How to Breed a Pocket Parrot

Know the specifics for the type of pocket parrot that you are keeping. Different breeds have different requirements and breeding ages. For example, most parrotlet species have to be one year old to breed, but Mexicans, Yellow Faces and Blue Wings must be two years old. Also, Mexican parrotlets are the only variety that may be safely colony-bred; the rest may not be housed with more than two birds per enclosure.

Accept that you may lose the first clutch. Even though parrotlets are generally excellent parents, first-time breeding pairs nearly always have problems. This is not abnormal, and most pairs will produce multiple clutches in the same year. The exception is Mexican parrotlets, which only have one clutch a year and breed only in late summer.

House your breeding pair in a cage no smaller than 18 inches tall, 24 inches wide and 24 inches deep. The pair may also be bred in flights that are three to six feet long. Mexican and Yellow Face pocket parrots breed better in flights.

Attach a nest box to the outside of the cage. Hang it on the front, so that the box hole faces only the inside of the cage. The nest box should be six inches tall, ten inches wide and seven inches deep. A nest box with a removable lid will make it easier to observe hatchlings and watch for problems that may develop.

Fill the nest box with untreated pine shavings to within two inches of the hole in the box. Some species, like the Green Rumps, are prone to discarding nesting material and it will need to be replaced while others, like the Mexicans, will sometimes loose the eggs in the shavings if they are too deep. Some trial-and-error experimentation may be necessary.

Provide a space to breed where the pair can hear but not see other pocket parrots. You may divide cages by wood or even cardboard if necessary to prevent the birds from becoming stressed or territorial at the sight of other birds.

Feed the parents as much as they can eat. Clutch size is directly affected by food availability, so the more food, the more babies. Make sure to offer fresh fruit and vegetables daily in addition to the seed, egg-food, bread, rice, pasta, beans and potatoes that the parrotlets normally eat. Make ample amounts of calcium available to the hen. Egg production is very taxing for a bird that experiences calcium deficiencies, so give the hen access to a cuttlebone and a mineral block. Calcium powder may also be sprinkled onto food.

Observe for mating signs. When ready, the male will investigate the nest box. Once he determines that it is safe and sturdy, he will call the female into the box. Once mating has happened, the female will lay her clutch. Most breeds produce four to eight eggs, but Pacifics have been known to have clutches of up to 10 healthy eggs. The hen will lay one egg every other day or so and the eggs will hatch after 21 to 24 days. The hen will generally not leave the nest box from several days before laying until after each baby is gone, which can total up to 10 weeks at most. The female will incubate the babies while the male offers food and protection to the hen and chicks.

Leave the chicks with the parents until they are 10 to 14 days old, at which time you can remove them and put them into a brooder. Removal should be done extremely carefully, as the mother will fiercely defend her babies. Using a piece of cardboard, push the mother away and corner her while you remove the babies, and then let her go.

Set the brooder to 89 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Hand feed the babies with a spoon or oral syringe every few hours, but not at night, using parrotlet or parrot formula. The exception is extremely young chicks, which may receive their last feeding at 2:00AM.

Begin introducing solid foods, like finely chopped fruits and vegetables, millet spray, whole grain bread, cooked rice and pasta, at about four to five weeks. Continue feeding with formula, gradually weaning the babies off of it by six weeks.

Place the babies in large weaning cage at five weeks, with low perches and food provided on paper plates. Provide plenty of toys for the babies to play with during this time as well. Some breeds, like the Blue Wings and Spectacles, may take longer -- up to eight weeks -- to be totally weaned.

Care for the babies as normal, giving lots of love and attention, after weaning. The more you handle the young birds, the more likely they are to grow up into great pets.