Got a bonded pair of yellow sided conures but they won't breed.

[Jesi]

I've had them for 3 months now. They are on a pellet diet with fruits and veggies, plenty of light, (got the avian floor lamp) toys, nest box, it's fairly warm in the basement, and it's quiet they do sleep in the nest box, they don't seem like they wanna breed. The lady who I bought them from is a bird breeder locally. She said they did give her baby's once. I am not sure if they are quiet settled in or not.

 

[expressmailtome]

How old are they? What has the breeder said when you spoke to her? It can take a while for birds to become comfortable in their new environment. Three months is really not that long. Where is their cage located? Some birds are uncomfortable breeding in an area with high traffic. They do best if they are not frequently disturbed.

Matt

 

[CheekyBeaks]

If you have only had them for 3 months it really isn't enough time for them to have settled in for them to be comfortable to breed, it can take up to a year for a breeding pair to be at ease to breed in a new environment. It must also be the correct time of year to breed, greencheeks are seasonal breeders and will only breed in the spring/summer season.
Birds also breed best when they live outdoors, depending on where you live in the world this may not be possible due to climate but the natural light, and weather play a huge part in breeding success.
Diet is another contributing factor, ensure there is plenty of nutrient rich foods, leafy greens, sprouts, almonds, a calcium supply (ie cuttlefish or calcium supplement) it is also a good idea to switch from a maintenance pellet to a breeder or high energy pellet a couple of months prior to expecting your birds to breed and throughout the breeding cycle.

 

[Jesi]

They got everything it's probley they arnt settled in yet. No there's no traffic maybe once in a while when my grandpa goes down there to go into the garage. That's about it. I've got toys that stimulate in nest building. The breeder said she had them breed with in two months and there was other species togeather like amazons, senegals, and other birds. She wanted to try them out but she is starting to get out of the smaller birds. It's not possible for them to be out side to cold here and weather changes quite quick. I am also not in a hurry to breed them when it happends it happends but I hope I have everything. They have there cage by the window kinda so they do get light. They are fairly young, about 3 going on 4. She did have them on a seed diet plus it's probley cheap for her to put all her birds on.

 

[Shastasmom]

Are you sure you have a male/female pair? Did you get DNA certs with them or did the breeder just tell you they were a "bonded pair"? GCC's can be tricky and I had to sometimes switch mates due to them not really liking each other enough to actually breed. I also fed them a good quality seed mix for small hookbills and roudybush or zupreem natural pellets along with soft food every day and cuttlebone in their cages. If they were on a seed diet, and you now have them on pellets, that could be part of the problem. Try giving them some seed along with the other foods you offer. Diet can play a big part in production and they may not view the pellets as a viable substance to feed their babies.

 

[Jesi]

I'll try to put some seeds in there too yeah. Got both DNA papers from them. These guys like each other. Feed one another, preen, ect. They don't use the cuttlebone I've got 3 types laying around one for my senegal witch he doesn't use either so I try to encourage him by nibbling on the banana snapped one. He attempts too but not much luck still trying with him, I've got water supplements for egg laying. They like it cause it has a orange taste to them.

 

[Shastasmom]

I never put anything in their water. Just kept cuttlebone in the cages. Do the same thing now with the suns & quakers that I raise. I do give them powdered vitamins on their softfood. One that is good for getting them going is ProBoost.

 

[littleT]

to get in the mood---feed fruit,pine nuts---apple and make a good eggfood<cornmeal,flour,water,penutbutter,and eggs>I feed every day---it took 3 yrs for my pairs to settle down to breed.now all 4 pairs are breeding .

 

[littleT]

also all parrots for breeding should be dna fested.you can waist a lot of time with 2 birds that act like a pair but winds up being the same sex.

 

[Jesi]

They are DNA tested I got the papers from the lady and they are going into the nest box a little while ago. I have them some hay and they have lined there nest box with it and the occasional time I here them doing it. Nothing yet but they could be practising birdy sex

 

[littleT]

I keep several ipcameras going all the time----I watch birds until I see them mating ----then I put in the nestbox to watch eggs--the ip cameras are cheap--wireless and has night vision so even in the dark you can see birds

 

[Shastasmom]

I use untreated pine shavings in the boxes not hay. I never had trouble getting my GC's to breed although one pair only went in the spring so I could leave her box on for her to sleep in and know she would not cycle until Feb/March. She would have one clutch then, and another right behind it and that was it until the following year. Worked great for me! Some of my other pairs required removal of the nestbox to get them to stop. Good luck with your breeding adventures. GC's are fun for sure!!

 

[petiteoiseau]

You should never breed birds that you have had less than 6 months and then only if you have years of experience judging physical and breeding condition on that particular species, you have had the female flying all six months and have been offering condition food since the winter solstice. The breeding season is over for laying, the only thing left is raising babies already hatched and molt is around the corner so the window is closed for the year.

 

[Shastasmom]

@petiteoiseau do you raise conures or have you personally raised them? I only ask because I've been raising conures for just shy of 20 years and this time of year, summer, is when my Suns kick in. My green cheeks bred in spring/summer or fall/spring, depending. A good diet is offered year around at my place with additional supplements given prior to the onset of breeding season and during laying, etc. Her GC's could very well nest yet, or they could take some time to settle in and not nest until next year. And, if you told my Quakers that their breeding season was "over for laying" they would not be too happy. They start laying in Mar/April and I have pairs on eggs and on chicks as we speak.

 

[melissasparrots]

My south american species will continue into August. Last year my amazons didn't even get started until July. I had an august 1st chick. The late start was because I didn't give a box until late June. They had already been mating for a few months. I've had quaker babies in December although I'm pretty sure that was because I'd just gotten them and they had a sudden hormone surge when put on a good diet. I don't call it the end of the breeding season until September. And that is birds that are on a solar light schedule.

I don't breed conures, but my guess would be that they just haven't had much time to get acclimated. Most of my mature pairs went into breeding condition within a few weeks of coming to live with me. However, none of them were on great diets before and had definite dietary issues to be addressed. I'm pretty sure it was the sudden abundance of good food and probably starting to feel better than they had for a long time. Once they had been here for a few years, they became very seasonal. My amazons are extremely seasonal. Any time from February to August or early September can have nesting activity. My smaller birds are less seasonal, although because I only offer a box in the summer now, they pretty much only nest in the spring, summer, early fall months.