IMPORTANCE OF SUNLIGHT IN CONDITIONING AND BREEDING

Birds need sunlight. It plays a vital role in birds life and well being. Without sunlight will not be able metabolize or absorb any nutrition properly.

Advantages of proper sunlight

Birds have healthy appetite

Stress free

Screech less

Bite less

Have a better feather condition.

12 hours of sunlight stimulates breeding behavior

The role of Harderian Gland in metabolism of the bird

Vitamin D is the most important nutrient for the proper absorption of calcium. Vitamin D is produced through direct sunlight, or through diet. It can be supplement with Vitamin D supplements. Without Vitamin D birds can not digest anything properly. But that is not the end of it.

Birds require sunlight for other reasons also and Vitamin D does not play any part in it.There sunlight is a must or a source of light near to sunlight. There is a gland that surrounds the bird’s eye, called Harderian Gland. It measures the duration of light – called the photoperiod – and passes the information along to the pineal gland. The pineal gland and the pituitarygland both act as regulators to the endocrine system, and therefore to the entire metabolism of the bird. There duration of sunlight plays a vital role in stimulating the breeding cycle.

Disadvantages of poor sunlight :

• Poor appetite
• Stress
• Screeching
• Feather plucking
• Poor feather condition
• Poor nutrition absorption by the body
• Slow metabolism
• Lower immune system
• Out of breeding condition.

Parrots need proper sunlight or UV light to see the surrounding in vibrant colors. If not they see in black and white.

It is very important to understand that birds preserve light very differently from the humans. Sunlight affects their behaviour and eating habits and stimulates the breeding hormones. Birds breeding hormones can be controlled by controlling the duration light source.

PREPARING FOR THE BREEDING SEASON

1. Check the breeding stock for overall health condition.

2. Breeding stock should be free from internal and external parasites. Hence should be treated with anti- parasitic medication before the beginning of the breeding season. If the breeding stock is infected with parasites it will lead to loss of condition, Infected will transmit the parasites to other healthy breeding stock, leading to poor fertility, habitability and poor quality of chicks.

3. Nail trimming is very important as sharp nails will hinder proper mating, as the female will not be comfortable during the mating process, leading to incomplete or unsuccessful mating leading to infertile eggs.

4. In heavily feathered birds it is advisable to trim the feathers around the vent for both male and female bird. This improves the possibilities of fertile eggs.

(*This technique has worked for me. when I had issues with infertile eggs of Canaries and Show Budgerigars and Show Finches.)

5. Lameness and amputated limbs are a reason for infertile eggs, more so in case of male that is lame or has an amputated limb.

(* I have had fair success with females with lameness or amputated limbs.)

6. Treat birds with respiratory tract infection before the start of breeding season. As a bird suffering from Mycoplasma can be transmitted through mating infecting the eggs and embryo.

7. Avoid inbreeding, as excessive inbreeding lead to birds with low immune system and fertility. Inbreeding causes many breeding issues apart from infertility, leading to infertile eggs, Early embryo death, Dead in Shell and deformities.

8. Some mutations have very weak immune system with poor fertility or genetic glitch if interbred. It is better if they are paired with normal or splits, so that they produce a more healthy stock.

PARROT BREEDING ISSUES

It is very important that the female is kept in a good breeding condition. For a successful and productive breeding season. The diet plays an important role in the birds breeding condition. Poor diet will lead to malnourished and rich diet will make the bird obese. Both the conditions will not bring the female into breeding condition. So it is very important to provide well balanced diet, with the species in mind.

House the birds in flight cages during the non breeding season. Do not provide any proteins during this period.At the beginning of the breeding season introduce protein supplement. Studies have shown that there is increase of intake of proteins during the breeding season in the wild, Introducing proteins during breeding season in captivity. It improves fertility in both male and female, it also increases hormonal stimulation leading to increased sexual activity in both male and female and ovulation rate in female.

But it is very important that the birds are kept in stress free condition, with minimum disturbance and distraction. In case everything is in order and still there are breeding issues then the reason for it could be due to some infection. Which would need to be treated.

Article Source : Sadiq Bhaimia Sir