Having Babies

Hi:
We have a pair of conures/ born Dec 2016.We have never had them sexed but they are very amorous toward each other and we think we may have a male and female.We call them Sonny and Cher. My question is how would we go about letting them have babies? Not really even sure if it is possible at home. They have a spacious cage and I understand that a breeding box would be needed. Can someone tell me if the were to have babies how would we feed the babies? Would the parents feed them or would we use an eye dropper?
Any info would be appreciated. We are not interested in breeding as such, but we do love them very much and feel it would be nice if they were to have a family. They are Green cheeks, one being a Yellowside and the other a pineapple.
Look forward to your replies.

Thank you

Bob and Jane/ and Sonny and Cher

Personally, I would avoid allowing your Parrots to mate. Unless they are older Parrots and not still in their first year, it would not be likely that they would be successful. You may need to install a separation panel to you cage to keep them away from each other.

I understand that you are retired, but I'm fairly sure that you are likely not interested in the 24 hour care and effort required to support your Parrots when the babies arrive.

I would recommend that you visit the appropriate Forum to get a feeling for the kind of work that is involved. Add to that the costs and need for a Avian Vet 'on-call' and a support group of knowledgeable folks that can provide you hands on advise.

Here is an excerpt from my article on handling hormones. I'll link the article but this is the section you REALLY need to read to answer this. I'm also linking an article on how inexperienced/ unprepared breeders lead to a lifetime of suffering for parrots.

http://www.silversageaviaries.com/handlinghormones/
http://www.silversageaviaries.com/unwantedparrots/


-They might actually have babies. This may not seem so bad, but most homes are woefully unequipped to properly raise even one clutch of babies. When considering whether or not you should allow your bird to breed, please first ask yourself the following questions:



>How will I make sure I am not inbreeding my bird? Am I 100% sure that the bird I buy from the store is not related to my bird, even though most pet stores work with only one or a few breeders to supply their stock, and even though many breeders supply multiple stores?

>Does my bird have any traits that may be genetic defects? For example does my bird, or a known relative of my bird lay eggs often when no male is present?

>Do I have a firm grasp on what kind of mate I need to get for my bird? Do I know what color combinations can produce things like baldness, compressed organs, etc even if both parents are fully feathered?

>Has my bird been to an avian vet recently to insure he is healthy enough for breeding?

>Do I have thousands of dollars in savings for a potential trip to an avian veterinarian EVEN ONCE with a problem in the nest?

>Do I have a detailed understanding of the specific nutritional needs unique to my species, and furthermore the additional nutrients they require while laying and feeding?

>Can I afford even the most basic breeding and feeding equipment which can cost many times the price of the original bird?

>Do I know the developmental ramifications of hand feeding, co-parenting, or allowing the babies to be raised by the parents, and do I understand the pros, cons, costs and time commitments involved in each?

>Does my living situation allow for not just the mess of multiple birds, but the noise? Are my neighbors far enough away that they will not be able to hear my flock as it grows?

>Do I spend the majority of each day at home so that I can quickly react to problems in the nest, and so that I can hand feed babies in need even if hand feeding is not my first choice?

>Do I know the signs of distress, illness, dehydration, etc, which could make it necessary to pull a chick for hand feeding?

>Do I know how to hand feed a chick formula, including the importance of exact temperature in order to avoid burning a hole in the crop, or slowing digestion and causing crop stasis, both of which can be fatal?

>Do I fully understand the life-long consequences of clipping the wings of a young bird before it is a strong and confident flier able to expertly navigate?

>Am I prepared for a clutch of baby birds to learn to fly in my house, even though they will likely crash into things, poop all over, not come when I want them to, and in general act like young birds who just want to fly? Is my house a safe place for this, and do I have hours a day to supervise fledging babies?

>Do I understand the vital concept of abundance weaning and the devastating effects of force-weaning? Am I therefore prepared to allow baby birds to wean on their own schedule, even if the new owner is waiting impatiently and pressuring me to “hurry the baby along”?



AND HERE IS THE BIG ONE:

>Knowing that parrot sanctuaries, craigslist, and other venues are overflowing with unwanted parrots, how do I justify producing more? Will I keep them all myself? If so, how will I handle THEIR hormones when the time comes and they all want to inbreed with each other? What if the unthinkable happens such as the loss of a job, family illness, or other extreme financial hardship occurs, what will happen to all the babies then? Will I sell them to new homes? If so, how will I insure that my birds are never unwanted and alone, bouncing from home to home? What will I do next year when the whole cycle begins again, this time with more birds?


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Also your birds are FAR to young to breed safely, and please get them DNA sexed right away for health and safety reasons.


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