Is breeding bad?

I assume this question will stir passionate responses but it is one that I am considering.

My perspective: I adopted a pair of lilac crown amazons last year from a shelter. They had been recovered from a raid on a breeder. They were shabby in appearance and on a poor diet (said the vet) but basically ok. The hen has a large, healed wound on her ceres and that, along with their generally poor appearance I think was why they were left behind after all the other birds were taken.

After owning them for a while I realized that these two, although getting healthier and starting to take food from my hand were not going to become the tame pets that I have always wanted in a parrot. So, I hung a nest box on the chance that they might be a viable breeding pair. And, much to my surprise (perhaps naive) and delight they went about their natural business and I now have two rapidly growing chicks.

I have plans to hand feed the chicks and keep one as the pet of my dreams. I have a likely home for the other (assuming things continue to go well). I am content to keep the pair and continue to take good care of them, even though they seem to prefer to socialize with each other.

Which brings me to the question: Should I hang the nest box again next year?
These are CITES Appendix 1 birds, so supplies have to come from breeders (if legal). But would I be adding to the problem of unwanted birds or providing a valuable supply? And if I do facilitate the breeding, is it ethical to ask for money for the chicks?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I wouldn't say breeding is a bad thing but differant people have differant views it seems this pair you took in are a breeding **** and hen and you have already gotten 2 chicks from them are you planing on breeding them again next year or is this just a one time thing?

You're question is my question: should I breed them again next year? I don't need more chicks but would it be good or bad to facilitate the production of more chicks (for someone else) next year?

Well I would say if you wanted you could breed them again depending if your wanting more chicks I think the best person to talk to about this would be Richard he is our zon expert he will point you in the right direction

This isn't a question with any right answer. Breeding(or should I say breeders) can be good or bad, it's not inherently one or the other. You have to ask yourself if you have the time, money, dedication, commitment, and know how to properly breed these birds? Are your parent birds healthy and happy? Are you committed to keeping any babies you produce out of rescue and harms way? If you've answered yes to these questions then I think you have your answer. If you know people that will give great homes to the babies and can come with some sort of agreement that you will take them back should the need arise then I say go for it. If you can't give the proper time and care for any and all chicks that you produce than I would say don't continue to breed them. I've told every single person that has gotten a baby from me that if for any reason they can no longer care for their bird than I will take it back, no questions asked. But in doing this you must be prepared to care for them.

As far as asking for money for the babies, unless they are going to very close friends or family members you will want to charge something for them. Otherwise you will have people from all over contacting you for free birds which they will most likely resell. I look at any money that comes from the birds as their money. And after all, it is their money. It goes straight back to the birds, whether it's in the form of food, toys, treats, cages, perches, what have you, it all goes back to them, not in my pocket

Ohhh I don't know lol I have never breeded birds I have always being in love with them but I wouldn't have a clue where to start when it comes to breeding

I'd wait till your chicks get older and decide if they are healthy ,no defects. If conservation is your goal then you need to be in touch with breeding facilities that are doing that(they'll want to know lots of info that you don't have about the parents) I wouldn't ever breed birds that i don't have orders for.If your going to breed to sell chicks to a broker, well that's up to you, but not the way i do things. The issue is what's your goal.You don't have to breed them every year. Should you charge for babies? Yes it's not fair to those of us with huge vet bills,food bills and first class aviaries. Amazons are a life time commitment and you need to find owners who are serious and not taking on a bird because the "price is cheap". Do not take raising babies lightly, you have a huge responsibly to raise healthy,wellsocialized chicks that will make good family pets OR otherwise you are adding to the problem of rehoming problem birds that did not get a good start in life. Just my .02 worth. Your welcome to PM me if you don't want to discuss this in public.

Thanks. My thinking is in line with henpecked- NOT breeding again. Which may bring further questions next year when my parent birds are in the mood again. Or maybe they won't mind not breeding again?

If all goes well with these chicks I won't be wanting any more. So unless someone is searching for lilac crowned chicks, my breeding pair will retire

With my birds it's not an issue. They mate all different times of the year but it's more of a bonding thing. If i don't give them a nest box then they don't lay, i've never,ever found an egg in the bottom of any of my breeder zons cages. Pet birds ,Yes, breeder birds never.

I breed amazons and I adore them. The hardest thing about being an ethical breeder is finding good homes for babies. I believe it is unethical breeders, that don't screen potential buyers well enough and thus set up the cycle for birds ending up in rescues. Also, there is a real need for rescues with large parrots being as long lived as they are. Chances are good that in the natural course of things, they will eventually need a new home. And that isn't a bad thing. Not all birds that end up in rescues are because of over population, hoarding or abuse. There are a few unethical people out there that do bad things for birds. There are a bunch of other people out there that want a bird, but don't really have the right expectations about what life will be like with the bird. Then there is the rest of us that enjoy life with parrots and would like to continue enjoying life with parrots. And for that, we need breeders.

If it were me, I'd set up the nest box next year assuming your sure the parents are healthy and this year's babies are good. And then make sure you interrogate the heck out of anyone wanting to buy a baby. Get to know the person and find out what drives them. If they have birds now, make sure they have a record of taking their birds to the vet. If they tell you they've had birds for years and years and have had lots of birds, thats not necessarily a good thing. It could mean they go through a lot of birds. Ask them who their vet is and call to make sure they are a client. Ask them what they envision life to be like with a parrot and what kind of relationship and interaction they want out of a bird. And then if your babies aren't likely to match up with that, don't sell to them. Make sure the person is level headed and knows the parrots will BITE and SCREAM, and make a MESS. Those are all big words any buyer needs to hear. Make sure every single person the buyer lives with is willing to live with the scream, the bite and the mess too. Lilac crowned amazons are one of the better pet amazons and yet we see them less commonly. I wish more people would breed them.