Raising and Breeding Budgies (Parakeets) or tame Doves? Also, Sexing them?

Question

Hello! I have raised a baby dove with special Kaytee hand feeding formula. I named him Baby and soon he was weined and my mom set him free (by accident). He was wild from the start... My neighbors saw a nest in their tree being attacked by Blue Jays (the mean birds!) and brought it up to me. No vets would take him, and the nearest rehab was hundreds of miles away, so I cared for him. He now lives with his new friend he found a few hours after being released. I sometimes see him flying around my house (It was only a couple days ago). My parents told me later that night that I could get a young pair of doves or parakeets, my choice. They said I did really well with the wild dove that they expected to die that same night, and I saved his life (His sibling sadly died from the attack). They said since I had all the stuff and some of the knowledge needed, they would let me have a YOUNG pair of either. They want me to buy the young pair and tame them. They then said I could breed them and raise their babies.

I would love ANY information on how to s*x, raise, breed, and care for them. Remember, it could be a pair of doves or parakeets... Also, how to pick out a pair from a pet store... What are good and bad signs?

Thanks!

PS: I know that it is a large commitment and challenge and all... I will deal with whatever comes my way, even raising the chicks on my own (with my mom/dad's help when I am gone).

Answer 1

Well to make sure they are young for parakeets you should look at their forehead and if it has many stripes on its head that means its younger. You should get cuttlebone millet spray (treat only) food, water, remember to change the p**p every day and put some sort of newspaper, paper towel in the cage. You have to have some sort of a nestbox in order for the two birds to breed. A thing about the chicks is the p**p sometimes gets on their beaks and will suffocate them or on their feet and they might get deformed so you need to wash them daily. Make sure you get the ones which are really active meaning they are healthy. When the birds are young it is hard to tell if it is male or female because they are not fully formed. Try to see if the birds beak is blue or brown. Females tend to be more agressive and bite a lot harder than the males. There is a 50/50 chance you'll either get an aggresive one or calm one. If you get an aggressive one it will not let you hold it and bite so you will have to train it to not bite. (all about Budgies) and i am not sure about doves

Answer 2

I'm actually going to get a couple pairs of parakeets myself in a couple days. and i found a wonderful site of over 900 articles about parakeets. its really cool. i read over 4 hours of it yesterday and that wasn't even half of it.

Answer 3

Hello.

you have  very long and complicated questions ...lol...

I breed both doves ( Ringneck ) and parakeets . To s*x the doves ...male usually bounces up and down to court the female , female is mostly passive ...if you buy from a breeder ( like me ...lol...) they would know male & female and choose for you a right pair . If you buy  from  pet stores , they usually don't know much and chances are , you can end up buy an inbreed pair ( brother & sister  or father and daughter ) that's not good and if they have the babies , they would die young with lot of sick ness . Breeding doves is not hard , you can check at www.dovepage.com to find breeders near you for a pair of doves to buy . In there, they have some info how to breed them too .

About parakeets , they are not hard to breed either , but they want more attention if you want them to bond with  you . ( if you want a pair to breed , it is not good to be bonded ) the male parakeet >>>at the cere , above the beak , if it is blue , then it is a boy, if it is pink or purple , then it is a girl , check on line at www.hoobly.com to find a breeder near you to buy them . The breeders would tell you how to raise them ...good luck !  

Answer 4

Well of course they need-

food

water

cage

next box

pine shavings

and more.

Oh and they need to be healthy,

other than that your good to go.