Why? I wish to preserve the natural colorations. I have spent years perfecting my breeding stock and breeding OUT mutation colors to bring my flock back to pure natural colors. With that said, I think it's obvious I’m not a fan of mutations and do not breed them deliberately. Whenever you remove a bird’s ability to express its NORMAL color, you are also removing some immunities and nutrition absorption properties. In addition, these mutations are genetically weak. These genes are exceptionally weak STILL and can produce some very weak chicks. White breast to white breast, blue to blue, etc. Some chicks may not even hatch and may die in the shell.īe sure not to pair birds with a potentially "lethal" gene. Breeding siblings can lead to smaller, less robust birds and other health issues in the chicks associated with potentially weak genes. Feed them cheap seed and less than stellar supplements and you’ll get weak birds with less than stellar health.įirst, it is not a good idea to breed siblings unless you have prior breeding experience and are pairing for specific mutations (line breeding - even then, breeding sibilings is never recommended). If you wait until they are mature, you should avoid many of these issues!īut as always, condition is the lock, nutrition is key.They must be fed well to produce well and raise their young well! Skimping on nutrition will give you exactly what you pay for.
If the hen is too young, she could experience egg binding - a potentially deadly problem, or she might toss eggs and/or chicks.Ī young cock bird, in his eagerness to impress the hen, may try to continue building the nest right over the top of the eggs! AND a young pair may feel there is an invader in the nest and toss or peck at chicks as they hatch. Breeding issues all seem to revolve around maturity, or lack thereof, in the breeding pair. Below are a few more things to consider before breeding your birds.ĪS WITH PREPARING THEM TO BREED, SELECTING THE RIGHT PAIR IS CRUCIAL:Īs discussed in the Breeding Gouldians article, maturity is the first thing to consider! Yes, I'm repeating myself, but.before you get too carried away, you also want to be sure you have a very healthy pair of birds in top condition that get along well with one another.įor the best chance of success, they should be AT LEAST a year old, but preferably two years old. Kristen Reeves, Meadowlark Farms Avian Supply, Inc.Ĭhoosing the right pair of birds can make or break the success of your breeding season.
0 kommentar(er)
