Dr Tony Gestier. BVSc. MACVSc. BMSc.



Breeding season is again just around the corner. You thought you could take a break after all your young were sold or paired up – not so! Preparation is the key to successful breeding, anything else is just a fluke.



In fact the preparation is not so onerous. If you follow a few simple rules, are aware of the common diseases in your birds and have some clue about boosting nutrition for breeding you will do well. Birds have evolved to breed young! We simply need to know how to get the best from them.



Let’s start with the obvious. Go out into the aviary and make sure all the perches are nice and secure, and large enough to allow the birds to mate without doing a highwire dance. While you are there, check that the nest boxes/logs are hung so that the birds cannot get trapped behind them, you would be amazed how often this happens.

New pairs should be offered a choice of nest boxes or logs with sufficient height above the box to allow for courtship.

Before you walk out of the flight have a good look around for that stray piece of wire that can hook a leg ring. Many a good breeding bird has been lost for the want of a quick check for these little dangers.



Now for a bit of the more technical stuff.



Psittacosis: still the scourge of Australian parrots, but all aviary birds are susceptible. By now, you should have a good understanding of this disease, every bird veterinarian in the country has written or spoken about the disease and it’s symptoms and treatment. In a well managed aviary, all birds will have been monitored, and treated if necessary, with Psittavet (Vetafarm). Even a mild dose of psittacosis is enough to devastate a breeding season. There are no excuses for allowing psittacosis to dictate your breeding results.

There are some special cases where Psittavet treatment is mandatory. Neophemas

(especially yellow Turks) and Princess are particularly susceptible to this disease and must be treated in late summer, early Autumn every year.



Trichomoniasis, Hexamita, Cochlosoma:

Trichomoniasis (canker) – primarily in Budgies, but also common in canaries. You need to have treated your breeders about 3 – 5 weeks prior to pairing up. Treatment is with Ronivet S and is a simple in water administration for 7 days.

If you are unsure about this particular disease in your aviary, you really should be talking to your avian veterinarian.

Hexamita is only of concern to those who breed King Parrots and Crimson Wings. In these birds it is quite common and often leads to chronic diarrhoea, weight loss and death. Again a simple preventative programme prior to the breeding season saves a lot of heartache. Ronivet S in the water for 7 days is all that is required.



Worms: It always amazes me that, in these days of access to good medicines and information, how many birds die of worms. Apart from not treating for worms at all, treating with such wonders as garlic runs a close second in allowing worms to kill birds. At least with the garlic, you only need to add olive oil and bar-b-que for 5 minutes!

There are several wormers on the market, but be aware that some have a very narrow safety margin. Check with your avian veterinarian about which products suit your needs – the last thing you need are 200 dead finches because it got hot the day you put the wormer in the water! Wormout Gel has a wide margin of safety and can be used “in water” or as a “direct crop” administration.



For cropping, dilute the Wormout Gel 1 part in 9 parts water, shake well, and then give 0.5 mL (half a mL) per 100 grams body weight. Make sure you always use the largest crop needle that comfortably fits the bird – this reduces the hazard of getting wormer down the windpipe (never a good outcome). You should also have a good idea of the weight of the birds you are treating. If not, you need to get some body weights. Small birds can be put in a paper bag and weighed on kitchen gram scales, larger birds may require a small box (like a Weetbix box) to get them on the scales. Once you have done a few birds you will soon be able to guesstimate their weight.



Now lets move on to boosting nutrition.

Of course most people try to give their birds the best nutrition they can, but there are “tricks of the trade”. One of those is to boost the Linoleic Acid levels of the hen prior to breeding. This fatty acid is known to enhance egg size and egg numbers from otherwise healthy hens. There is of benefit where a hen lays 4 or more eggs in a clutch or multi clutches. Breeding Aid, contains a Fatty Acid blend of Linoleic and Linolenic acids, plus extra Vitamin E. Breeding Aid is mixed onto seed diets or blended into soft foods to give the hens every chance to fledge more chicks.

Those who think Breeding Aid might give them 6 eggs in a clutch from a Rainbow Lorikeet – have had 6 too many beers. Breeding Aid can only work with what nature has provided.



Calcium remains a critical breeding nutrient. Make sure the birds have access to several calcium sources. Calcivet and True Grit (Vetafarm), cuttlefish bone, oyster shell and cooked chicken bones can all be used to get that all important calcium into your hens. Do not rely on one calcium source; the best approach is to have several different sources available to the birds.

While we are on the subject, providing your parrots with meaty bones (chicken, beef, kangaroo etc.) is a good way to increase protein and mineral levels in breeder diets. You must make sure the meat doesn’t go rotten in the aviary, but otherwise it is quite safe and very beneficial to a bird’s diet.



By taking a little time to prepare for the season ahead you will be rewarded with more young on the perch – after all that is what bird breeding is all about.