Corellas are one of the most interesting parrots. They are beautiful, artistic and quickly attached to the owner. Artistry should be understood as the ability of these birds to new tricks. They do not speak very well, but the tricksters are still those.
Is it possible to breed these parrots at home? Yes it is possible. Details on breeding Corell at home - in our article.
A little bit about the origin
The birthplace of Corell is Australia. Birds live there in groups of 10-50. They can be found near rivers and lakes. They are found in grassy steppes.
Appearance
The parrot is medium in size. About thirty centimeters tall. This is tailored. An adult bird weighs 100-150 grams.
A distinctive feature of the species is a crest on the head. The color can be either pale yellow or bright yellow.
Coral's color is unusual. And the male differs from the female in brightness. His body color is olive gray. The head and tuft are yellow, and a “blush” is growing on the cheeks. Male cheeks are colored red. Fly and tail feathers are velvet. Their color is black, with a bluish-gray tint. Corolla's beak is similar to the cockatoo's beak. Only much shorter.
The main color of the females is dirty gray. There are spots on the cheeks, but they are pale brown. The head and tuft are pale gray. In addition, "ladies" are smaller than males in size.
Interesting fact
Australian law prohibits the export of these birds from the country. All birds that are sold in Russian pet stores, our breeding. There are special farms that do this. Corelli breeders do not sell their birds at pet stores.
Where to buy a pet?
At the pet store you can purchase a representative of the species. There is a bird about 5000-6000 rubles. Depending on the region in which the store is located.
When buying a bird you must give a certificate of his health. If they don’t give it, ask. Before finding themselves on the trading floor, the birds are examined by an ornithologist.
It is better to get a parrot from a breeder. In Russia there are many nurseries where you can pick up a healthy and beautiful bird. In addition, it is recommended to buy a chick. In the nursery, this is feasible, which cannot be said about pet stores. Adult birds are sold there. And they are not always young.
The only moment: the chick from the nursery is expensive. Its price can be twice as high as in a pet store.
We select birds for breeding
Breeding of Corella parrots at home is quite possible. Before embarking on this issue, we’ll start by choosing future parents.
Birds should not be close relatives.
Physical and mental health is a basic rule for admission to breeding.
What does a healthy bird look like?
Corell breeding is a responsible process. It needs to be approached very scrupulously. As stated above, both parents must be healthy.
How to distinguish a healthy bird from a sick one? If the parrots are peppy, curious, willingly make contact and tweet loudly, they are healthy. At least there are no external signs of the disease.
After the purchase, it is recommended to visit an ornithologist. He will examine the birds, take the necessary tests from them. After all the procedures and 100% confidence in the health of parrots, you can think about breeding.
Suitable age
To breed Corella at home, you need mature birds. If the chicks are bought, let them grow up to one and a half years. Only then can we think about them becoming parents.
The appearance of chicks in too young a couple is fraught with consequences. Chicks rarely survive. They are weakened, and parents have no experience in raising such kids.
Closely related inbreeding
There are no particular difficulties in breeding Corella parrots. But there is a rule necessary for execution. There should not be any closely related crosses.
Someone will dismiss and say that the parrots have no kinship. It is not there, but no one has yet canceled genetics. The closely related inbreeding is used in livestock farming. But this is done in order to consolidate the outstanding results of a parent. And fixing them in descendants. Inbreeding is very responsible, misses are not excluded. Offspring are born ugly.
The same thing with the corals. From close relatives, such children are obtained that I want to cry over them. Here's what the chicks can expect:
With closely related breeding of chicks, Corella is simply a pity. If they survive, they will be birds with disabilities.
Suitable time for breeding
The ideal time for breeding Corelli is from May to October. Although they are able to give offspring throughout the year, it is advisable to adapt to the declared period.
What is needed for breeding?
Breeding parrots does not require much effort. They cost a minimum. You will have to spend money on good food. This is the only costly moment. You can make a nesting house yourself. If possible, you can buy.
House selection
As mentioned above, a nesting house can be made independently. Or buy it ready. Both options must meet certain requirements:
The dimensions of the house are 40 x 40 x 35.
An entrance, or a notch, must be at least eight centimeters in diameter. Under it is attached a perch. The best option is wooden. It is more resistant than plastic. Corella mother can taste the perch. The tree will not bring harm, unlike plastic.
The bottom of the nesting is insulated with sawdust. Pay attention to their grade. Suitable made from hardwood.
The house is located at the bottom of the cage. Or hangs inside her.
Choose a house with a hinged roof. It will be easier to clean it. Yes, and inspect the chicks easier.
You can not attach the nesting very high. When the chicks get out of it, they can fall to the bottom of the cage and break.
The presence of a house is one of the prerequisites for breeding Corell. Otherwise, the birds will refuse to breed. The eggs will remain empty.
Breeding conditions
It will be about external factors affecting the reproduction of parrots from Australia. These are temperature, humidity, lighting and the presence of irritants.
The temperature in the room where the cell with the nest is located should be 20-25 degrees above zero. Humidity is 60% or 70%.
