CNN news report:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/11/uganda.parrots/
Diary of a parrot breeder.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Monday, 17 January 2011
Scrambled egg starts Timnehs breeding
I had a call from a pet owner who has a pair of pet Timneh Greys. They were bought as tame pets when young but all of a sudden they have mated and are sitting on eggs. Dave the owner of DJ and JD (Timneh Greys) told me that he didn't even know they were a pair until now. So his family were quite surprised to find them mating and then laying eggs.
He told me that he mostly feeds his parrots on a tropical seed mixture, but he said that the Greys love scrambled eggs. Now breeders often use eggfood to stimulate the breeding instinct in parrots as it is a source of protein, so my guess that it is this treat which has prompted his Greys to go to nest. I would not necessarily advise scrambled eggs, and would recommend that Dave substitutes this with a powder eggfood sprinkled onto a vegetable /fruit mixture perhaps with an addition of Palm Fruit extract. Palm Fruits are a naturally occuring food for Greys in the wild.
Greys are often found to have insufficient calcium in their diet, and especially a problem when they start to produce eggs. So I would recommend the addition of a calcium suppliment, either as a liquid supplement added to their water like Calcivet (Birdcare) or perhaps a powder suppliment to sprinkle over some softfood like Nutrobal (Vetark). Also give them cuttlefish bone .
Hopefully Dave will send me a photo of DJ & JD which I will post on the blog.
He told me that he mostly feeds his parrots on a tropical seed mixture, but he said that the Greys love scrambled eggs. Now breeders often use eggfood to stimulate the breeding instinct in parrots as it is a source of protein, so my guess that it is this treat which has prompted his Greys to go to nest. I would not necessarily advise scrambled eggs, and would recommend that Dave substitutes this with a powder eggfood sprinkled onto a vegetable /fruit mixture perhaps with an addition of Palm Fruit extract. Palm Fruits are a naturally occuring food for Greys in the wild.
Greys are often found to have insufficient calcium in their diet, and especially a problem when they start to produce eggs. So I would recommend the addition of a calcium suppliment, either as a liquid supplement added to their water like Calcivet (Birdcare) or perhaps a powder suppliment to sprinkle over some softfood like Nutrobal (Vetark). Also give them cuttlefish bone .
Hopefully Dave will send me a photo of DJ & JD which I will post on the blog.
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Ruppells working nest box
Having moved the Red Bellied parrots & Ruppells pairs into their new house merely 2 weeks ago, I am delighted with progress as not only is the older pair starting to spend time in their nest box but so is the younger pair. This is a real surprise with the younger pair are only around 18 months old. Perhaps being stimulated with the older pair next to them. However still nothing positive from the Red Bellied pairs.
The Ruppells are so much like the Meyers parrots I used to keep, in behaviour they are very active and looking into everything very excitable small parrots. The Red Bellied parrots are more like Senegals, more reserved shy nervous parrots more easily spooked. Larger than the Ruppells and very similar to the physical characteristics of the Senegals.
The Ruppells are so much like the Meyers parrots I used to keep, in behaviour they are very active and looking into everything very excitable small parrots. The Red Bellied parrots are more like Senegals, more reserved shy nervous parrots more easily spooked. Larger than the Ruppells and very similar to the physical characteristics of the Senegals.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
First chick of 2011 & diet changes
George & Simone (Yellow Thighed Caique pair) laid 3 eggs in December in all that cold weather. It was lovely to see a tiny chick in the nest box tonight. hopefully we may get 2 chicks which is usual case for this pair.
I am not a great one for making changes in the food diet with my parrots, and if I do then I try to do it one thing at a time. But after abit of a scare with one of the new Eclectus parrots I bought last year with a very low vitamin A count. I started to add Palm Fruit Extract to my birds since November. Supposedly this is very high in beta-carotene in a concentrated form (found in carrots and green veg). So it is high in Vitamin E and A which should assist in the improvement of feathers and bones and is said to improve reproduction.
For convenience I feed all the Caiques, Ruppells/Red Bellies and Eclectus the same diet, so hopefully we may see an improvement all round compared to last year.
I am not a great one for making changes in the food diet with my parrots, and if I do then I try to do it one thing at a time. But after abit of a scare with one of the new Eclectus parrots I bought last year with a very low vitamin A count. I started to add Palm Fruit Extract to my birds since November. Supposedly this is very high in beta-carotene in a concentrated form (found in carrots and green veg). So it is high in Vitamin E and A which should assist in the improvement of feathers and bones and is said to improve reproduction.
For convenience I feed all the Caiques, Ruppells/Red Bellies and Eclectus the same diet, so hopefully we may see an improvement all round compared to last year.
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Unusual colour changes in Eclectus
Today our newish pair of Solomon island Eclectus ( Moppet & Poppet) were actually together for the first time, the hen was on the perch trying hard to get the cock to feed her which is a great sign. I had bought this pair from my good friend Sab last year in June.The hen was proven but he had lost the original cock and recently introduced a new companion.
The hen has some green feathering on one side of her wings, this appears to be more common than you might think. Later during the year I was sent this photo of a more extensive green feathered hen by a lady who was interested to know more as her breeding pair where regularly producing these babies below. To me it is very like pied colouration I have seen in other parrots.
According to "A Guide to Eclectus Parrots" by Dr Rob Marshall and Ian Ward, the reason for this more permanent colouration is not known. I have seen some red feathering on young cocks which appear to moult out with age. There are also some adult Eclectus parrots which are known as "halfsiders" where one side of them is entirely green and the other red ?Again the exact nature of these Eclectus have not been identified, but they are said not to breed successfully.
The hen has some green feathering on one side of her wings, this appears to be more common than you might think. Later during the year I was sent this photo of a more extensive green feathered hen by a lady who was interested to know more as her breeding pair where regularly producing these babies below. To me it is very like pied colouration I have seen in other parrots.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Waited for 2 years for these parrots
Hopefully in the next few weeks I can plan a trip to see an old friend who breeds parrots in Germany.
He has very similar interests to me, and does breed some exclusive parrots which I have waited for some time to be able to bring back to my collection. To say that I am somewhat excited would be an understatement and I know all too easily these arrangements can still fall through. So for now I will keep the identity of these particular parrots confidential. In England there is an old bird keepers adage "don't count your chickens before they hatch".
Having moved the Ruppells they are beginning to look like they are settling down again. When I took them out the old aviary, the breeding pair was firmly fixed in the nest box and I was very reluctant to move them. However I decided in the longer term they would be more likely to breed in a different location and be less easily disturbed. So it was abit of relief to see the male Ruppells looking back into the nest box again tonight.
He has very similar interests to me, and does breed some exclusive parrots which I have waited for some time to be able to bring back to my collection. To say that I am somewhat excited would be an understatement and I know all too easily these arrangements can still fall through. So for now I will keep the identity of these particular parrots confidential. In England there is an old bird keepers adage "don't count your chickens before they hatch".
Having moved the Ruppells they are beginning to look like they are settling down again. When I took them out the old aviary, the breeding pair was firmly fixed in the nest box and I was very reluctant to move them. However I decided in the longer term they would be more likely to breed in a different location and be less easily disturbed. So it was abit of relief to see the male Ruppells looking back into the nest box again tonight.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Amazon parrot get's arrested !
I love this story which I have seen reported in a couple of magazines (this was an extract from PsittaScene mag): Columbian police have arrested an Amazon parrot whose job it was to warn a local drug gang in case of police raids. The parrot was arrested when the police saw the apprehension of the local drug dealers go up in smoke because the bird unexpectedly started screaming "run! run!" ruining the law's surprise element.
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