Is this a fact or not?

[laine]

Someone who professes to be a bird expert told me that because Smokey is a pet and very tame, he cannot breed. Not that I am looking to have little babies straight away, we have thought about getting Smokey a girlfriend and just seeing if it happens. Have I been misinformed? If I want my own little babies, should I buy a breeding pair? I didn't get Smokey to breed but to be my little friend and baby. I wouldn't care if he had little ones of his own or not. Just out of curiosity though, do pet birds breed or not?

[Donna]

Your bird expert was right in a way, there are exceptions to every rule though. It really pertains to your large birds Macaws, Cockatoo, Grey ect..
There have been members on this board that have turned a pet into a breeder and a breeder into a pet but in the breeding world breeders would rather have untame birds as to trying to turn a pet into a breeder. I for one would say keep your pet a pet and if you want to try your hand at breeding get a breeding pair. JMO.


Donna

[mattyboardman]

im with donna on this one if you want to breed i would get a breeding pair my pair wont let me go any where near them if i did id lose alot of blood like last time i went near them....

if u love smokey the way he is id get another 2 birds imo

[laine]

Thanks for clearing that up. My boyfriend and I had talked about getting a girlfriend for Smokey and hopefully have babies Now, after reading these posts I think I will reconsider. I love my baby and want him to remain my pet bird. Much appreciated. Thanks again

[kyria]

laine look at my Kai. He was a pet, but when he saw mickey , wack, right between the eyes. She was the only thing on his mind from then on. I think you have more of a chance with a tame boy than a tame female as I understand it.

Kai is not as tame as he use to be, but he is still friendly and comes out for play time, we can step him up, but he is alot more nervous and protective of his area and his female. He isn't the same tame boy pre breeding.

I think the others are right .. if you want to be successful and are relying on breeding then a pair is the way to go, but if you want to introduce a female and just see what happens, I think there is every chance he would make a breeder.

Kai was even clipped and not quite 2 and became a successful dad, so he defied alot of odds. Most told me being clipped and still too young, he would not be able to mate properly with the female. Well Kai has proven to be the Fid of Fids, what a studbird !

[Melika]

Ringnecks in general don't seem to be as attached to us humans as we are to them. I have also observed this in similar and smaller sized birds. They easily switch their attention to another bird, replacing their human. But it doesn't go so easily the other way. Every ringneck I know that became a breeder no longer cared for humans. For that matter, ringnecks housed with one another I have never seen as great pets like my little Hane. They're just more interested in one another, it seems.

But, this is in general. As I have had a budgie that never liked the aviary and was only happy when he was with me. I miss that little guy, cancer got him. But that's another topic.

Basically, if you want a breeder, parent raised is the way to go and you can find a mate later or buy a pair straight up. If you want a pet, handraised and single is what you want.

If you want to breed as your profession though, consider investing in proven pairs. Beware of breeders "selling out/retiring" as their best pairs are usually already gone before the sale is made public. Some birds just never figure it out without an example or just plain experience. And parent raised is best as many hand-raised I've seen don't understand thay are supposed to do something when the babies hatch, not just abandon them. For that matter, I've seen breeder pairs who never raised young to weaning abandon their chicks after two weeks since that's when they normally stop feeding. One breeder I knew let each pair raise one clutch to weaning every two years and sold those chicks as breeders. Those parents were the best and most consistant I've seen.

Sorry if this is more info than what you were looking for. I've been gone a while and don't know everyone's circumstances and backgrounds anymore... For that matter, I don't know when I'll be back. Just popping in...