Artificial lighting is required in winter. From May to October it is not needed.
Near the cage you can not make noise. Avoid screaming, loud music, or the TV in the room with her. Smoking in the same room with parrots is strictly prohibited. If the house has a cat or dog, do not allow them to contact with future parents. The female can get very excited. If this happens, she will leave the nest.
How to feed the birds before breeding?
A burning question is how to feed parrots: what to give to the corals during breeding.
It all starts with the preparatory period. If it is planned to obtain offspring in June, then in March birds are additionally fed. It will take three months to prepare future parents for the rearing of chicks. And as a food assistant is a vitamin-mineral mixture. You can buy it at a pet store. On the package it is indicated that the mixture is top dressing to stimulate the breeding of medium-sized birds.
What else should be on the Corellus menu?
Fruit. The more of them, the better for the birds.
Germinated grains of wheat. They are soaked before giving parrots.
Corn grains. One tablespoon is enough for a couple.
Greens.
Honey. Its amount does not exceed 3 grams. A treat is given along with a soaked cracker.
Hazelnuts and walnuts. In crushed form.
Branches of fruit trees.
These products are useful in preparation for breeding.
Feeding while hatching eggs
For successful breeding of the coral, the bird needs to be fed intensively at the time of hatching. Her diet is replenished with the following products:
oat seedlings;
steamed oats;
non-fat grainy curd;
boiled chicken eggs;
raw and boiled carrots;
red apples
citrus.
Hard boiled eggs. Cool, wipe through a fine grater. And after that they feed the birds.
Carrots are given in small pieces. And cottage cheese should not be in the trough of parrots for more than three hours. It can become sour, and pets will receive food poisoning.
Mating season
Want to get the progeny of Corell? You can start a pair of Corelli for breeding. Of course, if you are ready to provide them with everything necessary to start the process.
The mating season in Corell does not last long. Watching him is a pleasure. The male behaves like a true gentleman. Curls next to her friend, spreading her wings. Sings her serenades, gently caresses. As soon as the lady is in the nesting house, the male does not want to let her out of there.
The appearance of eggs
After the mating season, 8-10 days pass. And the first egg appears in the nest. It is small, white. After two or three days, the egg is laid again. The number of eggs in the clutch reaches 6 pieces. Very rarely, but there are 7-8 eggs.
Hatching lasts 20-23 days. The Corellas hatch babies in turn. The closer the most crucial moment, the more responsibilities are assigned to the female. future father guards the house and brings food. And the female hatches eggs.
Emergence of chicks
The most crucial moment in breeding Corell is the appearance of babies. They hatch in the order in which the eggs were laid. Kids are very ugly. They are completely naked, pink in color, with their eyes closed.
After the female bred offspring, she is not disturbed. The first cleaning in the nest is carried out after 14 days. Provide parents with dim lights at night. This will help them cope with the feeding of the chicks.
Speaking of the feeding process. He's pretty funny: the female spits food right into the baby's beaks. At the same time, mom holds the chick by its beak, and she shakes her head up and down.
Corell breeding as a business
The question is quite provocative. But let's be honest, they are selling chicks. And they have a good income from this.
There is a small but. The fact is that you can profit from the sale of kids. But only to those breeders who have proven themselves in this matter. Nobody argues with the fact that you can sell chicks and with the help of ads on well-known Internet resources. However, the people became literate. Many people understand that it’s calmer to buy a bird in the nursery. At least her health is guaranteed. Patients or old parrots are often sold on the Internet.
Alternatively, you can take the chicks to pet stores. Make a huge profit on this will not succeed, of course. But the minimum wage will be. Only first you need to weigh everything. Will the feeding and maintenance of the parents pay off, feeding the chicks with the money that can be obtained for the baby.
Breeding problems
There are many problems with breeding Corell. Both breeders and ordinary people who decided to try themselves in this field. The main troubles that you have to face are:
Birds ignore each other. This may be due to too young birds. Or a gay couple.
The Corellians sort things out. It also happens that a couple scandals all the time. Most likely, parrots do not like each other. This often happens among Corellas.
The female made a laying, and the chicks are in no hurry to hatch. All conditions are met. Birds received good nutrition before breeding. The house is installed as it should. Time goes by, and the offspring do not hatch. This happens when the eggs are not fertilized. If you take an egg from the nest and examine it in the light, you can see it. Empty eggs are too light. And in the fertilized, dark spots are visible.
Chicks hatched, but died. This may be due to a lack of food for babies. Another option is cold. Mother feeds them, but does not warm well. If the cause is hunger, you will have to look for the adopted mother's children. In the event that the female cannot heat them, this indicates that she is under stress. In this case, they enter the room with the birds only in order to put food for them and change the drinker.
Conclusion
Corell breeding is a responsible process. It is not as complicated as it might seem. With the strict implementation of the recommendations, the chicks will certainly be born.
One last tip: after they grow up, seed the chicks by gender. As noted above, early crossbreeding leads to problems. Especially - closely related.