I'd like to try to breed my GCC... Here's my idea, tell me if it's a bad one!

[Deii]

Hello everyone!

I have a wonderful Green Cheek Conure that I adopted when she was about 12 weeks old and she is now almost 5. We are very close and she is moderately friendly with everyone, and especially friendly with me. She is very healthy and smart - she taught herself a few words and sounds and comes when I call her. I had her genetically tested for gender about a year ago and I know for a fact that she is a female.

I have been thinking lately that I would love to breed her. I want to give her the chance to be a mother, and I think genetics are incredibly interesting. She has made me fall in love with the breed and she is such a wonderful bird that I think it would be awesome to continue her line. I really want to do this and I think my reasons are positive and not selfish. I am not interested in the money, simply the experience and the contribution to the breed.

Here's my conundrum though - I am not really interested in purchasing another bird at the moment, though I might want to keep one of her offspring eventually. My idea was to find a breeder or someone in my area who has a male and might be interested in breeding their GCC to mine.

Is this a realistic idea? Most of the reading I have done so far assumes that the pair live together full time and are bonded. If I were to introduce a male to my female and they "fell in love," would it crush their hearts to eventually take the male home to his owner?

I have never bred birds before but, as I said before, I think it would be a wonderful, magical, exciting experience for my girl and me. I don't want to start a huge breeding operation - I just want to do it once every couple of years or so... if my idea is realistic, that is.

If it is a realistic idea, how would you suggest I go about finding someone with a male who would be interested in this project with me? Should I contact breeders in my area who might be interested?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Doublete]

Honestly.
There are TONS of GCC. And breeding is a huge undertaking. And birds do not NEED to breed and be parents to have a fulfilled life.

I wouldn't breed any birds to continue the trend of too many birds not enough homes.

 

[YoYo]

I agree with doublete, it is not generally a good idea to bread a pet bird to a another bird as they can have a great life without being bred. Also this could trigger hormonal problems by introducing mating behaviour as well.

 

[Dinosrawr]

Conures are pair bond birds. You don't breed bird species as you might a dog, where you introduce the female to the male when she's in heat, they copulate, and a litter can be produced at home. With many parrot species, both parents must have a strong mating pair bond established prior to producing eggs simply to create them. After that, there's no guarantee the birds will be good parents. More often than not hobbyist breeders with inexperienced and not "true" breeding pairs end up with parents that neglect brooding the egg properly, kill the nestlings, or fail to produce fertile eggs entirely. In that case, you need to be prepared to raise birds from eggs if you want to see them survive. And that is no easy feat.

It's also not realistic to just put two birds together and expect it to be a good experience, IMO. People tend to over exaggerate the "wonderful" experience of breeding prior to doing it. An experienced breeder will tell you to work with them for a few breeding seasons before even trying it yourself so you can see just how hard, potentially heart wrenching, or exceptionally joyful it can or can't be. Birds don't breed because they find it to be a beautiful experience, they do it out of pure animal instinct.

I'm not trying to attack you or say that it can't be a wonderful experience, but honestly breeding isn't something to take lightly or in a hobby kind of way in my eyes. You're producing animals that can live up to 30 years, and you have zero guarantee those animals will live a life they deserve. You lose nearly all control of that the moment they leave your house. It's a huge responsibility, and there is no lack of neglected and desperate conures needing a home. Most get rehomed by the age of two because people are ill prepared for their hormones.

Your conure sounds exceptionally happy living her life with you now, and she doesn't need to breed to fulfill anything other than animal instinct. She has love, a home, a wonderful caretaker, a safe place, and good food in her belly. Her life is so enriched already that she would never once be concerned about whether or not she raised babies - all she cares about is being loved by you.

 

[itchyfeet]

It sounds like you're an awesome owner! As such, no doubt your bird is really quite attached to you. Would you be willing to trust her to another owner if the owner of the male wouldn't let you take him? Mentally, what would that be like for your girl. If you brought in a male - your girls not going to know whats up - she'll just see competition!

Some birds are breeding birds, and some are incredible companions. To me, the risk isn't worth it. You may end up with no babies and a detached female. So many things can go wrong! I understand the longing and desire for genetics powerfully. I had a mare who I desperately wanted to put into foal for all of the right reasons, yet the reality was I didn't have the people around me, the money, and the skill to see it through. Not only that - but around here there were ALOT of SB cross yearlings on the market and I'd only add to them if I had to sell the babe on early.

What you've got going with your parrot is what people dream of when searching for that first bird. That bond is strong and unique and special and you'd be far better looking into engaging her in more trick training etc...the interactions and work we can do with our parrots is never ending. Rather than add lives to our planet, lets look after the ones here. If you're falling ill with MBS, (Multiple Bird Syndrome - the most infectious thing going), then check out the local rescues etc. I reckon you'd get as much satisfaction and joy out of winning over a neglected or sad bird.

Just my opinion - good luck!

 

[Deii]

Thanks so much for the comments you guys!!! I appreciate the honesty and I really value your opinions.

You guys really opened my eyes to the reality of the situation and I appreciate that. We can focus on other things like trick training and such.

Thanks again SO much!!! <3 <3 <3

Oh... and Brilho says hello! (Sorry about the nostril shot... lol. I'm making a weird face because this photo originally went to my BF.)

 

[Allee]

She's absolutely darling! You've made the right decision, and I'm so glad you gave the idea a lot of serious consideration and asked for advice before taking action. Sweet photo of you and Brilho, thank you for sharing.