Hello! I just adopted a pair of ringnecks. The male is blue, no age info but around 9 or 10 years old and the female is a lutino who is 11 years old (banded). I have heard that many have a hard time breeding this species and others say it is easy. Any advice?
I'd say it really depends on the birds you have. Any particular reason you're looking into breeding them? Looking to expand the flock, looking to sell, looking to just raise babies? Regardless of the reason, it's important to know if you feel it's worth the risks involved - raising babies can end in heartbreak even if the pair produces a clutch and the eggs hatch. Maybe first time couples do not know how to raise their babies, and if you're not 100% educated and prepared, as horrible as it is, you could have a chick die in your hands if you have to take over for the young couple.
The conditions you have and the birds you have are the biggest variables, I'd say, in breeding - proper food and setup and space can alter the chances of breeding even coming to mind in the birds, and the babies being healthy depends greatly on the diet the parents get - but also the overall health and stress level of the parents.
It's hard to say without knowing the situation the birds are in, and what the birds are like - and if they were adopted together? If they have never met, there is no guarantee they will breed just because they're male and female. If they have, there's still no guarantee - just like two humans aren't guaranteed to want to produce offspring just because they know each other and are compatible to do so.
Some things that would help the folks here see if conditions are right/conducive/healthy:
- What's their diet like? Pellets? Seeds? What brands? (this is to know if it's a good quality safe kind of food/seed mix and if it provides the nutrition they need to function/would need to rear chicks)
- What kind of cage(s?) do they have? Dimensions? Photos are good too.
- What kind of environment are they in? How many people are around them? Any other pets around that they might see? Some pets would cause potential high stress (cats, dogs, rodents) and others would likely only perk their interest (a fish tank across the room) - any other birds they can hear? Window nearby? How much sunlight do they get in a day?
- What are they like behavior and personality wise? Are they social? Do they talk together/preen/do bonding activities? Do they squabble and fight? Are they frightened when you pass by the cage? Do they panic when you reach in to replace their food/water?
Also, babies are extra sensitive - birds are sensitive critters to begin with, but take away their feathers, make them tiny and helpless, and still have developing immune systems to keep them from getting sick? The dangers are high. They're fragile and even with the best conditions, you could end up with a loss - as i stated, if you want to, it's important to know if you feel your reasons are worth taking the risks involved. As the caretaker of the birds, the babies are your responsibility.
Not to sound discouraging, please know that - I just take the topic very seriously and if you end up breeding them, I'd want to be able to say you know exactly what you're getting into, and that no one failed to warn you of anything so that you would be prepared to avoid disaster, and know how to handle it if it arises.
