Foreign Parrots

Breeding Foreign Parrots
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f you breed birds, poor chick care in baby parrots is a risky form of behaviour that is bound to interfere with your success. Large psittacine babies probably do not develop an independent immune system until four to six months of age. During the time that the hen's passive immunity (passed to the chicks as it absorbs the yolk sac) is diminished. The period until the chick attains sufficient active immunity offers a window of opportunity for pathogens to cause disease problems unless excellent hygiene and health care is good.

Psittacine chicks are altricial and thus are still quite dependent on their parents upon hatching. The absence of independent heat regulation in chicks until they are feathered is the reason psittacine hens brood their young with the female acting as an incubating device of great sensitivity. Aviculture can greatly accelerate the rate of egg production if eggs are pulled for atificial incubation as this promotes double clutching.

If you engage in this procedure you must use equipment, such as brooders and incubators, that provide excellent thermal control since you are actually going to be replacing functions normally handled by the hen. Remember also that inappropriately high or low humidity can have an injurious effect on eggs and babies.

Hens are sensitive to changes of as little as 0.1 degree F at the brood patch.. Only well designed, high quality brooders and incubators can begin to match this type of sensitivity. Many geographical locations lack sufficient humidity to simulate the humidity conditions normally found in nesting cavities in the wild.

Wooden tree trunks with passive humidity retention and fecal accumulation keep babies in a relative humidity of 65-85%. Amazon rainforests are a constant 85 degF with a humidity level of 85%. Attention must be paid to humidity. Higher humidity produces quieter, fatter babies with a greater growth rate than those kept at ambient levels of 15 - 35%. Monitoring food temperature is another area of concern. Most hand-feeders use fingers, lips or wrist to check for the proper food temperature of 43c.

Early chick mortality - Occasionally chicks will fall from the nest and will be found on the floor of the aviary. These babies will become cold and will die. The quickest "first aid" you can give is to place the chick in your hands and exhale warm air over its body. Some chicks that appear dead are saved by warming them and returning them to the nest. Chicks that become chilled appear to be dead as their colour is very pale and they are lifeless. Once their body temperature returns to normal they park up and their colour returns.

Poser - If you lose chicks in the egg or or nest without an indication of disease, the problem could well be that your birds are too highly inbred. Another indication of excessive inbreeding is that at the end of the season you have raised more than 60% cocks. An infusion of new blood through line-breeding is the best remedy for this problem.

NYASAS
by W van der Ween
A subject of many discussions is whether a pure Nyasa can show some black melanin in the otherwise strawberry coloured face mask.

Mr R E Moreau quotes - ‘...no certain wild hybrid Agapornis is known. Newly imported birds identical with A lilianae with the exception that their cheeks were blackish’ were at first thought to be hybrids with A nigrigenis, but two years later they had lost the dark shade on the face. In any case, we know from the specimen described that similar darkening occurs on the eastern edge of the range of A lilianae, as far removed from A nigrigenis as possible; and we know from section 2 that these birds apparently do not meet in nature’. On the other hand, if adult A lilianae still show some black, they are hybrids.
Young Nyasas can have some black but adults do not. Lovebirds are fully mature after 16 to 18 months. This nicely shows the wisdom of the continental societies allowing CYOB birds to be shown for two years.
Not only the birds are able to show their true colours when adult, but this also prevents unequal competition between winter and summer breeders.

BLACK-CHEEKED

A lot of people are trying to breed the existing colours of the Masked Lovebird into Black-cheeked, Fischers or Nyasa. Isn’t it about time we concentrate on founding a stud of free breeding nigrigenis (or Fischers or lilianae) in their original wild-colour only, instead of breeding trans-mutations?The black-cheeked lovebird has a total range of about 6000sq km in mopane woodland almost exclusively in southern Zambia, but extending along the Zambesi in northern Zwimbabwe and possibly occurring in northern Botswana and Namibia’s Caprivi strip. It is now extinct in Zimbabwe.

