Does anyone breed exotic birds?

[TheTeenyTinyFarm]

I would really love to start breeding exotic birds like parrots, conures, quakers etc...anyone do this already and can tell me what I need to do first? Or how I go about getting my breeders?

 

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

I did many years ago Red Rumps. Canerys. Cockatiels. English and Am. budgies , lovebirds I showed the Eng. budgies, I have forgot alot it was almost 30 yrs. ago.
I do remember the new mothers feeding chicks love egg food hard boiled eggs with Petamine some shredded carrot need to get some good books.
It was fun but after a few years the rats found there way into bird room, the seed for me it was a good reason to end my breeding days sold over 200 birds and bought my first Champion Eng. bull.
Good Luck

 

[onthespot]

Man, if you want to breed peachface lovebirds, I got the MOTHA lode of genetics! I am not kidding. I have whiteface in normal, cobalt, slate, slate pied, normal pied, creamino, austrailian cinnamon, silver, american cinnamon, cobalt and cobalt pied.

I got orange face, orange faced yellow, orange faced lutino, blue and green series pied, I have a normal male split to lutino and american cinnamon pared with a blue series violet factored, hen. I have opalines in normal, normal pied, and blue, I have an orange faced lacewing, blue pied, and most of my birds are violet factored.

In fischers I have albino, green pied, blue slate pied, dark eyed clear white, cobalt, dilute blue, dilute cobalt, olive normal, (single and double dark factor)

I have a pair of white faced cockatiels that produces heavy pieds, pearls, normals and any combo of the above.

I have pacific parrotlets too, blue pied, plain blue, green fallow, albino, american yellow, turquoise, blue split to turguoise, and a super duper rare dark eyed white hen.

I know someone with 150 pairs of pacific parrotlets with unknown splits that would make a good deal on a a larger order of birds.

I also have red headed parrot finches some pied, some green and some seagreen pied.

 

[DuckyBoys]

Exotic parrot breeding is kinda frowned upon. It really isn't a great way to make money because of the time invovled in the hand rearing. I'd stay away from any cockatoo breeds especially- people get really really mad (maybe NASTY is a better word for it) when they find out people are breeding them. They are very hard to live with and most end up dead, self mutilating, or in a "shelter" somewhere. Parrots require special bonding in order to be happy, not to mention very specialized vet care. It breaks my heart when I see craigslist ads for parrots that "people just don't have time for anymore" They are more like rearing children than any other pet.

Sorry to be discrouraging - you should do what you want but beware of the die-hard anti-parrot breeder bird people out there and be ready to be attacked if you talk about breeding large parrots.

Quakers are small, as are conures, but they too have personality quirks, (i.e scremaing) like all parrots, that make them less than ideal pets for some people.

 

[verthandi]

You might want to get on some of the good parrot forums and visit for a while. Raising parrots is a great experience but also a time consuming one. If you decide after lots of reading to try it, start with something small. Cockatiels are pretty easy, but the market for them won't earn much money back. Hand feeding is tricky business, food must be the proper temperature for each breed. Learning to hand feed is best done from someone that already knows how and can show you the proper way.

For the best hand fed and raised birds, they are taken from their parents and you become their new parent. You will be hand feeding every two hours in the beginning. (around the clock).

There is not guarantee that the pair you buy will even lay eggs for you. The Blue Front Amazon pair that I bought had not lain for the former owners for 7 years. I was lucky they started laying within weeks of being here. But only laid one clutch a year, for the last 5 years. They now belong to my neighbor, who has a disability that forces her to stay home, but don't those darn birds decide to sit on eggs the only week that she wants to go on vacation.

I'm not trying to discourage you from trying, just if you can find a breeder near you that will show you the ropes and what is involved before you invest your time and money it will be time well spent. It's a lot of work, and very easy to get too attached to the little buggers, that you will end up with a house full of them.

This is my buddy, Tutti. She was from the last clutch that I raised.

 

[bubbazmommy]

My so worked at Animal Jungle in Va Beach for a while and they have the biggest selection of birds I have ever seen in a store. You may be able to get info from them as well.

 

[TheTeenyTinyFarm]

Wow...thank you so much for all of your replies...I learn so much from this place.

I'm thinking more along the lines of conures, lovebirds...the more smaller birds that people can really afford and bond good with.

any other suggesstions of type of birds good as pets for families?

 

[peewee]

This is probably not the best way to introduce myself to this board. I have been looking threw this board for almost a month now soaking up the knowledge that is here. I am NOT going to tell you that you cant do something. And I am NOT going to lecture you but, I would like you be informed before you do something. I am on the other end of the breeding spectrum.
I am in parrot rescue. Right this moment I have five parrots in my house that were considered throw away birds. From quaker parrots to cockatoos. I have had parakeets that have come to me with broken wings/feet/beaks from being thrown and, I have had quakers die from not being fed enough before I received them. The list can go on and on.
If you are breeding so you can have more birds for your enjoyment then ENJOY!!! There is nothing better than babies!!!!
As I am sure anyone with a "bator" will tell you.
If you are breeding to sell PLEASE be conscious of who you sell to. Parakeets can live to be almost 18 years old. Quaker parrots can live to be 20-30 years old. Love birds can live to be up to 15 years. Can the person that you are selling to give them a GOOD and LOVING home for this many years??? If they can't, what happens next?

 

[TheTeenyTinyFarm]

Quote:
Before I would adopt out any bird, I would definitely screen the adoptee first. I would have them sign a contract that if they can no longer care for the bird, the bird would come back to me and I would adopt them to someone who could care for the bird just for a small adoption fee to help pay for the supplies. I am not looking to breed a ton of birds...I just want a few pairs so I can experience the joy and let someone else experience the joy too without having to pay a fortune for them like pet stores and breeders.

 

[TheTeenyTinyFarm]

Hi Verthandi...Tutti is very cute!!!