FEATURE E
very pair of birds of a particular species is unique to some extent. Just because several pairs find a
particular situation acceptable does not mean that every new pair will also react in the same way. We all need to take the trouble and know our birds, watch, try and understand what makes them happy and what upsets them. Nine times out of ten, unhappy birds don’t lay fertile eggs. In the wild most birds are opportunistic omnivores they eat almost anything available. This type of natural diet is impossible to replicate in captivity although many aviculturalists try their best to achieve something similar. One of the most common problems with an inadequate diet is reproductive failure and infertility. But in order for us to overcome this, we need to know more about the foods we feed to our birds. Some foods promote fertility while others inhibit it. It is up to all of us to know which foods are good promoters of fertility and which are bad. A common problem when breeding birds, especially Psittacidae (true parrots) and the Cacatuidae (cockatoos), is infertile or unhatched eggs. There can be several different reasons for this to happen, incompatible unbonded pairs, immature birds, disease, illness, bacterial infection and even something as simple as loose wobbly perches, preventing successful copulation. If the perch is loose and
A common problem when breeding birds, especially Psittacidae (true parrots) and the Cacatuidae (cockatoos), is infertile or unhatched eggs. There can be several different reasons for this to happen, incompatible unbonded pairs, immature birds, disease, illness, bacterial infection and even something as simple as loose wobbly perches, preventing successful copulation.
wonky the male can not make good contact with the female during mating resulting in infertile eggs. Strangely enough, the causes can be
very simple to remedy. Birds copulate between the laying of every egg, and therefore a mistake can be the cause of one or two infertile eggs in each clutch. An interesting solution, designed by Mr Perry Webb, an aviculturist in South Africa is to provide the birds with a solidly fixed mesh mating platform that is positioned in front of the nest box and over the closest perch. This platform provides a stable gripping substrate for both the hen and cock to achieve balance during copulation. A worthwhile, inexpensive fixture to any breeding aviary.
BIRD SCENE 29
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