THE PIED PEACHFACE
By Rod Collin
DESCRIPTION -The Pied Peachface varies quite a lot in the proportions of the colours making up the overall body colour. The birds can vary from 95% Green 5% Yellow to 95% Yellow 5% Green. Normally birds with a higher proportion of Yellow fetch the higher price.
Higher price for yellows or greens?

This does not mean they are necessarily more attractive or rarer than predominantly green birds. There are of course, other variations to the basic green - yellow pied.
They are Jade or Olive Green - Yellow, Pastel Blue - Yellow, Jade Blue - Yellow, Slate Grey - Yellow; and I’m sure with time more will show up.

BREEDING -

Unlike other mutations (with the exception of the Dark Factor) currently available, the Pied colouration is a dominant factor, i.e. one pied will reproduce more pied birds whether it is mated to another pied or to a normal.

There can be no split pied peachfaces.

However, the pied can be a single or double factor bird. That is a bird can carry the Pied Chromosomes on one or two different chromosomes. If on one only it is referred to as a single factor pied , on two chromosomes then it is as a double factor pied. Possible combinations are as follows -

Dble Factor x Normal - All Single Pied Factor Young

Sngle Factor x S.Factor 50% Sin Fac

25% D Factor

25% Normal

Sngle Factor x Normal 50% sin Fac

50% Dbl Fac.

Dble Factor x Db Factor 100% D Fac.

It does not matter which bird in any pairing is the cock or the hen as this is a normal Dominant Mutation.

OTHER COLOUR COMBINATIONS -

Because of the Pied’s dominance over other colours, it is very easy to breed different comhinations. One common combination is to bring Blue into the colour scheme by the following method

1 Pied x Pas Blue = Pied Spl Blue

Normal Spl Blue

2 You than bred the Pied Offspring to a Blue = Blue Pieds, Blues, Green Pieds Split Blue, Normals Split Blue.

I have deliberately left off percentages because it will vary as to whether you have single or double factor pieds - if using double factor birds then 100% pied offspring will be bred in the first instance.

It is possible to also bring the Dark Factor found in Jade and Olive into the Pied. However, that is virtually an article on its own. (Reprinted Agapornis News Nov/Dec 1983)

MORE ON PIEDS

By Ian Adcock (1983)

To the novice, there is still a lot of confusion as to what is a true Pied. The fact is that any bird which has two distinct broken colours is referred to as a Pied.

There has been offered for sale recessive Sydney Yellow Splits as Dominant Pieds for high prices. These birds may have a clear yellow spot on head, clear flight feathers and yellow on their leg shank. These will reproduce similar young. True Dominant Pieds, even though only poorly marked, sell for much more.

The distinct difference is in the body colour, more noticeably in the chest. A Dominant Green Pied has yellow down with a green overlay, making the chest a lime green colour. The Sydney Yellow Split has a plain green coloured chest. A Blue Pied would have white down, which would make its chest a milky colour.Pieds range in markings from only a patch on the head to a heavily marked Pied all yellow similar to a Sydney Yellow.

A top quality Pied can have yellow head, green and golden yellow chest, full yellow wings, broken green between the wings. Blue Pieds have similar markings. Not being a true blue, the Pied markings are an attractive cream colour and not white.

Being a dominant mutation, a Pied mated to a Normal will breed a percentage of Pieds in the nest, anything from 0 to 4 out of 4. The young not showing Pied will be Normals. Poorly marked Pieds can breed Reversed Pieds. However, the more colour in the parent tends to breed a higher percentage of better marked birds. Mating of Pied to Pied will breed a percentage of better marked birds. Mating a Pied to Pied will breed a percentage of Double Factor Pieds, which, in turn when mated to a Normal, will breed full nests of Pieds Pied can be crossed with any of the mutations. Naturally the more contrast in colour the more striking the Pied.ß

BALD PARROTS NOT A PRETTY POLLY

(Reprinted with kind permission of Dr Cam Day, RSPCA Qld)

One of the commonest and regretfully, the most confusing of skin conditions that beset pet parrots is feather loss resulting in baldness. There are a number of conditions that cause feather loss in parrots, some of which are treatable and some of which are not.

