ringneck parakeet

Question
hi, i bought 2 parakeets, male anf female. they are about 3 yars old. would like to know how to clip their wings and breed them. would also be nice if i could tame them, but was told it would be difficult because their a pair.

Answer
Unlike dogs and cats, birds will not stay tame with people if they are breeding. They fiersy defend their nest/territory when breeding.

If you don't breed them- it is possible to tame them down, but it will be much more difficult than if you had them in seperate cages. However, if they have been together their entire lives I would not recomend seperating them. They are too strongly bonded at this point I'm sure.

You will also need to confirm that they are not genetically related. If they have been together their entire lives (and were purchased at the same time, from the same pet store/breeder, then you can be pretty sure that these two birds are a brother and sister pair).

The other thing to consider is: Do you have time to hand-feed baby chicks? (Chicks under 2 weeks of age need to be fed every 2 hours- round the clock!). Parrots larger than budgies need to be hand-fed to make suitable pets/companions. Especially with Indian Ringneck Parakeets because they tend to be so stubborn about taming down (or staying tame without daily handling). Here are some other things to consider before breedings:

*Are both parrots on a good healthy and vaired diet? (pellets, veggies, whole grain cereal, etc...) If the parents are not on a good diet, they're babies will not have the proper nutrition either.

*Are both parrots healthy? Both of your birds will need to be throughly checked out by a qualified avian veterinarian. This is not just a physical exam- they will need to have blood work and cultures done. As well as any tests offered to determine the bird's genetic make-up (see if your birds might have any genetic defect that could be inherited by their babies).

*Indian Ringneck parakeets do not have a high selling price (hand-fed, green inidian ringneck parakeets usually only sell for about $150 (or at most $200). I've heard of breeders giving away hand-fed green indian ringnecks. If they are blue, you can expect a slightly higher price (usually about $50 or $75 more per chick). In other words- unless your birds are albino, grey or another rare color mutation... you will loose money raising baby chicks. After the money you spend on a cage (or cages) for the babies, a brooder, hand-feeding formula, vet check ups for the babies, etc... etc... if you raise the babies responsibly, you will not make money raising green (or even blue) Indian Ringneck Parakeets.

Here are some links to help get you started with your research to find out if you want to breed your birds:

http://www.geocities.com/super_chic85/breedingbirds2.html

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As far as clipping wings- if you have never done it before, definately have an avian vet show you how first. It is also recommended to have someone else help you. (One person holds the bird, the other person trims the correct feathers). However, here is an online article about clipping wings:

http://www.cockatiels.org/articles/care/wing.html (written for cockatiels, but the information is the same for all birds).

And here are some articles that I thought you might enjoy and hopefully gain something from:

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww64eii.htm

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww57e.htm

I hope this all helps. :)

-Maggie