Inbreeding... Help!

[Nicola]

Hi everyone I have recently put 2 nesting boxes in our aviary. One pair Dave and Tess lay eggs but don't produce any chicks. They are quite old! The four other birds left are Lilly, Romeo Georgia and Gilbert. I am hoping Lilly and Romeo will pair up, but if they do, Georgia and Gilbert will probably want to start breeding as well and they're brother and sister. If Georgia and Romeo pair up, then Lilly and Gilbert will probably pair up and they're mother and son! In shorter words, Lilly is Georgia and Gilberts mum. I didn't add another nesting box as I didn't want Georgia and Gilbert to breed together (Romeo is interested in Lilly) I really need some help!!!

Nicola

[sydney]

Easiest option for you to prevent in breeding is buy a suitable cage attach a nest box and breed the pair you want to breed in there instead of colony breeding this way there's no risks

[Nicola]

Ok thanks Sydney. I was hoping not to separate them as they don't like being away from each other. I was also hoping not to buy more birds. But that probably makes it hard doesn't it!?

Nicola

[brian1]

Hi Nicola I have read it, and I did say before to put them in a separate breeding cage, it would take a lot of pressure off you and the birds,
It is the only way to go..........hope this helps

[Nicola]

Thanks Brian. What is the chance that inbred chicks would have something wrong with them?
Example: 20% / 80%

Nicola

[Hezz]

You won't know that until something very obvious shows up. You may have what looks like a perfectly healthy chick on the outside, but you have no idea what the genetics have done to the chick's makeup. For example - There are a lot of seemingly normal-looking people who have mental and physical problems, but this is not obvious just from looking at them. Why take the risk?

[Nicola]

Would inbred chicks with something wrong with them be in pain?

Nicola

[BudgiesBuddy]

It's very likely.

[Nicola]

Ok thanks everyone for your help. I think I will try breeding. We never know though, they might not lay or produce any chicks.

Nicola

[sydney]

Or don't breed at all is the best choice if you don't want to separate them. Or if your sticking to that plan buy dummy eggs and replace the related pairs egg with duds then no wat of getting deformed chicks

[Bird Junky]

Hi One thing I'd like to point out is the problems caused

by an inadequate supply of boxes. Birds won't breed

just because you haven't given them a box. In a colony

more boxes should be provided than required to give choice

prevent squabbling. Any birds you don't want to mate/breed

should be removed. More pairs than boxes will lead to

blood shed

As to your inbreeding, Back in the 80's

when breeders were trying to increase their stocks of

crested budgies. There were hundreds of deformed birds

hatched, dead in shell. short lived. Some only weeks.

In fact it was so bad that at the time it was believed that

crest to crest possessed a killer gene. Not that many

breeders admitted breeding them. The very small ones

are often referred to as runts By breeders & discarded

as they were usually disabled in

some way or other with Skeletal Displasia, Eye & Feather

problems. Occasionally Prejorative Dwarfs are born to

humans & animals. Leading to breeds like, Dwarf Rabbits

& the Falabella miniature horse. I once kept a little

stud of Dwarf Crested Budgies, each one not much bigger than a

Zebra Finch. Sorry I do tend to ramble a bit..... Yours B. J.

[Nicola]

Good idea Sydney, I might try that.

Thanks B.J. All this information was very helpful. Do you think I should try breeding them?

Nicola