Tame Young Bourke Parakeets, Feathered Beauties!

A Marketing "Plug" for BIRDS NOW ads ... Smile.

We've had some success advertising our young Bourke Parakeets online at Birds Now. No, we're not affiliated with them in any way. Simply have benefited from using them to advertise our birds.

If we actually shipped birds, which we don't, we wouldn't have enough to fill all the requests. As of Oct. 19, 2018 we've sold 24 young birds this year and have 21 remaining to sell. All are 2018 hatches. Some are hand fed and very tame and others are parent fed, but used to indoor activity so they don't panic over household noises ... not the garbage disposal, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher or a barking dog. 

2018 Lutino Bourke hen and 2018 Normal Bourke male.
These two chose each other and want to become a mated pair.

This lovely Lutino hen and Normal male have decided they want to be a couple. He's been feeding her and she happily accepts his attentions. So, I've decided to offer them as a couple. His mother is also a Lutino and his father is a red-eyed opaline fallow Rosy Bourke. Together they should produce some beautiful clutches of mixed colors. He sings most of the time, and beautifully!

She hatched April 14, 2018 out of our Peaches and Stormy. He's a Normal split to Lutino and Peaches is a light pink, red-eyed opaline fallow Rosy Bourke hen.

The male is out of Blossom, a Lutino hen, and Songster, a red-eyed opaline fallow fellow. Smile. He was hatched June 12, 2018. Although not necessary, when he was even younger, he was DNA tested to positively identify his sex. He has a pretty certificate from Health Gene in Canada showing he's a male.

Can you imagine the color range of youngsters they will produce? If we didn't have several pairs of Bourkes already, we'd be tempted to keep them ourselves. If you're interested, write to rosie.birds@gmail.com for more information.

She is lovely and he is a talented singer!

Our dog, Skoshi (means small in Japanese), is a cute little guy. He's half Shih-tzu and half Pekingese, although the Shih-tzu is most apparent. He barks at anything unknown, but the birds are so used to him that they ignore any of the sounds he makes. Before we had Skoshi, we had a large malamute and lab mix whose bark was deafening ... they ignored him too. Birds get used to all members of the family. If they panic over anything, it's wise to reassure them in your calm voice. They will respond and calm down too. A stray cat at the window, or a hawk perched outside can frighten them. Night fright can occur among any bird species and usually we won't have a clue as to what set them off... Again, a calm, reassuring voice should be all that is needed to settle them back down to sleep.

Our little dog is gentle with the birds. However, it is
best to never leave other pets alone with uncaged birds.

Just listening to them. He knows they're babies.

Peace & Blessings to you and your family, 

including your feathered family members. 

Keep Smiling! 

Bourke Parakeet Youngsters, Hand Fed, Wild Color of Australia

Bourke Parakeets, Hand Fed and Tame, Oct., 2018

Bourke Parakeet Youngsters ... Many, Many Available

Bourke Parakeets Not Feeding Their Hatchlings. How We Handled It.

Reader Question on Naming Bourke Colors and More

QUESTION:

Hello Gail,  Last week, I acquired a pair of Bourke's.  The male is a dark-eyed Rosey, and I believe the female is a red-eyed lutino.  I've attached a picture of them.  What would be the correct terms for their mutations? 

They had two tiny fuzzy little dark-eyed chicks when I got them on the 26th of this month (picture taken today is attached).  I am assuming they hatched on the 24th and the 26th.  With my other parrots, their eggs tend to hatch two days apart.  Is it the same with Bourke's?  There were several other eggs, but some were not fertile, two were no longer viable, and I'm not sure about the other one.  I don't know if it's a DIS or not at this point, so I'm just going to leave it alone.

The father is doing a great job of feeding the mother millet, a safflower seed blend, pellets, and freshly-chopped veggies.  The mom comes out occasionally, but is in the box probably 90% of the time. 

I've raised parrots (green-cheek conures, parakeets, English budgies, parrotlets, and cockatiels) and even doves for years, handfeeding all but the doves.  However, as I mentioned above, I'm totally new to Bourke's, and I want to become educated on them.

Though I've raised parrots for years, I'm not at all good with genetics or being able to keep mutation names straight.

Will you please explain to me the difference between lutino and rubino?  I understand a rubino to be a cross between a rosey and a lutino.  And I understand that a rosey is another word or opaline.  Is that correct?  But what are the differences in appearance? 

What exactly makes a fallow a fallow?  Can you have a dark-eyed lutino or rubino, or are the eyes always red?  Can a rosey have red eyes, or will they always have dark eyes?  Can any of the offspring between my pair be a normal Bourke's, or will they definitely be rosey or lutino or maybe even rubino? 

