Early April is the month I start preparing for the coming breeding season. The main reason for April in South-East Queensland, Australia, is that the hot, humid weather has gone for approximately seven months.
STEP 1. I begin by worming my birds, including all birds young and old. I use a broad spectrum wormer called Cydectin, placing 3 drops to the back of the bird’s neck.
STEP 2. Pairing of my birds: The birds must be 9 months old before considering them for pairing. l I am very keen to first pair up bonded pairs that I have observed already mating in the flights. I have found the bonded pairs that are mating in the flights give a better than average result as far as rearing their young and a higher fertility rate (less clear eggs). I am a firm believer in line breeding and inbreeding, therefore I am not concerned if the pairs are close in a family line. (Bonded pairs are paired up together, no waiting to introduce the cock bird).
STEP 3. I cut away all down and feathers around the vent area of both the cock and hen birds. By doing this, it allows a better connection during the mating as many of the budgies today are semi-buff birds. I check the pairs prior to placing them into the breeding cages for any feather cyst or tumours. I now place my selected hens into their breeding cages, leaving them on their own for four to five days. After checking my record books to see which cock bird I will pair up to the hen bird, I now introduce the cock bird. Often I have found mating has taken place within 20 minutes. The hen has had time to “work” her nest and settle in, as the saying goes.
STEP 4. For the breeding pairs, I then add inside the breeding cages, clean shell grit and cuttle bone, plus my own mineral blocks which consist of charcoal, rock salt, lime, crushed cuttle bone, and a small amount of cement. This is mixed with water into a paste and is placed into old ice block trays prior to the breeding season. I add about 25mm of coconut husk as a layer on the bottom of the nesting box. This stops the eggs from rolling around and also helps to keep the nest dry from the chick’s droppings. About every 10 to 12 days I attempt to replace the coconut husk with fresh material once the chicks are hatched. Incubation lasts eighteen days and is carried out by the hen only.
STEP 5. Feeding: I use four types of seeds: Canary, White Millet, Japanese Millet and Red Millet. Around 4pm every afternoon I give my birds a mixture of carrot and beetroot which I add a powdered meal. This meal powder consists of up to 10 various grains such as wheat, maize, barley, sunflower, linseed, etc. I further add a teaspoon of a vitamin powder plus a very small amount of salt and fine shell grit. All ingredients are placed into a blender for a few minutes, resulting in a fine blend of rich, soft food which my birds absolutely love.
Good luck with your breeding!