Leg Bands / Leg Rings

I have decided to leg band my birds. It is getting to the stage were I need to easily determine parents from young birds and in the case of my Green Cheeked Conures be able determine the sex of the birds which I will be able to do after they sit again.

Two of my birds already have rings, my female Indian Ringneck has a numbered metal ring and my newest male Scarlet Chested Parrot has a blue plastic band. I have not been able to locate a supplier of metal rings that doesn't require a minimum order of a size and I need three different sizes. I would probably spend $100 on rings and have a lot of left overs. So plastic bands it is for now.

I will probably do all my birds in stages to avoid upsetting them two much.

I have managed to band all my birds, however three of the bird were able to remove the bands soon after I put them on. The Green Cheeked Conure's being the worst as they both removed there bands quickly and they were one of the main species that I wanted to band to allow me to easily determine parent from offspring.

Most of the birds chewed at the bands until they got used to them.

Nesting Box - Scarlet Chested Parrot

Based on some advice from a breeder that I purchased my last Scarlet Chested Parrot from I'm going to make some changes to breeding or nesting box.

1. Size - I'm going to use a larger box. I have noticed that both the Scarlet Chested and Bourke parrots prefer the larger parrot box that I have been putting in with the smaller budgie sized boxes, often getting two females nesting in the same box. I have purchased two boxes between the budgie and the bigger sized box.

I have been advised that the male and female Scarlet Chested Parrot can quarrel inside the box causing concussion of the female if the box if it is two small. I have witnessed spots of blood on the inside of boxes in the past and could also explain the poor feather condition of male females during breeding season.

2. Material - To date I have been using non toxic saw dust. I have decided on advice to go for parrot nesting material that is a blackish colour and largely made of peat, I believe.

I this case I have been advised that saw dust can cause a lung condition in smaller parrots and finches. I have yet to find any contributing evidence though.

The range of materials able to be used can vary greatly from saw dust, straw, wood chips, twigs, dried grass, shredded new paper to hessian.

New Scarlet Chested Parrot

I picked up my new male Scarlet Chested Parrot on Sunday. He is young a yet to get his full adult plumage.

Most of my knowledge on birds either comes from reading (books, magazines, web) or from other breeders (when buying or selling birds usually). Generally I find there are two types of people here - ones you have to probe for information by asking questions or those who openly share as much as they can. However I discovered a third type on Sunday one who really challenged my methods in keeping and breeding birds. He questioned a lot of things such as breeding box size and nesting material type for Scarlet Chested parrots, supplementing of diet with soaked seed and egg shell and even such things as transporting boxes and cages to disease. Anything I can learn in this area is welcomed, to learn from someone experiences is the the main reason I have written this blog.   

New Ringneck

I have found myself in possession of a new Indian Ringneck Parrot. My wife's cousin found him and had been caring for some time but found him a little too much to look after. He turquoise blue with almost elements of clear tail in his tail.

I have named him Turk and I have introduced him to my other Ringnecks but Nippet and Nelly are yet to warm to him and I have witnessed him fighting a little with Nelly.   

We have had consistent and heavy rain and it is making the aviary somewhat of a bog, particularly the non concreted area. I considering taking some of the birds out to give them a break from the rain and house them inside for a couple of days if this weather continues.

I'm eagerly awaiting picking up my new Scarlet Chested male on Saturday. Can't wait! I have been looking for one for some time now.