Breeding Birds For Profit

If you are looking at breeding birds for profit from your aviary, here is some more information on this topic. In previous articles, I talked about breeding specifically with cockatiels. This article is more generalized to different aviary stocks you may have.

Raising pet birds is an excellent income source and can be done as either a full-time or part-time venture, depending on the space you have. Most pet birds, besides parrots, have a relatively short lifespan. Bird enthusiasts will become repeat customers, as they return to you to purchase the same breed, repeatedly, if your stock is good.

Tips For Breeding Birds

Some birds are easier to breed than others are, partly because they can be sexed by just looking at them. Others are more difficult and you would need a vet to do this for you. More information on sexing birds can be found here.

It is important to ensure that your birds are paired up properly, and sometimes this can be difficult, especially when it comes to obtaining hens like in canaries and the larger parrot species.

Do not try to breed birds after moving them, as they need time to settle and most will show no interest in breeding in strange surroundings. However, Budgerigars, cockatiels, and zebra finches often start nesting and breeding quite soon after a move, especially if it is in the early spring.

As a breeder, you will need to discover as much as possible about the breeding habits of birds that you are keeping to ensure that you offer them suitable nesting facilities.

While parrots prefer nesting boxes, softbills vary in their nesting requirements and some even prefer to construct their own nests.

Luckily today successful breeding of many species has become easier thanks to the advances in incubator technology and the development of commercial hand-rearing diets.

Parrots in particular are now being raised on a wider scale than ever before.

However, there are always pitfalls along the way and patience is necessary. It can take at least one year after a move and perhaps four or five in the case of the larger breeds of parrots for them to settle down and breed.

At the outset, offer breeding birds a range of nesting options. Many parrots will refuse to breed in the open part of the flight, preferring the seclusion offered by the shelter.

Finches and softbills will show individual preferences when it comes to nesting. It may be possible to persuade them to use a nest box or a platform as a support for their nests, but often they prefer to construct their own nest in a bush.

This can be risky because the structure might collapse, with eggs or even chicks being lost as a consequence.

Should you want to breed with different color varieties, you will need to house your birds in individual pairs to ensure the parentage of the chicks. Breeding cages can be used for most of the smaller species, but you will need a block of aviaries for larger birds, including parrots and parakeets, especially if you are breeding birds for profits.

Preparing well in advance for the breeding season will give you the greatest likelihood of success. In the case of breeding cages and nest boxes that have been used before, make sure to wash these out the avian safe products to kill any parasites, especially red mites.

Rinse out the cages and boxes and allow them to dry completely before reassembling. Inspect nest boxes provided for parrots for any signs of damage, carrying out any repairs as necessary. Check that the ladder in the interior has not become weakened by the birds gnawing at the sides of the box.

Should the ladder fall down at a later stage, making it hard to reach the bottom of the nesting cavity it could result in the loss of eggs or chicks? It can be helpful if the nesting box is put together with screws because you will then be able to replace one of the sides if this has been damaged by the bird’s bills. If a hole develops here prior to egg-laying, the extra light entering through the gap may be sufficient to stop the hen from using the box after laying the eggs and the eggs and or chicks could be lost. Also if you try to do repairs on the box once the birds have occupied it, the birds may well abandon their nest.

Diet For Breeding Birds For Profit

When breeding birds for profit, attention will need to be paid to the bird’s diet prior to the breeding season. A good diet can encourage breeding activity and will help to ensure that the chicks reach their growth requirements and increase their chances of survival.

Soaked seed is valuable for seed eaters including parrots and will raise the protein level of their diet in case they are not being fed a complete diet.

Softening the seed improves its digestibility for young birds, and if the adults are used to seed in this form, they will continue to eat it and in turn, will feed it to their chicks.

The same applies in the case of soft foods such as egg food which is widely used by canary breeders.

Calcium is of great importance to breeding birds since it is the key component of eggshells.

Because seed alone is deficient in calcium, seed-eating birds should have access to cuttlefish bone or a calcium block throughout the year.

The drain on the hen’s body may be too severe if calcium is only available during the breeding period. Most softbills will get adequate calcium through their soft food, but highly insectivorous ones are also at risk of suffering a deficiency because of the unbalanced calcium to phosphorus ratio in their foods. A soluble calcium supplement is recommended as is using a nutritional balancer with the live food. This is important when there are chicks in the nest, otherwise, the chicks could suffer from skeletal weakness in the form of rickets.

What Are The Best Birds To Breed For Profit

Everyone thinks that the larger parrots are, but remember they are harder to breed and there are fewer chicks in a clutch. Hand-raised parrots also get a better price, but this is very time-consuming. For quicker profits and turn around and less work you may want to consider breeding the following:

• Budgerigars
• Cockatiels
• Love Birds
• Zebra Finches

Conclusion

Generally, bird breeding requires minimal setup and the cost of food is quite low. These factors make it easier for the average person to get started on a bird breeding program and successfully break into the market. Try to provide the largest space you can afford for the number of birds you plan on breeding because happy and well-treated birds will grow up to be good-tempered and attractive as pets.

Make sure when you are selecting your birds for breeding that they are disease-free and don’t have any congenital disabilities. If you are not sure, let your local veterinarian check them out.

Most smaller breeds are in their prime for breeding between one and five years of age.  Also, most birds will not start incubating their eggs until the second one is laid.

There are many ways to sell your birds. The wholesale market is made up of pet stores and brokers, whereas the direct to the consumer market is usually facilitated at bird shows or online.

Breeding birds for profit can be done anywhere, in almost any setting, making this a great opportunity for almost anyone who is passionate about birds.