I saw in a video of yours that you band on approximately Day 9 (or when their little eyes open).  With all of my birds, I tend to band on Day 8, but 9 works for me if you think that's best.  I've read elsewhere that the English budgie/parrotlet/parakeet band is appropriate.  Do you agree?  I just so happen to have this size as I've raised may of those chicks.  Thank you in advance for sharing your expertise!  - Dana

Dana's mated pair.

Dana's Lutino and clutch.

ANSWER: 

Hello Dana, 

Wow so many questions, all good ones though. All Lutinos or Rubinos have red eyes. All fallows have red eyes. To be fallow, a Bourke will have gray edged wings instead of black, and red eyes. Gray can be very dark or very light. Bourkes that are fallow can be any shade of rose (even dark rose), or any shade of pink, but will always have lighter wing edges and red eyes if they are fallow.

Lutino and Rubino are really the same except that to be named Rubino, a Bourke must have rose or pink all the way down its back to the beginning of its tail. Like the bird in your picture, a Lutino can have some pink on its back, but it doesn't reach to the tail. Instead part of the back or rump is yellow. Some Lutinos are all yellow from back of their head to their tail, others like yours have more pink.  

A Rosy (my preference for spelling, although maybe I'm being out-numbered by Canada and Europe who write Rosey with an "e") ... A Rosy Bourke always has dark eyes, otherwise it would be a fallow. A Rosy Bourke always has dark-edged wings. 

The color of your babies could be normal if the male has a normal parent or grandparent. Odds are better that they will be Rosies. Note that normal babies in the nest develop dark feet, whereas a Rosy will have light colored feet. Occasionally, a Rosy will have feet that are not pink, but slightly between the dark color of a normal and a Rosy. Those, I believe, are Rosies that are split to normal. 

Bourkes with dark eyes, cannot be Lutino. However, your hen could produce Lutino males. She can only carry the gene for her own color. She decides the sex off all the offspring, as you may know from raising other birds. Birds are different in this way from mammals. In birds, it is the female that determines the sex, not the male. Your male, however, could possibly be split to another color beside his own. Only male Bourkes can be split for another color. If you know the color of his parents and grandparents, that helps... 

With bands, you can use either Budgie or English Budgies sizes. I have only used the smaller Budgie sized bands although the site I get them from (L&M Bird Bands in San Bernardino, CA), says that English Budgie bands work too. My Linnies used Parrotlet or Lovebird sized bands, and those would not have worked for my Bourkes. Although I band at 8 or 9 days, I'd keep checking your babies. That timing works best for clutches of four, five or six. When there is only one or two babies, they grow faster as they get fed more, and might need to be banded earlier. :-)

I highly recommend a copy of my newly published, "Rosie Bird's Guide to Small Exotic Birds."  In that book I tried to answer most of the questions I frequently get. It also has a chapter on egg binding and what to do in an emergency. There is also a chapter devoted exclusively to Bourkes, my favorites.

Here is a link to it on Amazon in the USA, but it is also available from Barnes & Noble and other booksellers, as well as Amazon in most other countries. Please do a review ... I will greatly appreciate it. Thanks!    

Rosie Bird's Guide to Small Exotic Birds by Gail A. Lewis

Peace & Blessings,

Gail

www.amazon.com/dp/198676348X/

Hand Feed or Co-Feed Baby Birds? An Easier Taming Method.

Incubated Eggs with Baby Birds Moving Inside. Successful Homemade Incubator

Reposting one of our most popular videos, newly updated! These are not our current eggs. Right now all our hens are brooding like good mothers. We have ten babies in the nest and two or three more eggs which "might" still hatch.  Exciting time whenever we get new babies. God's feathered beauties!

Peace & Blessings! 

Bourke Parakeet 1st Clutches of 2018. Eleven Weaned of Many Colors.

Although most of these lovelies are sold, and may have already gone to their new homes, 

we have other babies in the nest ... videos of them to follow. 

 Blessings & Peace! 

Bird Banding Set-up for Multiple Bourke Parakeet Babies

Identifying the Six Most Notable Color Variations in Bourke Parakeets

Taming Frightened Birds

We get lots of questions, and this subject seems to crop up frequently. Kristina asked, "I bought a Rosy Bourke and he will not come to me or anything. He runs away or flies away. What can I do to tame him?"

Young, hand fed Rosy Bourke Parakeets, close
to being weaned and able to eat on their own.

