How not to breed!!! ???

[orange]

Hiya,

I have posted this question on kakariki.net but didn't get a huge amount of info so I thought I would try it here just in case, so forgive me if you have seen it b4!
I have a hen kakariki and am planning on getting one of Scullys babies.
I want to get a male because everyone says how lovely they are and also because I think Puku will like to have a bf, however I don't want to breed them at all. I would like for them to be in the same cage though so that they can be proper buddies rather than at a distance. So my question is if I don't put a nesting box in will they be able to sucessfully breed? Or should I keep them in seperate cages?
I realise that I have to quarantine the new birdie....mind you if it is not from a shop do I still have to do this? I assume I do.

Oh sorry...thats more than just one question!!! Anyway, thanks for any advice!

[lin]

Hi and welcome! Excuse my jealously - I can't find a kak anywhere where I live, and it seems like everyone else has one

Yep, you still need to quarantine. Even though the bird is coming from the lovely Scully's house, it is better to be safe than sorry. And when you introduce them, let them be in the same room for a couple of days, then some supervised flying time, and only cage together when they are happy with that.

As far as breeding goes, birds will only breed when conditions are right. This includes adequate food and water, which of course caged birds have. They also need a decent nest site. Not necesarily a box either, they will shred newspaper etc and make a nest.

The last thing they need to breed is daylight of at least 12 hours. This is something you can easily control. Cover them for 12-14 hours a day, and you shouldn't have any breeding. You will always find exceptions to the rule, but in most cases, if you can reduce the hours of light, you can stop the urge to breed.

Oh, and because you are taking one of Scully's babies we will expect constant updates and photos :D99+

[Admin]

What lin says lol

Also, if you do find the odd egg in the bottom of the cage, just remove it, without a nest box they shouldnt try too hard to mate. One last tip, if mating is a BIG no no, line the bottom of the cage with wood based cat litter/wood shavings, dont use shredded paper and hay as this is their favorite nesting material

Hope this helps

[orange]

Thanks for your advice guys....although after reading Scullys new post I don't know whether to get a male after all!!

[orange]

Would it stress them out living together without being having the oppotunity to breed??
I have posted a reply to Scullys post and would appreciate expert advice on the matter, I am so confused all of a sudden!! : )

[Admin]

No it wouldnt stress them at all, they can still get up to antics but it just wont lead to chicks lol

[orange]

Oh good....just want them to be happy little guys!