Research Article

Assessment of Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) hatching in private breeding

Dorota Banaszewska, Barbara Biesiada-Drzazga, Dominik Ostrowski, Katarzyna Andraszek, Anna Wereszczyńska

University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, Siedlce, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 13(3), 2014, 29‒36

Abstract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the budgerigar hatching in private breedings. The study was carried out in a private breeding in Masovian voivodeship between 2009 and 2012 on four pairs of budgerigars kept in year-round outdoor aviaries. The analysis of hatching was based on the following indicators: the number of eggs laid by four females in the system of three clutches in one year, the percentage of fertilization and the hatchability ratio. Within four subsequent breeding seasons, the greatest number of eggs females altogether laid in the Clutch 2 (92) and the lowest in Clutch 3 (79). Some variability occured between the observed females: the worst results presented the Pair I, which raised 57 chicks of 64 laid eggs within 4 subsequent years. Most chicks (69 of 74 laid eggs) were obtained from the Pair IV. This couple had an impressive 100% reproductive rate in the first year of study. The observed pairs of budgerigars presented good reproductive rates. In most cases the percentage of fertilization and hatchability were over 90%. Present study is a base for further observation of budgerigars reproduction and incubative behaviour and it could be a comparative material for this type of study carried out in natural environment.

Keywords: budgerigar, hatching, reproductive rates