Breeding pet birds for the pet industry takes time, patience and an extreme love of birds. Here's what you need to know about breeding birds for the pet industry.
How do I get started?
The first thing you need to do if you want to start breeding birds for the pet industry is develop a stock of healthy birds that are of breeding age. A bird may look healthy, but it's always good to go to a vet and get each of the bird's checked out. What you don't want is to spend a lot of time and money on your operation only to find out that the birds in your stock are full of diseases. A vet will check your bird's feces and get other cultures that will determine if the bird is healthy. Bringing an unhealthy bird into your stock will infect the other birds.
What supplies do I need?
You need to get several cages that are large enough to house one or two birds and a nest. You will need several cages because birds that are not mating or that are through mating may need to be kept in separate areas. Breeding birds for the pet industry will require you to get a lot of nesting boxes and nesting material. The female bird will build the nest herself, but she needs you to put a nesting box and the material in the cage.
How do I get the birds to breed?
Each bird has its own breeding ritual and when you get into breeding for the pet industry, you will start to recognize the attitudes your birds display when they are ready to breed.
However, here are a few general tips. Do not just throw your birds in a cage together and hope that they will breed. Breeding for the pet industry takes a lot of patience. The male and female bird should be placed in a cage that is separated by a partition. The partition should be wire so that the birds can get to know each other without being able to attack one another. When the birds appear to take to each other (some birds cuddle and others make loud ready-to-mate noises) you can remove the partition and put the birds together. Watch to see that they don't fight and be patient because it can take a little while before they get to it.
Some tips
Breeding birds for the pet industry is just like every other business. You need to be organized and follow rules and regulations in order to stay in the business. You'll also need to do some advertising and get your name out as a reputable breeder before you get a lot of business. Breeding birds for the pet industry can be fun, but it also takes a lot of work.
