Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:33 am Post subject: im new here..New breeding pair...HELP NEED ADVICE
I have just gotten a male and female both green pied with some yellow she is more pied with more yellow on her than he is they are beautiful. and active. He acts like he is definitely interested in her by following her around and I have attached a nest box already to the cage. This is their first week in my home. He has went into the nest box to check it out but she has not (that I have seen during the day) I am home with all my birds all day so I observe behavior whenever I can).
She doesn't seem to interested in him and seems very timid and shy attitude (he is very outgoing) if he comes close she moves away most of the time. she does make small noises when perched and I talk to them.
I am hoping she will take to him because its a long trip to swap out for another one and if that one doesn't work so on and so forth. 2 hour drive to breeder.
One more thing is they are in the main room with all my other birds and television and the daily movements of everything going on.
Should they be separate to be in a quiet area and room alone to be in a better breeding situation???
what does everyone think????
If they have only been together for a week then you may have to wait for awhile before they decide to bond. (Up to 3 months to be sure)
They should be in a large cage if they are kept indoors as they are an active bird and need their space.
You will need to come to terms with their dietary requirements to ensure you give them the best chance of breeding if that's your intention, seed alone will not cut it I'm afraid.
If he is following her around then it shows that he's keen, she should follow suit in due course if they are compatible. The male will check out and choose the nesting box and introduce the hen to it once bonding is established so him entering it is quite normal although he shouldn't spend any time in there during the day, perhaps he might sleep in there at night. You should have 2 nest boxes, one for each of them during this early stage.
Once bonded she will nest in one of the boxes, he should sleep outside it. She will move to the second box to lay again once the first chicks are being fed by the male.
Again, the diet is the most important ingredient to a healthy successful pair, the forums and posts on this site are brilliant in guiding you through so take some time to have a decent read.
Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 4:33 pm Post subject: a little new changes i noticed in male and female
ok he has just today gotten in nesting box scratching around several times then peeks out at her. she is getting closer as well they eat together some now. he is not feeding her though. I will get second box on there as soon as possible. the one I have now is 12"x12". seems huge is that ok or can I go smaller on the size of the nesting box?
another question should the cage be covered at anytime like at night to sleep or not? ?? I was covering at night but decided to not cover and now I have a little more positive behavior. what do you think???
If the cage is exposed to the light at night then it won't hurt to cover it if you can especially if the birds are sleeping on a perch, if they're in the nest box then it shouldn't matter.
A box 10"x10" is fine so the larger one you have is fine. Use untreated sawdust for nesting material.
Just be prepared to be patient with your new pair and don't expect instant results, this may occur if you're lucky which will be a bonus.
Remember to get on top of the dietary requirements, once you have, then you will give yourself the best chance of success.
Ensure they have a large water bowl that's filled daily and keep a good supply of grit/calcium in the cage along with cuttlefish bone.
I have not been covering cage male and female both have shown interest in nest box. I do need to add another box ASAP. They get plenty if calcium get mixture of cooked beans meat seeds vegetables. They have toys they play with and real tree perches that they constantly jump/fly back and forth around on. Small dish mounted with water and also large glass pan of water he uses to bath drink out of I change frequently everyday female prefers to try and bath in small mounted dish don't know why. They love me to sing to them and talk softly they will then fall asleep for an afternoon nap. Are toys a distraction to breeding or something to make them a happy bird and use their energy?? Anymore info is helpful ....but they seem to be making good progress for just a week. Oh I set my air conditioner on 71 degrees F. Should I move them to a room I have a window air conditioner so they stay cooler I read they like about 61-65 degrees F???
Sounds like you have things under control. These birds are used to conditions from 0deg Celsius to 40deg Celsius so your temp is not going to be an issue. Don't know about the toys, I guess if they entertain them then that can't be a bad thing, not sure about distracting them from breeding. I guess natures instincts would overpower a play thing, but then again I'm not sure. I don't bother with anything like that personally, as you suggest it may be a distraction so I prefer to leave them to their own instincts and habits.
Thanks all the information has been helpful. Anything else anyone can inform me of please feel free. Love this forum has been the best about a bird that hardly anyone knows about especially where I live. Keep the suggestions and info coming if there is anything else.
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