Strawberry breeding question.

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:39 pm

My berry hen is laying again but her mate molted a few months back and is no longer "red". If I set them up in a breeding cage are they likely to mate regardless of his feather color?

Crystal · Post by **Crystal** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:18 pm

I have read that cock birds can breed even when they are not in nuptial plumage, so here's hoping he agrees with the books!

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:13 am

Thanks Crystal.

I've been offering my birds mealworms 2-3 times a week for the past two weeks. So far, only the berries and cb's are eating them. I imagine the added protein put the berry hen in egg laying mode, not sure if I want to go to the trouble of setting up another cage as room is very limited at this time.

Sally H · Post by **Sally H** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:53 pm

Have they bred successfully in the past? Are you able to test to see if they're fertile?

tammieb · Post by **tammieb** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:43 pm

I've only had this pair since Dec. 05, I'm not certain about their past attempts. I believe they had one clutch for the previous keeper.

I haven't checked the eggs for fertility mainly cause I'm not able to set them up in a breeder cage at this time. I'm looking for a larger house. One that will allow me to seriously think about breeding my birds.

Sally H · Post by **Sally H** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 2:35 am

December 05 is when I was officially diagnosed with Avian Fever, too! Amazing how much these lil birds have effected my life in such a short time.

I hope you end up with some berry babies