Bird Breeding
What do birds do when they breed? What time of year do they do it? What are the different ways male and female birds attract each other?
What factors do you need to consider when you breed birds?
You'll want to research your species of birds carefully before you begin the breeding process to determine the proper temperature you'll need to maintain. Some birds require as much as 100-or-more-degree heat in order for their reproductive organs to begin working properly.
When breeding birds, feed them more. Give them food with more nutritional value so they can properly support their breeding effort. It takes more nutrients for them to maintain healthy and large reproductive organs, eggs, and semen. Also, crush Vitamin E tablets to assist the process. Find the diet that's right for your particular type of bird. In nature, birds eat bugs and worms during the spring. Make sure they are eating plenty of vegetables and fruits as well. If you buy bird food from a box, check the label to make sure the birds are getting the proper nutrition.
How do birds mate?
Birds breed in the spring. Male birds generally become aggressive, while females begin to build nests. Provide the necessary nesting material for your female bird. They breed at young ages and often produce many chicks each year. The females choose their partners, so it is during the spring months that male birds are at their most colorful and most intelligent.
When birds have picked their partners, the process they undertake often leads you to wonder whether copulation even happened at all. The male bird climbs onto the back of the female and she moves her tail to the side. The female's genital opening is on the other side, and the male leans onto those openings. The male and female's genitals only are pressed together for a moment or two, then the male dismounts and the process is complete.
How do you know if your bird is bearing eggs?
One major way to tell whether your female bird is bearing eggs is to notice its flight habits. The weight of the egg is often too heavy a load for the bird to handle and it won't fly much, if at all. In order for embryos to properly develop, provide your bird with water to drink.
How can you keep your bird eggs safe?
Bird eggs are incredibly fragile. They have to be in order for the birds to peck their way out when the time comes. Female birds want their eggs to be warm and secure. You can help this process in your home with an incubating light. Find out which temperature is right for your breed. You'll want to allow the mother to be near her eggs, so she can care for them. Keep potential predators away. Mother birds are always cautious about her eggs.