Excellent Breeding Season Start

After several months of modifying and freshening up the aviary the birds are settling down well. I started breeding in the middle of the modifications and the birds put up with the noise of the compressor and various power tools. All the modifications came as a result of my recent trip to the UK and Europe. The management changes are proving very positive and the birds are showing improved vigour as a result.

The fertility this season is unbelievably good, it takes me back to the good old days, thirty or so years ago when most of the eggs were full and one expected birds to breed. Not like recent times where the birds are harder to breed with and nest failures were the norm.

The breeders I visited, generally expected 80% of their birds to breed ok-ishly. In contrast I have had some horrendous breeding seasons where 80% of parings failed. My observations indicated that the management and nutrition of the birds in OZ is most probably the cause of many breeding failures. I would go as far as to say, it is even responsible for the death of many superior birds.  Without these superior birds and breeding failure, we have lost many chances to keep pace with the European birds. There is no doubt we have not kept pace with the progression of birds overseas, and anybody who thinks we are is kidding themselves or should go to spec savers.

Our birds have way less feather and are smaller than the UK and European Budgies, therefore our birds should breed like flys. I foolishly blamed the Mannes Feather on my birds for their breeding inadequacies.  My renovations have taken the stress out of the bird’s lives; therefore they are in a much better state of wellbeing. My feeding was better than average but probably a little inconsistent. Busy life styles and business will do that. I have upped the anti on the general feeding of the birds, with a much more extensive and varied diet that can be simply delivered to the birds with regularity. Essentially modifying the UK/European observations to suit my situation.

The number of eggs laid has increased also by about 20 to 25% with 8 eggs being the median now. In hindsight I believe I started breeding about three to four weeks to early with the birds struggling with extreme cold weather and keeping newly hatched chicks going forward.  I certainly look forward to what is produced this season.