I love this so much!!!

[DaCoSim]

I am loving my sweet baby, Midori. She is just a doll. She and my youngest, Jake, have a pretty special bond, also. She seems to really like my husband and step daughter, too. She prefers me most, and I'm not complaining, lol!!! She seems to be trying to say step up. She mumbles alot also. She is eating pretty well, and is only taking about half a syringe of formula in the evenings. She is a very cuddly little thing. We doze on the couch together alot after we get the older kids off to school. She sleeps in the crook of my neck or on my chest OR upside down in the palm of my hand. She really has me thinking that I would love to do this one day.

My husband and I would like to move to Austin or near Austin in a few years, and rather than working outside of the house, I think I may get into the breeding business. I know I still have lots to learn, but my breeder said she would teach me all, and I DID basically go to school for birds, lol. I think I want to start out with 4 pr of gcc's (2 turquoise,2 ys,1 nor w/ cin, and 1 nor w/ pine). I also want to breed parrotlets, if possible. I have a deal on 2 big quad cages through a friend of my breeder, along with a brooder box. I think I may just learn whatever I can from her this year, and then maybe start slowly getting supplies next year like one set of cages and the brooder box. By the next year, I can get the first pr and hand raise them myself and pair them up. If i can slowly build up to 4 pair, I figure it will help with the start up cost rather than doing it all at once. My breeder will also sell to me at a cheaper price if I get them before weened and do it myself. I have not seen many gcc breeders listed in Austin, so maybe I would be able to do well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated : )

 

[cdog]

I hope you really consider the commitment of handfeeding and breeding. What if something goes wrong in the nest and you have to pull a newborn and feed it every hour around the flock. Even two week old babies need to be fed every two-3 hours with 5 hours of sleep. It is the most stressful thing I have ever done, worrying if you have the right formula consistency, temp. And you make little to no money handfeeding. Once you calculate the cost of food, the electricity for the brooder it doesn't add up to what you would get selling it.
On the plus side you get to watch them grow up. They look at you like you are their mom, they love to cuddle too. But then you have to find a way to sell your babies after putting so much time and effort into them. Then you have to make sure they get good homes.
I wish you the best of luck should you choose to do this.

 

[DaCoSim]

Thx! Like i said, this is kind of a 5 year plan. I will be working very side by with my breeder. She has 24 prs of breeder birds. I am going to even possibly start taking 1 or 2 babies home with one of her brooder boxes after some training so I can hand raise at home, one as a help to her, and 2 for practice.