Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov!hubler
From: hubler@galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov (Dale Hubler)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Breeding Parakeets(?) (Was: 'keet and 'tiel romance...)
Keywords: parakeets, breeding, help!
Message-ID: <1991May21.164351.5954@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
Date: 21 May 91 16:43:51 GMT
References: <77145@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Sender: news@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Lines: 53

In article <77145@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> fleming@acsu.buffalo.edu (christine m fleming) writes:
>Recap: I have a pair of parakeets (one male, one female) and a maybe
>male, maybe female cockatiel. The male parakeet (Calysta) has been
>courting(?) the cockatiel (Rutger), and ignoring the female parakeet
>(Maranga). The cockatiel was weirded out, Maranga was getting sadder
>and sadder, and Calysta was... just Calysta. 
>
>Has anyone had experience with a lone or unhappily paired female during
>breeding season? Maranga has traditional sickness indicators: she is
>puffed up a lot more than normal, she sleeps a little more, and she
>sings less. BUT, she is more than happy to sit on people or fly around
>(in fact, she seems to enjoy this more than ever, and flys hither and
>tither and all around), and she is eating and drinking normally. Her
>droppings are also normal. Is she just... "broody"??
>
>If so, i have been thinking that i will set her up with a nest box.
>Does anyone have suggestions on how to go about this? They have a tall
>(rather traditional) parakeet cage. It is pretty large (enough to
>house one or two more birds comfortably...) and it has a door on the
>ceiling and one on the lower left side of the cage. Where do i put the
>box? (Their food is normally on the floor in two shallow bowls, and
>their water is in the hook-on cups that usually come with a parakeet
>cage... They have three perches in it now, but, used to have a tiered
>set up with ladders and partitions. I'm not sure if all of this
>matters much...) The problem is that we will be moving into a new house
>as of June 1st, and i don't want to disturb her further. Should i put
>the box in to let her get used to it? Should i take out and/or
>re-arrange the perches? How? 

I've never bred keets, but birds in general would prefer the highest
(safest) perch possible.  I would put the box up high.  Moving into
a new house will cause the birds a little stress but it may also
stimulate breeding.  Set up the box soon after moving in and remove
the tiel to another room.  It may not matter, but it can't hurt either.

>
>I have also been considering getting another pair of parakeets. If i
>do, will the older pair be more likely to breed, or should i wait? It
If you want to get into breeding then by all means get another pair.
You will double your chances of success.  The more the pairs, the  
better your chances.  But be careful, this breeding stuff is highly
addictive! :^)


You're welcome.  Thanks for the chance to test my new rn install.

Dale Hubler


--
Dale A. Hubler  --  Sverdrup Technology  --  (216) 977-7014     
                                             hubler@galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov
I am logged in, therefore I am.