The commonest factor contributing to feather loss in parrots is incorrect nutrition. Birds can survive for a long period on poor rations but as time goes on they will be progressively depleting their body stores of nutrients.

It is not adequate to feed birds a cupful of stale packaged bird seed and an occasional limp lettuce leaf.

Nutritional deficiencies are usually recognised by a dry, flaky itchy skin which in itself, is a common cause of feather plucking.

Birds fed solely on grain are often deficient in Vitamin A. This is easily remedied by feeding dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli or spinach and also dark yellow vegetables such as carrot and sweet potato. Corn, celery, and lettuce have insufficient Vitamin A to be of value.

For correct plumage, all captive birds should have access to extra protein.

Protein is available in ordinary cheese, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs and chicken meat. Do not feed chicken bones as the marrow contains excess levels of fat. Mineral deficiencies, especially of zinc, calcium and manganese, also cause feather problems.

A useful method of supplementing minerals is to provide a sea-water mixture for the bird to drink. Add 1/4 of a teaspoon of strong tincture of iodine to one litre of seawater and add one teaspoon of this mixture to a cup of the bird’s usual drinking water.

The quality of the seed is very important. Seed which has been stored for excessively long periods and which has gone rancid is virtually useless as the fatty acids in the seed will be destroyed. Fatty acids are essential for a normal healthy plumage and their absence causes dry flaky skin. Incorrect accommodation, especially small cages, can cause feather breakage and loss. The irritation from broken feathers can initiate feather picking.

With pairs of birds, the more dominant agressive bird may pull out the feathers of its cage-mate. This is remedied by placing the birds in a large aviary of birds where they have room to avoid each other if necessary or by separating the birds into adjacent cages.

There are undoubtedly many psychologic stresses in a cage bird’s life because of the unnatural habitat in which they are forced to live, and certain psychological abnormalities can be expressed as feather picking. This often becomes manifested as agression to other birds, or as self-mutilation, especially with cockatiels which have no mate. In addition, many wild birds use their feathers as part of their nest in the breeding season, and in captivity, this behaviour can be misguided to the stage of causing feather loss.

Birds, devoid of the company of others of their own species, can develop fixations with unusual objects. Their owners are often regarded as mates and some male birds will even try to copulate with their owner’s hand. Budgerigahs, as vain as they are, often fall in love with their own image depicted in a mirror in their cage.

This fixation will cause them to regurgitate their food over the mirror which, in budgies at least, is a sign of devoted love. However, budgerigahs do not usually feather pick from sexual frustration.

NEW ZEALAND IMPRESSIONS

(Notes on lecture by R Kingston, courtesy Queensland Aviculture)

A large proportion of birds in New Zealand are introduced birds - probably the largest percentage of introduced birds in the world.

Aviculture in New Zealand is broardly based, more so than in Australia. It is not a climatically good place to breed birds. I would say they breed more parrots and lovebirds than finches.

New Zealand is the last country from which Australia was able to import birds. They can import from Australia, especially mutations of budgies.

In the wild in New Zealand there are some colonies of Eastern Rosellas, golden Pheasants, and cockatoos and quail. Cockatiels in aviaries are very popular.

Club structures in New Zealand are more close knit than in Australia. The Avicultural Council (similar to the Queensland Council of Bird Societies) controls clubs and sets ALL shows. They also organise the National, five years in advance.

As New Zealand is tourist orientated, whole towns get behind and support shows. They are very dedicated at showing, in winter, keeping the summer season for breeding. Members drive right across the South Island for a Show and then wait and listen for the weather reports to see if they should return home that night. They are very keen.

BREEDING - Very good results, specially in parrots, as it is very wet. Most aviaries are built at ground level, not built up as we do here. At the time of writing, some bird prices were -

Blue Caps $500 pr Gouldians $150 pr. Blue faced Parrot Finches $250 pr, Sulphur crested Cockatoos $650 ea. Chaffinch $10 pr.

