First, you have to realize that A) Breeders rarely make good pets and B) Good pets rarely make good breeders. So, If you buy a breeder pair, you should not buy babies. They will see each other as siblings, and be imprinted on humans. They are less likely to want to breed, and even less likely to have the ability to parent their babies. If you must breed, you are better off buying a proven breeding pair and not handling them as pets.
Yes I do realize the issue of tame pet birds becoming aggressive once breeders, but I'm aware some do go back to being tame pets after breeding season is over. If not, I will have an aviary outside for them. This would be hard losing them as pets, but if I go into it knowing this is very likely to happen if I breed them, and possibly also plan to keep one of their babies as my tame pet bird, that should help prepare me for it.
I don't think I would risk buying a 'proven pair' it seems too risky and suspicious for why they are being sold in the first place like there is a problem with them. Then I could be stuck with 2 birds which are neither tame pets or breeders
Aren't birds like most other animals regarding being siblings and mating, where it doesn't matter to them? Of course my pair will not be siblings, I plan on buying them as babies from different breeders, but I mean even if they see each other as siblings which you suggested, will they not still breed?
In reply to other points people have raised:
I understand it must be emotionally very difficult to witness a baby bird die and it is going to happen some time because it does in nature, despite all efforts. I want to make sure the mother bird is as healthy as possible through diet and lifestyle before she lays any eggs. I think I would take the baby birds to hand rear them as early as possible to prevent them being hurt by the parent birds, perhaps even take them while still eggs (need to research this further). And educate myself on hand rearing, just like everyone else who has done it. Though that doesn't guarantee the babies would survive, it would give them the best chance and that's all any breeder can do for any type of animal.
Buy necessary equipment to hand rear them is a once off purchase, so wouldn't be on ongoing cost except for the feed formula obviously oh and electricity for an incubator.
I would expect to make a bit of money from selling the babies after all the time and effort put into hand rearing them, but like Karen said it would be the equivalent of pennies per hour of work put in, I'm fine with that.
Saying my reasons for wanting to breed birds isn't good enough, they aren't a hobby etc.... you could say that about most animal breeders, they do it because they love their animals and enjoy it, what's wrong with that? Surely it's a good thing. People saying that must be against breeding animals at all.
It's not like I'm someone who doesn't care about bird welfare and isn't interested in getting better educated, who just wants to breed a bunch of the most expensive Macaw birds so they can make a big profit and couldn't care less how they are treated or if they are suffering.
Also I would never think of them as 'toys', how insulting...
Vet bills? I don't know much about avian vets. I kept a few small parakeets years ago and never took them to the vet, (I trimmed nails myself) birds are quite hardy animals in general, maybe the bigger they are the less true that is and the more veterinary treatment they need?
But they don't cost like dogs and cats needing yearly vaccinations, preventative flea and worm treatments all year round, yearly check ups where they listen to the heart beat etc. Of course you can choose to do vet check ups but it isn't a necessity unless there's a problem I wouldn't waste money on that, seen a lot of people on this site saying the vets did nothing to help and the bird died anyway. You can research a lot of things yourself on how to diagnose and treat pets these days which I've done successfully before....obviously for minor things, I'm not talking about performing surgery yourself
No I don't have experience breeding birds but neither did anyone else when they first started, we all have to start somewhere, I'm educating myself on it before I do anything.
I know a bit about the 2, 3, 4 hourly feedings for chicks and I am able to devote that time to them as I'm a house wife so can mostly make up my own schedule.
The emotional cost is weighing heaviest on my mind right now. Seeing the babies not make it, even though it's natural for some not to, and if they do -having to give them away after all the time and care you have put into them. I don't think trying to see them as not mine from the very start and trying to detach myself from them would work after all the time spent together. I'm sorry for the sad experiences of some posters here, thank you for that insight it was hard to read, poor babies and parronts
For those who asked, my chosen bird is the green cheeked conure.
