How to Breed Feather Dusters

The name "feather duster" was given to budgies that suffer from a genetic mutation which makes their feathers grow constantly. Because these birds' feathers grow at such an accelerated pace, the feathers take precedence over the body when acquiring nutrients, often leaving the budgie malnourished and emaciated. These birds were first seen in 1966 and are thought to be a result of English budgie interbreeding. Even today, however, though budgies' familial pasts are investigated before breeding begins, feather dusters continue to be bred.

Things You'll Need

  • Pair of English show budgies
  • Adequate caging
  • Scissors
  • Food dish
  • Specialized diet
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Breed two budgies with English show budgie parentage to increase your chances of acquiring a feather duster budgie. However, doing this intentionally is highly ill-advised. Feather dusters experience a lower quality of life as compared with fellow budgies, as they are ignored by their mothers due to their different appearance. However, if one is bred accidentally, it is best to take care of it as gently as possible.

    • 2

      Pay close attention to the subsequent brood of budgies after breeding occurs. Feather dusters will, at first, appear to be the most impressive of the chicks because they are much larger than the rest. Their chirps are also much louder. However, after about three weeks, their feathers will appear long and curly when their brothers and sisters have straight feathers.

    • 3

      Trim the feather duster's feathers, particularly around the head. The feathers will soon grow to obstruct its vision, so it is important to keep the feathers around the eyes pared back. This should be done once a week. Part of the feather duster syndrome is a pair of short, flightless wings, so it is not as vital that the wing feathers be pruned.

    • 4

      Feed your budgie a diet rich in amino acids, methionine and lysine to keep it healthy. These nutrients are needed for feather growth, and their presence in a feather duster's body prevents the feather growth from depleting additional nutrients. Though these budgies spend much of their time eating in order to have enough nutrients to survive at all, breeders have found that incorporating nutrients that encourage feather growth helped feather dusters live longer, more normal lives.