As white ants are not available in New Zealand, as a live food, breeders feed their birds the following- mosquito, microworm, silkworm, blowfly, European bluebottle, bloodworm, flea, mosquito, vinegar fly, pomace fly, fruit fly, waxmoth, waxworm, locust, housefly, magpie moth, granary weevil, drugstore beetle, black field cricket, mealworm, confused flour beetle and cinnaabar moth. These are all available on sale from suppliers. Food fed to Kiwis includes shreded oxheart, spagetti, vegetable oil and grated carrot.

Of the 340 parrot species, only one constructs its nest: the Quaker. All others nest in hollows excavated in trees or cliff faces. In captivity, all species readily accept nest boxes, be they constructed of wood or metal. The use of the latter should be limited outdoors as they can become unbearably hot.

Pieces of wood should be placed inside for the hen to chew on while nesting. If the hen is denied her instinct to chew slivers, which she uses to line the nest and keep it dry, she may resort to plucking herself or the young.

In the wild, parrots usually select nests that are obscured from predators, and relatively small, dark, and dry. Often, if appropriate openings are unavailable, they will settle for an unsuitable site.

A pair of Porto Rican Parrots (Amazona vittata) once nested in a cavity in a tree which extended down to the base, where there was an opening. Why would these parrots have chosen such an inferior site? Simply because uncontrollable natural instincts compelled them to breed in order to perpetuate their kind.

In captivity, the general guideline for nesting cavity size is length of the bird from tip of head to base of tail. The depth should be twice this size. The entrance opening should be just large enough to permit entry, or in some instances smaller; the pair will enlarge the opening, an activity which will stimulate them to breed.

If the parrots are particularly destructive, the interior may need to be protected. The easiest and most effective method is to insert a wire cage flush against the inside walls of the nest box. An inspection door should be constructed approximately in the middle of one wall of the box. Even with a log or metal box, this door is essential to permit monitoring of the hen and eggs, candling, and removal of eggs and young.

As previously stated, hens incubating or rearing young must chew, so pieces of wood should be inserted in the nest. Chewing can induce a hen to breed; indeed, with some species, such as the Major Mitchell (Cacatua leadbeateri) and the Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta), it is a deeply ingrained instinct, as the cavities available in the wild are usually very small and need weeks of enlarging before they reach a usable size.

The addition of a projecting funnel-shaped entrance is often a key factor with the Golden Shouldereds (Psephotus chrysopterygius) and some neophemas. This should extend about ten cm.

The position of the nest is an important consideration. Most parrots select nests that are at the highest point possible, but others such as macaws, sometimes prefer cavities at ground level.

Ideally the breeder should offer a pair several nests of various sizes and elevations. Once a choice has been made, the remaining nests should be removed.

I prefer to place the nest outside the cage, where it can be closed off to the pair during inspection. This causes less disturbance to the nesting pair, and offers less protection from possible attack by very aggressive parrots such as macaws and amazons.

With these two species (and some others), if nest box examination necessitates invading the enclosure, a risky situation for both birds and keeper may arise. The person may very well cause injury to the birds in self-defence.

In the wild, parrots provide all the nesting material by gnawing slivers of wood from the nest cavity walls. In captivity, parings usually augment the pine shavings which are so widely used by aviculturists to fill nests.

Some hens discard most of the material until the base is exposed, while others retain an inch or two of substrate. I prefer to use pieces of rotted wood in my collection, as I believe that chewing is integral in guaranteeing fertility; the extended periods thus spent in the nest cavity induce ovulation in the hen, and enlargement of the testes in the male.

Steady perches are imperative if successful copulation is to take place. If perches are wobbly, making sitting difficult for the birds, many species will descend to the floor of the enclosure to mate. Ideally, square perches should be made available as they provide easier gripping.

This is especially beneficial to cockatoos and other parrots that assume a mating posture where the cock steps up on the hen’s back, placing all his weight on her. Natural branches, whose rough surface and varying dimensions provide comfort and traction for the parrots’ feet, are preferable to smooth round perches.