Post by ekkiemum on Dec 19, 2005 21:49:27 GMT 8
Breeding Eclectus Parrots
Once you have a pair of birds that like each other and are interested in breeding, they will do well in 6- or 8-foot-long suspended wire cages of 3 or 4 feet wide by 3 or 4 feet high. Placing two high perches, one on either end, and a low perch near the cage floor in the middle is desirable. Pine or fir make good perches, as do eucalyptus branches. Adding safe wood toys and fresh "chew" branches make for an enriched environment for the pair.
Eclectus will use nest boxes of many types. I use rectangular boxes and Z-boxes. Rectangular nest boxes can be hung at an angle, which provides some depth for the nest at the bottom end of the box. Pine or fir shavings make excellent nesting material. It helps to provide a length of 2 by 4 pine fixed firmly to one wall of the nest box so the hen has something to work on inside the box so her urge to make nest shavings can then be satisfied. When metal nest boxes are used, the floor should be lined with plywood.
Many Eclectus parrots are unconcerned about human presence when they are mating. However, they can be extremely distracted by other noisy or displaying species of most birds, such as Amazons or macaws. Eclectus pairs may forego the mating process, and the hen will lay infertile eggs when the pair is located in an aviary full of noisy conures or next to displaying thingyatoos. Sometimes copulation takes place inside the box, on the perch or on the floor of the cage. Eclectus produce better in the company of less noisy birds, such as African greys and other quieter species. The best situation is to have only Eclectus parrots in the same area.
Once the eggs have been laid, the hens generally keep the males out of the box. The hen may start sitting the day after the first egg is laid. Incubation is 28 days. Chicks hatch without significant down and must be brooded closely by the hen until they grow their first down of grayish black, which is thick and keeps them warm. Domestic-raised Eclectus that have experienced being fed by their parents generally make good parents themselves. If the hen was hand-reared from Day 1, she may have to learn how to feed her own babies. Some hens never learn this very well. Stunted adult males used as breeding birds do not prove to be adequate parents in that they are not able to feed the hen as often as she requires food for the babies. That is one reason it is important that breeding birds be selected for good conformation as well as good health. It is also important that breeding birds be maintained in top physical condition and excellent health in order to produce and raise healthy chicks.
Once you have a pair of birds that like each other and are interested in breeding, they will do well in 6- or 8-foot-long suspended wire cages of 3 or 4 feet wide by 3 or 4 feet high. Placing two high perches, one on either end, and a low perch near the cage floor in the middle is desirable. Pine or fir make good perches, as do eucalyptus branches. Adding safe wood toys and fresh "chew" branches make for an enriched environment for the pair.
Eclectus will use nest boxes of many types. I use rectangular boxes and Z-boxes. Rectangular nest boxes can be hung at an angle, which provides some depth for the nest at the bottom end of the box. Pine or fir shavings make excellent nesting material. It helps to provide a length of 2 by 4 pine fixed firmly to one wall of the nest box so the hen has something to work on inside the box so her urge to make nest shavings can then be satisfied. When metal nest boxes are used, the floor should be lined with plywood.
Many Eclectus parrots are unconcerned about human presence when they are mating. However, they can be extremely distracted by other noisy or displaying species of most birds, such as Amazons or macaws. Eclectus pairs may forego the mating process, and the hen will lay infertile eggs when the pair is located in an aviary full of noisy conures or next to displaying thingyatoos. Sometimes copulation takes place inside the box, on the perch or on the floor of the cage. Eclectus produce better in the company of less noisy birds, such as African greys and other quieter species. The best situation is to have only Eclectus parrots in the same area.
Once the eggs have been laid, the hens generally keep the males out of the box. The hen may start sitting the day after the first egg is laid. Incubation is 28 days. Chicks hatch without significant down and must be brooded closely by the hen until they grow their first down of grayish black, which is thick and keeps them warm. Domestic-raised Eclectus that have experienced being fed by their parents generally make good parents themselves. If the hen was hand-reared from Day 1, she may have to learn how to feed her own babies. Some hens never learn this very well. Stunted adult males used as breeding birds do not prove to be adequate parents in that they are not able to feed the hen as often as she requires food for the babies. That is one reason it is important that breeding birds be selected for good conformation as well as good health. It is also important that breeding birds be maintained in top physical condition and excellent health in order to produce and raise healthy chicks.