The breeding of these small, hardy birds is easily accomplished as long as some general base rules are followed. You can follow the breeding guidelines for rosellas for the red-rumped parrot with very good results.
Things You'll Need
- Sexed pair of red-rumped parrots
- Hollow log, 24 inches long by 7 inches wide by 7 inches high
- 40"W X 16'L X 7'H aviary, 40 inches wide by 16 feet long by 7 feet high
- Mealworms
- Cockatiel seed mixture
- Canary seed
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- 2 glass water bottles
Instructions
Hang the hollow log at the top of the aviary in one of the corners where it is protected from too much light and drafts. Make sure that the log is at a 45 degree angle so that it mimics a natural hollow branch in the wild, or the red-rumped parrots may not use it to nest. The nest needs to be higher than any of the perches in the aviary to make the parrots feel safe.
Place several food dishes around the aviary so that different foods can be offered each day. One dish should hold the cockatiel seed mix and the canary seed. Another should have fresh fruits and vegetables added each day. Mealworms should be added to a third dish so that the birds will have a live, high-protein food source to get them into breeding condition.
Place a glass water bottle near the hollow log and one closer to the food. Always have two sources of water for birds, because food can clog the spouts of the water bottles causing the birds to die of thirst if the owner doesn't realize that the water supply has been cut off.
Check the nesting log regularly once eggs are laid to make sure that they haven't cracked or been damaged by the parents. Try to wait until the parents have left the log so that they don't get frightened and accidentally break their eggs while trying to escape the log.
Remove the babies for hand-feeding at three weeks of age so the parents can start the breeding cycle again and raise another clutch of eggs and so the babies are conditioned to being handled by people.