Hello! And help with breeding?

Hello, I am Asher. I just joined this forum to ask a few questions about Green Cheek Conure breeding.
First, I have 3 GCCs, one which I got a few years back, (and is currently my best friend. I hand fed him as a baby) his name is Oliver, and though I haven't had him DNA sexed, I am about 99% sure he is a male. I have two other birds who were not hand fed, so they are both really wild (named Sweety and Moe, they are a bonded brother and sister pair). Likewise I have not DNA sexed them but I am pretty sure one is male and the other is female. I was originally going to get just another female for Oliver, but ended up getting the two of them. Now as for the breeding questions, I tried to separate Sweety and Moe, to put Sweety in with Oliver, but Oliver and Sweety would not get along. So I decided to just try to get Sweety and Moe to breed, but upon further research, I have heard you are not supposed to breed siblings. So should I continue to try to put Sweety and Oliver together, should I breed Sweety and Moe, or should I get another female for Oliver and just let Sweety and Moe continue to be friend but not mates?

Hello and welcome!

Yes, the general rule for ANY species of animal that is being bred is that they should not be directly related. Allowing them to breed and you could end up with some really bad genetic/medical issues with the babies as they are so close in DNA, so yes I would highly advise against breeding the two siblings.

As for the DNA of your birds, there is no sure way to tell if one is male or female unless they are DNA sexed, which is where you send in their feathers to a company who deciphers the sex that way. It's not too expensive and I think worth it to know the sex of your birds.

Based on your post, it sounds like Sweety and Moe are bonded to each other. And that's ok, that's just what happens, they have no concept of being related, they are birds lol. But that means separating them at this point may do more harm than good. You can keep them together, that is fine, but any eggs laid should be disposed of immediately.

Is there a specific reason you wanted to breed your conure? It is a very cool experience to see baby birds being raised, but breeding conures (or really any species of parrot) can be a very difficult process. Are you prepared to hand feed and keep the babies in a brooder should the parents start mutilating/rejecting the babies?

Do you work? If you work at all, breeding may prove to be difficult as baby birds need to be fed around the clock in the first few weeks and constantly monitored. Are you prepared for the possibility of this?

There are lots of other users with lots of experience here with breeding, and I'm hoping some of them reply. Hope this helps a little bit for you! Do you have pictures of your feathered babies??

I second all of itz's concerns and questions.

Glad you found us, and glad you're researching and reaching out before acting.

I do not work, I am 14 and homeschooling, so I would have plenty of time, and as I mentioned, I hand fed Oliver when he was a baby (although 4 5 or 6 at a time would be harder) but I have also raised a lot of baby chickens, (hatching them in an incubater) so I have no doubt i would be prepared. And if I should not breed or separate the siblings then should I get another female for oliver?

Here are a few pics Oliver on the right Sweety and Moe on the left

Hi, for sure, no brother/sister breeding! You really need to do the DNA testing! My JoJo was an absolute female! Wrong!

$20, free collection kits!
Avian Services Center: DNA sexing and disease testing for all species of birds.

Ok, I will probably have Oliver sexed, but there isn't really any point to having Sweety and Moe sexed is there? Because I won't be breeding either one.

The birds are beautiful! I have to say Oliver seems as if he is posing for the picture, he is very photogenic!!

14 is a very young age to breed birds. Since you do not have a source of income, someone else is presumably paying for their care. Is this person (I'm guessing your parents?) ready for you to breed the birds, and would they be okay with taking 5-6 baby conures (and your other 3) in for exams and checkups, or be ready to take you and the birds to the vet should an emergency arise? This could cost several hundred dollars. What happens if your parents refuse, or are not at home? How will you get the birds the care they need, then? Also, would you want to keep the babies, or would you try to sell them? It can also be very difficult to find homes for all the babies your birds have.

These are all things you need to think about before you decide to breed or get another bird. I highly recommend working with the birds you currently have, growing a relationship with them (you can train Sweety and Moe to be hand-tame, it just takes patience!) and just focusing your attention of them, instead of breeding them. Hope that helps!

My dad is the one who funds this all (the birds have been birthday presents) and he loves birds so he is completely on board, my mom is a stay at home parent so I can always get a trip to the vet if necessary.

Oliver123 said:

I do not work, I am 14 and homeschooling, so I would have plenty of time, and as I mentioned, I hand fed Oliver when he was a baby (although 4 5 or 6 at a time would be harder) but I have also raised a lot of baby chickens, (hatching them in an incubater) so I have no doubt i would be prepared. And if I should not breed or separate the siblings then should I get another female for oliver?

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The baby chickens I've watched hatch were dry, fluffy, and scratching for food in under an hour. Baby parrots are blind, naked, and must be fed the correct food at the exact right temperature really, truly frequently. So it's not the same at all.

It's a fair warning to you that by breeding Oliver you may lose him as a "pet" to some degree. Also, why is it you want to breed your happy little friendly Oliver and not one of the other 2?
I don't think breeding is the best idea but you are here asking questions now before you get ahead of yourself which is great.

I may come across harsh here, and know I admire that you're willing to question and learn before doing this. However, breeding is not something you simply choose to do because you think it would be neat to do.

Your birds are hardly sexually mature at this point. Quite frankly, you could add a female that your male could possibly mate with, or for all you know he could absolutely despise her and they might never get along. In which case you've now added a fourth bird who needs independent time out of the cage to prevent possible conflict, and quite frankly my two birds are plenty enough difficult for me as an adult. Especially considering cost wise for vet check ups, chop, quality pellets, toys, etc. While it's great that your father adores birds, to me what is even more important is appreciating the life of each bird. These birds should be with you until you're possibly 50. Are you prepared for that?

Are you prepared for the next possible five decades of your life being dedicated to ensuring all of your parrots go to good homes, that they are healthy, well-fed, well trained individuals?

Are you prepared for the heart break of finding out that the baby bird you gave to someone is now dead because they didn't know Teflon was dangerous?

Or that your female conure is now being rushed to the vet because she's egg bound and in critical danger?

That her eggs are soft because her calcium levels have been depleted from excess egg laying?

Are you prepared for hormonal aggression and losing your best friend because instinctually, mating is far more important than having a friend? Especially because that mate can preen, feed, and understand the other in ways you can't?

Are you ready to stay up all night for weeks, hand feeding every two hours, hoping your babies make it because it turns out the parents have killed a previous chick and have rejected the rest of their clutch?

I don't think I need to continue. Breeding is not something you simply do - it becomes a lifestyle, and it creates or destroys life depending on how it is done. Life is not something to be taken lightly, and breeding is something that should be carefully studied before doing it. I highly recommend talking to qualified avian vets to grasp how expensive it can be to raise clutches and the health risks involved. I also recommend getting in touch with parrot rescues and seeing how many of those precious babies end up in facilities such as those because too many are bred and given to an unprepared owner. Then I would reflect and see how determined you are to breed, and contact an ethical breeder to take you under their wing and train you appropriately.

Continue to research and learn. These are the lives of your birds that you have control of, and it's very, very important to consider the risks involved because it is them you are affecting forever.

Welcome to the forums, Asher, and thanks for joining! Your passions for birds will be heightened by a willingness to learn as much as possible. Many opinions will be shared on this forum, please take them all in and make your very best of decisions!

We are always here to answer questions and happily share experiences!!