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bird Question:

Breeding A 5 Year Old Hand fed Ringneck

Hi, I was just wondering--I have a female Indian Ringneck who is 5 years old and she was originally a hand raised bird but has not been handled for at least 4 years. I would like to get a male and put it in with her, just wondering if it would be ok to do that, or am I better off getting a pair of birds that are already bonded?

Answer:

Dear Catherine Kennedy,

I'm assuming you are looking to breed your Ringneck, correct? If so, then you might have a good chance considering she has not been handled in such a long time.

You have two options to choose from. The first option is to attain a male and place them side-by-side in their own separate cages. I'll get to the second option in a second--let me elaborate on this option first.

It's important for now that each bird has its own cage due to the fact that a female Ringneck can be aggressive when she is not in the mood to breed. Unfortunately, many new breeders often find out the hard way by either having their male Ringneck seriously injured or killed by the female.

Two cages are perfect as this will allow the Indian Ringnecks to become acquainted before they are introduced. When the female starts spending a lot of time inside her nesting box cleaning it out, this is usually a great time to introduce the male. Just be sure to keep an eye on the female. If she's too aggressive, you'll either have to remove the male and place him back into his cage or clip the female's wings a bit. Clipping her wings slightly makes it difficult for her to catch the male should she try to kill him.

If the pair has successfully bred you might be able to get away with keeping the pair together forever. I myself keep pairs together throughout the year. I don't separate them and I find this works great. But again, it's important you know every bird is different and you have to keep your eyes open and watch your parrots carefully.

The other option, as you stated, is to purchase a pair that's already bonded. This may be a good option; however, your female might be a distraction to the breeding pair. If you choose this route it's important to keep the pairs separate to ensure the breeding pair can focus on breeding. Some Ringnecks are so caught up in protecting their territory that many pace back and forth inside their breeding cage and never get into breeding.

Another factor to think about is that having three Ringnecks will definitely increase your noise level. I myself have to worry about my neighbors as Ringnecks can be sentinels. There morning calls can be deafening as well as their evening calls.

I wish you all the luck in either finding a male for your female Ringneck or purchasing a new pair. It really is a joy to have these birds and I always look forward to the breeding season!

I hope this helps shed some light on the topic.

Best wishes, IMRAN-C