Our Answer: 

Hello Kristina, 

My book, "Rosie Bird's Guide to Small Exotic Birds" includes "Taming, Talking and More" in Chapter Ten. Meanwhile, here are a few thoughts.

1) How old your bird is helps determine how well you can tame him or her. Young birds are easiest to tame. 

2) Birds raised in a home environment are much easier to tame than those that grew up in an aviary without close human contact, interaction or household noises. 

3) Frequent gentle, sweet talk is the best thing you can do for a frightened bird. Bourkes like to be talked to and almost always will respond to a quiet, friendly voice. 

4) Once he's not afraid of you, after days or weeks, then offer treats gradually from your hand. Spray millet is good, so is cooked corn or fresh broccoli or kale. Mine particularly love rice chex cereal. Hold your hand still by his perch and see if he will come take it from you. Patience is key.

5) Never get angry at, or frustrated by, your bird. They are excellent at sensing our moods and will respond accordingly.

I hand feed Bourkes from about two weeks of age, and those in my videos were hand fed and therefore very tame.  You might want to consider a hand fed bird companion for your bird. A bird that is already tame can be instrumental in helping the other bird gain trust and be less fearful. 

I always recommend people get two birds.  They are social creatures and very subject to depression if left alone during the day when humans can't always be present. Even those who work in the home will not be constantly around for their pet bird, so another bird is of immense value to your bird's happiness and well-being.

Buying a hand fed bird is the easiest way to ensure you'll have a friendly bird, however, with patience and diligence, most birds will settle down and hopefully begin to trust you. Good luck." 

Peace & Feathered Blessings!

Feather Art by Chris Maynard.
He does beautiful, intricate artwork. In this picture
he used some of our Rosy Bourke Parakeet feathers.

Rosy Bourke Parakeets With New Clutches of Babies

We currently have 12 baby Bourkes ... four in each of three clutches. This video is of Rosie with Pretty Boy, Starfire with Sunset, and Peaches with Stormy.

We did an earlier video of Blossom and Songster's clutch.  Bella is still on eggs, and Sweetheart & Valentine aren't doing anything yet. Fuchsia and Flame are retired for this year ... they are growing older and I want them to stay safe.

We love these wonderful, sweet-natured, uniquely beautiful birds.

They are Feathered Blessings.

 

Question on Why Eggs Don't Hatch...



Using a book light to candle eggs.
Checking to see if they're fertile or not.

We've covered this topic before, but it's worth addressing again. The question below arrived in email today, and is copied here just as it was written.

 

"Hi There, I have a pair of bourse hen lays eggs try to hatch but no babies come out this is her second clutches. Please let me know the reason and its remedy. Thank you"

 

Our Answer:

 

Hello Jenny, Are you sure you have a male and a female Bourke? It takes two. Sometimes two hens might act like a pair, but they won't have fertile eggs. Or, sometimes a young pair fail to mate successfully. The hen must stand very still, and the male must balance adequately on her back. He carefully bends his his tail under her for their vents to make contact in order to be successful. Some males have to expand their wings for balance, so potential parent birds should not have their wings clipped. 

 

If you have birds of each sex for sure, then maybe with more practice they will eventually succeed. If you are certain the eggs were fertile, but still did not hatch, perhaps they got cold. Or, maybe the hen doesn't have water she can bathe in. Hens have to be able to adjust the nest's humidity, especially if the weather is hot and dry. A place to bathe in is important, but do NOT spray or mist a hen yourself. Let her decide how much humidity is necessary.

 

Less likely is that the babies inside the eggs have some genetic defect, but that is only likely to happen with one bird, not all of them. 

 

Those are some of the most likely possibilities. If you have two birds of the opposite sex, and the male is feeding the female, then eventually they will probably succeed at mating. Meanwhile, don't remove infertile eggs until the hen actually abandons them herself. Hens learn from the fact that their eggs didn't hatch, and are more likely to have fertile eggs in the future. Removing them yourself is not wise. Eggs are due to hatch in 18 to 25 days, but only after they've been warmed by brooding. If she's frightened off the nest too soon, they could get cold and not hatch. She should be allowed to abandon them herself, usually after 25 days for a Bourke hen.  Good luck.

 

 

CLICK HERE and Link to the Book with all the Answers! Smiles.

 

 

Our experienced mother hen, a Rosy Bourke, named Rosie.

Jewel, a Splendid hen.





Male Bourke, Sunset, a blue-edged Cream and his mate,
Starfire, a Lutino Bourke hen. Their first clutch in 2018.
 





 

 

 

CLICK HERE: LINKS TO ROSIE BIRD ON AMAZON.COM

 

 

Rosie Bird's Guide to Small Exotic Birds -- Bird Book is Now Available

When Should Bourke Hens Quit Breeding?

