Discouraging GCC Breeding

[Sung372]

Apologies for the novel. I am a very new parrot owner, and have recently brought two Green Cheek Conures into my life.

My first GCC is a 6 1/2 month old pineapple of unknown sex. I had a DNA test done last week, so still waiting on the results. The second came home with me a couple months later and is a 5 1/2 old turquoise pineapple whose hatch certificate says male. Will be getting him DNA tested as well, just to be sure.

They got along together fabulously right out of the gate, and still actively engage with me as well rather than just focusing on each other. But they get along so well, they have been exhibiting some rather distinct behavior. Male has been head bobbing and looking like he's regurgitating, trying to step on the pineapple's back. The pineapple puffing up and chasing the male around, trying to push their back ends together. I do my best to break it up when I see it getting started.

Given the possibility that I could have a viable breeding pair on my hands, I am interested in doing everything possible to avoid having babies that I am in no way qualified to raise and readily acknowledge I cannot devote the time required if for some reason the parents rejected the babies, if there were health concerns, etc.

Here's the facts:

They have separate cages, and are only out with each other when I am in the room and can supervise their interactions. So there is some "bump and grind" but I can usually divert them pretty quickly.

I live in Florida, so the days are ALWAYS long. I cover their cages at night, from around 10:30pm to 9am most days. Bed time has to be rather late or they wouldn't really have time to be out given I work all day out of the house.

On the other hand, my home is not an optimal nesting environment as it is never really completely dark or quiet and cozy. I have a teenage son and several dogs (completely separated from the birds at all times!). So lots of comings and goings.

There are no huts, tents, or anything nest like in their cages. They each have several perches of different types, both have selected their preference to sleep on.

I have been free feeding a pellet diet, supplemented with a seed / pellet mix, Nutriberries and fruit as treats. (They laugh in the face of my veggies or chop attempts.) Used mostly to encourage them to get back in their respective cages. This is one point I am wondering about...should I go to scheduled feeding times?

It is my hope that with these factors, the odds of having eggs appear would be relatively low. But I am really looking for advice from the experienced folks on this site to tell me what else I could do to improve my odds. (Excluding keeping them apart 100% of the time. If they don't go out together, there's no way either would get enough out of cage time during the week.)

Thanks in advance!

 

[ChristaNL]

Grinn, you may not be able to prevent matingattempts, but maybe your other one will also dna a male?


If anything happens I suggest a few fake eggs for the egglaying bird to play with and a very small omelette for yourself.
(Yes, before you even ask: I have eaten parrot-omelette and no, I was not impressed )

 

[LordTriggs]

well it sounds like you have a good set-up in terms of discouraging breeding, of course they will have the desire in them to mate and I would say it's not exactly the apocalypse if they do mate. Hopefully it'll turn out you have 2 boys then you have nothing to worry about

if they are a viable pair then your best bet would be to get a set of dummy eggs. Any time eggs are laid, wait until the momma isn't paying attention and quickly swap them out for the fake eggs, then momma can do her thing, get bored of the eggs and get her breeding mode out of the way

 

[EllenD]

The likelihood of them successfully mating and laying fertile eggs is quite low if they are housed separately and only allowed to be out-of-cage together while you are supervising them. As long as you are watching them whenever they are out together and you prevent them from mating as soon as you see them starting, then it's not the fertile eggs you have to worry about, but simply the egg-laying in-general, in regards to the health of your female (if you have a female).

What you have to worry about is that this type of behavior when they are out together may start to influence chronic egg-laying, which can be harmful to the health of a female bird under any circumstances. However, it sounds like you're doing everything possible to discourage egg-laying and hormonal behavior.

Make sure that both birds always have access to a cuttlebone and a mineral block inside of their cages, to provide adequate calcium...

****If you suddenly do find an egg in one of their cages, DO NOT provide any type of nest-box or nesting material for it, as this will only encourage more egg-laying and hormonal behavior; If you find any eggs laid in the bottom of a cage or in a food dish, etc., either remove it immediately, boil it for 20 minutes, let it cool, and then put it right back inside the cage, simply laying it on the bottom grate, OR remove it immediately, destroy it, and replace it with a plastic replacement on the bottom of the cage grate. And do this with each future egg that you find. Keep in-mind that females don't typically start laying on a clutch until there are at least 2, if not 3 eggs in the clutch, so wait and allow her to start laying on the fake or already-boiled eggs, and continue to be sure to replace or boil each future egg she lays. Allow her to sit on them for as long as she wants to, until she finally realizes they aren't going to hatch, gets bored with them, and stops laying on them, at which point you can throw them out or remove the plastic eggs if that's the way you go. Hopefully that will allow her hormones to run their course and knock her out of breeding season.

It sounds like you're doing everything possible to discourage them mating, but if they are actually starting the motions you describe, it is likely that you have one male and one female, although it's not unheard of that two males or two females will mate; Get both birds DNA tested so that you know for certain, as a "Hatch Certificate" means nothing in-regards to gender of the bird UNLESS the breeder specifically told you that they paid to have the bird DNA-tested, which is very unlikely unless the breeder also supplied you with a "DNA Certificate", or at the very least told you that a DNA-Test was included in the price of the bird. Otherwise, they simply gave you a Health Certificate from their Vet, who cannot sex a Green Cheek Conure visually. So it's good to know on both of them, don't just assume that the bird labeled as "male" on the Hatch Certificate is actually male, as again, they had no way of knowing at all unless they paid for DNA-Testing, which is very unlikely without you knowing and having proof of it.

Always remember that even if they do start mating, or start "sneaking around", or if they mate while you're not looking, you will never be in a situation where you HAVE TO have baby birds; you simply have to make sure to immediately boil any and all eggs as soon as they are laid, and this will not put you in any unwanted situations.