Health

🏠 Breeding Setup

• Cage size: 1.5–2m long, 60cm wide, 1.2m high

• Nest box: Vertical or L-shaped, approx. 25cm high with a 6cm entrance hole

• Nest material: Soft wood shavings or untreated sawdust

• Privacy: Quiet, low-traffic area is ideal

🥚 Egg Laying & Incubation

• Clutch size: 3–6 eggs

• Incubation: 18–21 days, mostly by the female

• Hatching: Chicks hatch blind and featherless, spaced 1–2 days apart

🐣 Chick Development

• Feeding: Female feeds chicks initially; male feeds female

• Fledging: Around 4–5 weeks of age

• Weaning: Fully weaned by 6–7 weeks

• Moulting: First body moult at 9–10 weeks; full adult plumage in second year

🧼 Hygiene & Health

• Clean nest boxes regularly to prevent mites and infections

• Monitor for parasites, especially since they forage on the ground

• Supplement diet with egg food, soaked oats, and greens during breeding

🧠 Tips for Success

• Avoid housing with other Neophema species to prevent hybridization

• Provide calcium supplements (e.g., cuttlebone) for egg-laying females

• Ensure low-stress environment with minimal disturbances

🐥 Young Birds

• Begin moulting at 9–10 weeks, starting with body feathers.

• Reach full adult plumage in their second year.

• Can be visually sexed after first moult.

• No strong pair bonds; males and females can be housed separately until paired.

🏠 Accommodation

• Protect from cold and damp, especially in northern climates.

• Aviary: Minimum 2m long; Breeding cage: 1.5–2m long, 60cm wide, 1.2m high.

• Avoid low-tier cages and exposure to drafts.

• Can be housed with finches and canaries, but not with other Neophema species to prevent crossbreeding.

• Enjoy planted aviaries with non-toxic branches.

• Spend time foraging on the floor—clean regularly and treat for parasites.

🥗 Feeding

• Base diet: Small parakeet mix, sprouted seeds, millet sprays, apple slices.

• Wild foods: Seeding grasses, chickweed, sow thistle, green oats/wheat.

• Breeding diet: Egg food, soaked oats, green dock (June–September).

• Fresh foods: Spinach, kale, lettuce, dandelions, fruits (apple, banana, orange).

• Occasional treats: Wholegrain bread, boiled egg, low-fat cheese.

• In dry areas, they hydrate from succulent plants like Calandrinia.

• May eat mealworms during breeding for protein.

🪺 Breeding

• Nest box: 15cm square, 25cm high; natural hollow logs preferred.

• Lining: 4cm of wood shavings or compressed pet litter.

• Clutch size: 4–6 eggs; incubation: 18–20 days by the female.

• Fledging: 30 days; independence: 3–4 weeks post-fledging.

• Remove nest box after second clutch fledges to prevent overbreeding.

• Use branches near mesh to prevent fledglings from injuring themselves.

• Best breeding age: 18 months (though some breed at 1 year).