|
By Mick Freakley (Freakley & Ainley) Here we go again, another budgerigar breeding season, (yes we do breed during the winter months, this is so young birds will be old enough for the show bench at the early shows, starting at the end of June/early July) with it will come all the joys and despair I'm sure we have all experienced over the years. Is it me or are there more downs than ups at this time of year? Having deliberated over our pairings throughout the year, we approach the new season with anticipation and enthusiasm; birds are selected and given a nice clean breeding cage and nest box, our hopes are high. What can go wrong? Well, how about clear eggs, prolapsed hens, addled eggs, dead in shell, French moult, feather dusters, feather plucking, hens not feeding, parents attacking their chicks, hens dieing on a full clutch of eggs, chicks dieing for no apparent reason, I could go on and on. So why do we put ourselves through this trauma year in year out? I often ask myself that very same question. It seems it is all part of a normal breeding season. I would like to think that we all provide a feeding system that is designed to keep our stud in the peak of condition, pairs will only selected when we consider them to be in breeding mode, maybe not always easy to recognise I will concede. So why do we experience all the said problems? I feel sure that in all forms of livestock breeding problems will occur, and I suppose the more you breed the more problems you are likely to have, we have no control over nature, but we do have control over the environment within our bird rooms, these should be heated, not to the temperatures you would have in your home, but to make it a little more comfortable for the birds during the coldest months. I have found around 50 degrees to be about right, and it is comfortable enough to be in there yourself, it is no good just spending 5 minute in your bird room because it is too cold for you, this is the time of year you should be spending more time with the birds, let me explain. By spending more time with the birds, it is possible to alleviate some of the problems mentioned above, just by being there, inspecting the nest boxes on a more regular basis it is possible to spot some of the problems and deal with them instantly, chicks not fed can be moved to another nest, the same with eggs if the hen for some reason has left her clutch, chicks that emerge from the nest box too early can be put back, so as you can see it is an advantage to spend time in your bird room at this time. Don't get me wrong it's not all dome and gloom, and the feeling of elation when you do breed that special bird is a joy to behold, this is why I expect we are able to continue to take all the downs, a bit like a golfer who is having a poor round only to hit the one good shot within 6 inches of the pin, this is the shot that brings him back next week. I know it can be soul destroying at times, maybe that is why so many people drop out each year, but if you go into any hobby and take it seriously, set backs will occur, could it be the strongest survive and become top Champions? One thing I fail to understand is why all Budgerigar Society members are not enrolling into the diagnostic service, I can't begin to tell you the number of calls I receive with members enquiring about birds they have that have gone sick, or died seeking answers. I try give advise on some of the more common symptoms that we as breeders come across from time to time but this is just an educated guess. When I ask the caller have you registered for the diagnostic service the reply is nearly always no. It is a minimal cost of £5.00.I just can't understand why members don't take up this offer, ok it may take a week to get the results of an autopsy from Dr Baker, but at least you will have a qualified decision as to why your bird died, and if there is anything sinister happening you will be given advise on what to treat the rest of the stud with. I urge all members for the sake of a fiver to join the scheme. Now back to the breeding season, I have recently heard of a couple of tips that may be worth considering, the first applies to chicks that for no apparent reason suddenly turn white, invariably these always die, I am told a drop of olive oil in the mouth will sort this problem and the chick will quickly recover and revert back to it's more healthier red/pink colour. The second tip I was given is to put a small amount of Ivermec on the chicks, this will stop feather problems occurring at a later date, I have to stress I have not tried this yet but intend to give it a go. I have been thinking about soft food of late and considering if it is of benefit, it seem to me that most of the soft food I give is wasted, scattered all over the place and left to go rancid, unless removed regularly, during the back end of each breeding season we always have the odd pairs finishing off, these invariably get no soft food and the chicks seem to be just as well fed, if not better. My soft food at present consists of only fresh products, i.e. eggs, carrot, broccoli cabbage etc. This is provided daily, I will add Japanese millet, or some seeds from a French millet spray as a treat. I would be pleased to here readers thoughts on soft food any comments would be most welcome. When the chicks are in the nest boxes, this is a time to handle them on a regular basis, not every five minutes, we don't wont to upset the parent birds too much, but two or three times a day is ideal, this will steady them and get them use to human contact. It will stand them in good stead in later years and especially on the show bench. During this handling process, check the feet and especially the claws and make sure they are not soiled, also remove any dried material from around the leg ring. I like to place a small piece of millet spray in the nest box as the chicks get older, this will help the hen during feeding and also encourage the chicks to begin feeding themselves, it is important to try and get them weaned as early as possible. One problem that can arise is when the hen wants to lay her next clutch, but still has chicks in the nest box, she may begin to bully them and try to forcibly remove them from the box. If this happens, just remove them to the cage and let the cock bird tend to them, in most cases he will be quite happy doing his bit. Make sure the cock bird accepts his offspring in the confines of the cage, on occasions the parent bird will attack the chicks, or may try to mate with them. If this does become a problem, place a small platform in the cage; this will become a safe haven for the chicks. Once the youngsters have weaned and you are sure they are feeding themselves, place them in a clean stock cage or small flight; do not be tempted to put them straight into your main flight with the spare adults. There is always a pecking order and the youngsters will get bullied, this can result in them not being able to feed properly and can result in death. Keep an eye on them at this time, if you recognise one is fluffed up or sitting in a corner on it's own, have a look and try to determine if it is feeding, it may be a good idea to re house this bird on its own for a time, until it is feeding again and looking healthy. Just keeping them quite has saved many a bird. I find it a most exiting time in the bird room when I have a number of babies around, seeing them develop and watching them mature, looking for that special bird that may do the business for you on the show bench. Having one or two chicks that might make the show team is what we are looking for at this time. I suppose it is only natural that you tend to spend more time handling the better birds, but be aware that you may get birds you discounted early on coming through and surprising you. We never sell or dispose of birds in the bar head stage, let them complete their first moult and then assess them. Cull them hard; this is the only way to improve you stud. Don't keep birds that are not to your standard just to make up numbers. Better to breed with less pairs than to breed with birds of lesser quality. Although the breeding season brings with it a lot of disappointments and heartache, it also brings pleasure, seeing the new years babies progress, having the banter with your mates about who has bread the best one this year. Competing against your fellow breeders and seeing the bird you bred winning a major award. That's what keeps the serious budgerigar breeder going. If you are thinking of taking up bird keeping, give the budgerigars a go. You wont regret it. Copyright © Mick Freakley http://www.fa1-stud.co.uk/. All Rights Reserved This article may not be reproduced in any way, shape or form without the express permission of Mick Freakley. |
All images Copyright © 2008. All Rights Reserved
Images may not be reproduced in any way, shape or form without the express permission of their respective owners.
Contact | | Terms of Service | | Privacy Policy