, you do not have to pull babies unless Mother fails to feed them properly. Handfeeding with a syringe is a learned skill, and I suggest you talk with a breeder in your area and see if they would be willing to teach you how to do this correctly.

Thanks for writing and let us know how everything goes.

Linda

breeding parrots first time

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breeding parrots first time

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