Flame and Fuchsia in 2014 -  © Gail Lewis

Got this question today and thought I'd share it:

 

"Hi Gail, 

I have a quick question. At what age would you say a Bourke hen is too old to breed? 

Thank you!  - Julie"

Our Answer: 
"Hello Julie,  It sometimes depends on her health, how much she's bred in the past and how much exercise she's had throughout her life. Hens in smaller cages that can't fly freely whenever they wish, won't be as strong.

As my hens age, after say six or seven years of age, I limit their clutches to one or two and never three. I have one hen this year, Fuchsia, that I didn't give a nest box to. She wants to breed, but to discourage her, she won't get a nest box. In 2016, because of a family emergency, I didn't get boxes taken down soon enough and this hen had four clutches. It didn't seem to affect her at the time, but may have long-term. Last year, at age 7, she had an odd thing happen with her eggs ... hard to explain. It wasn't egg binding, but she had some difficulty as two eggs seemed to need to be laid at the same time. Maybe one didn't get laid soon enough and another followed right behind it. Luckily she laid both the same day, back to back, but ended up with what appears to be a prolapse. Neither egg was good, by the way. Today she's healthy, but any more egg laying would probably not be wise for her.

In 2017 she only hatched and raised two babies of her own (after a record hatch in 2016). However, last year she did foster babies from other hens with large clutches, and one for a hen who only hatched one egg. I didn't want that baby to get cold by being alone, so gave him to Fuchsia to raise with others. She's an excellent mother, but is at risk for laying more eggs. She's very tame and sweet, so at a little over 8 years of age I am retiring her and her mate, both hatched in early 2010. She will be missed as a foster parent, but I'm too fond of her to risk allowing her to lay again ... if only she could brood and not lay eggs!

Males work hard at raising babies too. Yet, our old Rhett (now departed) was still fathering offspring at age 12. He had three hens in his lifetime, and the last two outlived him. It was his third hen that he raised babies with. Cherry was younger than he was. I often wonder if he was overworked and I should have retired him sooner. He and Cherry did skip a year on their own, but surprised me by going back and raising young the following year.

As is typical, there is not black and white answer ... each bird needs to be evaluated separately based on their health and history. Hope this is helpful. "

Peace & Blessings,

Gail 

Fuchsia looking into a newly arrived nest box, about 2015 or 2016.
Flame has already been inside to inspect and approve it. © Gail Lewis

 

 

Nest Box Installation for Bourke Parakeets. Works for Others Too.

My handsome hubby, Handyman Ed.

Bourke Parakeets Inside While Snowing Outside

Pale Fallow or blue-edged Cream Bourke Parakeet

Here is a photo of a new coloration for us. We've named him Sunset. He's not hand fed, but is extremely affectionate and tame anyway. It helped that I handled him a lot while still in the nest, simply because of his unusual coloration ... although he has a wonderful personality all his own. He is out of Blossom, a Lutino Bourke, and Songster, an Opaline Fallow Rosy Bourke.

Pale Fallow or blue-edged Cream Bourke.
Very young here, and color is more pale than it will be.

Pale wing edges, red eyes and rose on back.

Still very young here.

This bird could also be called a Fallow Normal or a Pale Fallow. All Fallow Bourkes have red eyes, or they are not Fallow. For instance, a Cinnamon Bourke is a lighter shade of Normal, but has dark eyes. They also have darker nails. This bird has very light nails or claws, true for Cream Bourkes. The photos below are of our sweet Sunset several months later after his coloration has darkened. Most Rosy Bourkes also darken in color as they mature, especially the males.

 

Back is not brown as with a Normal.
It is a dark shade of rose.

He doesn't want to leave our side and remains near us
even when others are out and about flying everywhere.

Scalloped edges along wings are pink, not yellow, like
some birds. Shoulders are brighter blue than shown in photos.





My favorite Bourke ... at least today. Smile.



Sunset climbed under my husband's shirt this morning ... just investigating, but so cute! Reminded him of the Budgie he had as a child that would ride around in his pocket. Might damage Sunset's long tail to put him in a pocket. Smile.

 

Love this guy, and all Bourke Parakeets.

 

 

Peace & Blessings!

 



 

Bourke Parakeets Bathing with an Intro to Sweetheart & Valentine

Made egg food for our Bourkes ... Plenty of calcium prior to returning nest boxes for upcoming breeding season.

PEACE & BLESSINGS!

 

Egg Food with Songster & Blossom, It's Calcium Rich