The Mandarin Diamond is a very small, sweet and active bird. Many people find this animal a wonderful companion animal, as well as the possibility of seeing a bird raise and socialize it at an early age, which will make it possible for it not to live permanently locked up.
A mandarin diamond usually lays several times a year, approximately 5 to 7 eggs each, and it is not difficult to carry out even if you do not have experience. For this reason, currently it is not only professional or amateur breeders who carry out this process, but anyone can start and discover the wonderful experience of mandarin diamond breeding
Yes, do not forget that these are living beings that deserve respect and a good quality of life, for that reason, you must act responsiblyif you consider breeding mandarin diamonds, paying attention to their care, veterinary care, finding responsible homes for the chicks and avoiding promoting inbreeding, which favors the appearance of mutations and genetic diseases.
The perfect couple
Before starting to breed the Mandarin diamond, it will be essential to choose "the perfect partner" that must meet certain requirements. Remember that nowadays more and more people decide to have a diamond as a pet, for this reason it is not strange that there are more situations of abandonment. We encourage you to look at exotic animal centers mandarin diamonds for adoption
Choose two adult specimens that are not related to each other and, if you want mixed offspring, you can select one common gray and one masqué for instance. It is also ideal to look for two specimens that have somewhat different physical characteristics so that they compensate each other. In principle they will not have coexistence problems once together. Breeding season is during spring although diamondbacks breed all year long.
The Mandarin Diamond Breeding Cage
To control and observe the entire process, we recommend using a breeding cage, that is, a small cage. Look for one of 130 x 80 cm. for instance.
In the cage you can not miss the food in Mandarin diamond seeds, fresh and clean water and cuttlefish bone. Do not use too many toys so as not to excessively reduce their movement inside the cage. You can add Tabernil to the water (vitamins) and offer breeding paste (cereals and insectivora) in one of the feeders, all of which predisposes the he alth of the diamond and favors reproduction. Also remember the importance of offering them fruits and vegetables recommended for mandarin diamonds.
Add a closed nest, which are their favourites, to the top of the cage and leave hair on the floor within easy reach of goat that you will find in stores. You will notice that one of the two (or both) begin to pick it up and place it inside the nest.
Copulation and laying
Once the pair is in the cage with the nest the courtship begins The male flutters and sings to the female to conquer her, I may not be able to copulate at first, be patient. You will see the male flutter just above the female while she emits some very particular noises, copulation is taking place.
Once the female is fertilized, it won't take long for her to lay her eggs in the already assembled nest. Don't touch anything It is very important that you leave space for them and that you observe them from a distance and with caution, otherwise they could leave the nest. Keep offering them a variety of food so that everything is in the best conditions.
Laying, incubation and birth
The female will begin to lay eggs, it is important that you be careful if you hear her make some weak and sad sounds. If you see that for a day it does not lay any eggs and it is very swollen and thick, it could be a stuck egg This happens in young specimens. Take it very carefully and caress the belly to facilitate the expulsion. If this is not the case and her condition worsens, take her quickly to the vet.
Once the 5th egg is laid, the diamond couple takes turns hatching them. It is a very special moment because both parents participate in this process together. During the day they usually take turns, and at night they will both sleep in the nest.
In a period of about 13 - 15 days the first chicks will begin to hatch You will hear how they make sounds asking their parents for food. It is important that the brood paste is not lacking at this point of the brood and that you continue without touching them, it is normal for there to be feces in the nest, do not try to clean them.
Mandarin Diamond Growth
At 6 days it is recommended to ring them although many breeders prefer not to do so in case it could cause damage to the birds' legs. Subtract at your choice. The days will go by and you will notice that the mandarin diamond chicks start to grow: their feathers will sprout, they will spend more time in each feed, etc.
If one of the chicks is expelled from the nest it may be because it is a weak or sick individual that the parents do not want to feed. You can start doing it yourself with a syringe.
Separation
If you are looking to feed a mandarin diamond yourself, so that it becomes your faithful friend, you must separate it from its parents at 20 or 25 days. It is still a baby food and for that reason for at least 15 or 20 more days you will have to feed it as its parents would:
- Whistle and he will answer you when he's hungry
- Puts the food slowly down his throat using a small syringe
- Touch its throat and you will see that it is full
If you don't do it properly your little chicks could die, be constant.
If this is not your choice, leave him with his parents until he is 35 or 40 days old. At that time the mandarin diamond should already show the orange peak and be practically developed. If you notice that the male tries to breed again while the chicks have not finished developing, separate him and leave only the mother and chicks in the cage.
Once these 35 or 40 days have elapsed, you must separate all the diamonds by sex in different aviaries, if you do not do this, the male will begin to chase his own daughters with the aim of raising or the sons to its own mother, which poses the aforementioned risks to the he alth of future offspring.
Location of new birds
We recommend you separate Mandarin diamonds by sex as this will avoid conflicts, jealousy and consanguinity (they may try to reproduce between relatives). You can look for a cage of 1 meter long x 70 wide so that each group of birds is comfortable and has room to fly. If, on the other hand, you want them to be all together, you should look for a flier.
Remember the Basic Items for the Mandarin Diamond Cage:
- Greed/sand from shells on the ground
- Branches and wooden sticks
- Fresh, clean water
- Seeds, fruit, vegetables and alfalfa
- Cuttlefish bone or calcium
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