king parrots

[clear]

i have just aquired 2 king parrots unfortunely both of them are male they are said to be young belive to be 7 months they were going to be let go but i was given the 2 of them there were 4 but i could only take 2 but as you can see both male anyone close to me want to swap male for female never tried to bree king parrots but ill try anything once or twice

[TD]

Clear, they are beautiful birds, not sure why anyone would be giving them away, you were definitely in the right place at the right time!

[Fah]

Hello there,

King Parrots are one of the more "needy" types of birds... for example to breed them you are going to be looking at a nesting box 1.5 (5ft) or 2m (6ft 8in) deep is ideal, however 1-1.2m can sometimes do the job and 25 to 30 cm (10-12in) in diameter in the nesting area, you can use a log, however the reality of getting a log just right is few and far between.

I have not known a King Parrot to nest in a convention (more ringnneck sized) box, they are a particularly fussy bird.

They also need a rather large aviary, bigger than an IRN. The bare minimum you can get away with a good breeding environment will be 3m long, its highly advised you breed them in a 4.5m to 6m aviary however to get reliable happy results. 1.2m wide and 2m high is also advisable to not go smaller than that.

Dont be turned off however, as once you meet their needs they are great and relatively easy (very reliable parents etc) breeders.

This is why alot of breeders steer clear of Kings, they are particularly fussy birds in the breeding needs, but as I said, once met, you are in for years of fun and many happy little bubs to hand rear.

A few helpful links.

http://www.parrot-haven-aviary.com.au/king.htm

http://www.birdcare.com.au/king_parrot.htm

http://www.kingparrots.com/index.html

[clear]

thank you so much for your help i think i have the rite cage 4 mtres long 2 metres high 2 metres wide all i got to do now is get 2 females and cross fingers
oh i can leave the 2 pair in the same cage ?

[TD]

Fah would probably give you a better answer, but I'm pretty sure you'd get the best results with 1 pair per aviary. That aviary sounds like it's quite a good size, so it could be ok for 1 pair. King Parrots are one bird that I have admired for years, best of luck!!

[clear]

thanks TD i guessed that it might be that i can have only one pair per aviary but i was wishfull thinking well i will have to go back to my first thought trade 1 male for 1 female i dont have 2 cages that size well i do but there are aussie ringnecks in that one i wonder if they go together no i dont think so dreaming again thanks again

[Fah]

Heya Clear, I would honestly trade one cock bird for a hen, or purchace a hen, and figure out which male it takes to the most, then sell the other male.

King Parrots are famous for their more difficult requirements, not so much their difficulting in breeding, and they do require a large space... your aviary sounds fine, but I would not put two pairs of 'space needy' parrots in the same location.

I think being that this is a very fun, and a little challenging step (very rewarding however) and that this is your first time breeding with them I would focus on getting just one pair perfectly settled in. With more personal experience with these birds in a breeding regard, you can assess and change things around with a wealth of experience behind you.

So going back to what I was saying at the start, I would either pick your favourite male of the two (less scared the better, look for basic attributes like sheen, size and general health etc) and trade the other for a nice hen, or if you have money to do so and some time up your sleeve, buy a good hen, put it into the aviary (with no boxes) and see which one takes to her the best... the secondary male, once you have determined who goes best with whome, should be taken out and sold.

Ah, also on a side note, your males are older than 7 months I would say.

Male King Parrots start to get the red beak (mandible) at approx 6 months of age, and they do not get their adult plumage (that wonderful red you can see) till they are appproximately 14-16 months old. They will continue to colour up for another year after this change starts to take place.

I think you could safely asume your birds are anything from 1.5 years to 2 years and older.

Hens can be capable of breeding from 12 months, and are quite eager compared to males that often are infertile till sexual maturity at about 2.5-3 years of age.

Hope the info helps some.

[clear]

Fah thanks for the advice, and i did think that he was wrong about the age they were tocoloured up to be young birds, it it so good to get a second opinoion and i will take your advice, and try and find a good female, put them together and wait till i see which one fall in love with which one ,,then i will pair them of i think i will move the aussie ringnecks to another cage and put the other king in that one, that is if the ringnecks dont get it on before i find a female for kings

[craftsmaster]

If your ultimate goal is to breed the birds, you may eventually want to establish outdoor aviaries. Here you can care for the parrots in as natural an environment as possible, providing them with the opportunity to fly as much as they can.