breeding the Red--rumped Parakeet

The Red-romped Parakeet is a fine choice for the bird breeder who would like to move up from raising budgies. There are a few reasons for this opinion. First of all they are beautiful birds. The male and female can easily be distinguished from one another, so pairing is quite easy. The male Red-rump is green and blue on the head and wings, with a yellow chest, and of course the distinctive red on the rump. The female is much duller in color, being an olive green with no red on the rump. They are quiet and can be raised easily in the city without any trouble from neighbors. They are easy to raise and make good foster parents for other birds in their category. Their cost is reasonable, being about $50.00 each from a breeder. Here are a few tips to finding the best breeding stock possible. It is important to buy your birds in early autumn so that your stock can be properly acclimated to their new surrounding and, of course, to their new mates. Buy your birds from a reliable breeder. Finding a reliable breeder can be helped greatly through your local bird clubs or a veterinarian who specializes in birds. It's a good idea to look at the condition of the cages of the breeders from whom you consider buying your stock. They should be clean! You should buy mature birds of about 9 to 10 months old. Another very important tip is to make sure your birds are of unrelated stock. The birds should be healthy. The eyes of a healthy bird are clear and their feathers should be shiny with no signs of plucking. A broken tail feather or clipped wings are perfectly fine. These will not affect the breeding capability of the birds. There should not be any signs of a runny nose or of uneven breathing that might be signs of a cold or congestion. The beak of both the male and the female should show no sign of overgrowth and should be straight. This is important for the feeding of the brood as both parents will feed the young. The beak should also be free from any scales. -If the breast bone sticks out, this can also be an indication of a sick bird. Now that you have found your new birds, you are ready to take them home. I feel that it's a good idea to quarantine any new birds which I bring home for a short time. If there is any sickness in these birds, you don't want it to spread to your present stock. Their cage should be about 3' wide by 6 ' high by 6 ' long with a wired flight , pfus draft and rain-free sleeping and nesting area. Except in extremely cold areas, these birds can normally be wintered outside without the need for special heating.