Hi,
Some people have bred these birds, producing hybrid chicks. The “yellow sided” conure is a color mutation of the Green-Cheeked conure, so you may find more information if you search that. As for healthy chicks, it is a relative term. Aviculturists frown upon deliberately breeding hybrids, or even allowing unplanned hybrids from pet birds. Then there is the state of Green-cheeked conure mutations in general. Unfortunately when breeders discovered that color mutations were possible, a lot of shortcuts were taken, and a number of different colors were developed in a relatively short time. This was achieved by breeding a lot of related birds, and each time this happens, the genetics get weaker. A lot of Avian Vets are starting to note health issues in Green Cheeks, but without a formal study, they can’t know if it seems like a lot because these birds are so popular now, or if there are genetic issues or both. Your birds are certainly capable of producing chicks. They may or may not take care of the eggs or chicks – which is the same for any species you try to breed. I wouldn’t try to artificially incubate them – the mortality rate of chicks that are hand fed from day 1 is high. Incubators are expensive, and parrot eggs take a lot of maintenance to artificially incubate. They do not always develop properly and can hatch with visible deformities or internal issues that aren’t known until the chick dies. Artificial incubation should be reserved for very rare species in species survival breeding programs. If you want to try to breed them, they need a conure nesting box and a large breeding cage. You can’t handle breeding birds or let them out when they are nesting. They need a high quality diet, plenty of fresh veggies and an egg food. You have to remove the nest box after each clutch, whether they hatch or not, and make the pair rest for 6 months before letting them breed again. In captivity, since conditions are ideal year round for birds breeding indoors, they don’t stop like they do in the wild, and will literally breed over and over until the hen dies from laying too often. Some pairs never lay eggs, or the eggs are infertile, or they break or eat the eggs or fail to incubate them at all. Some incubate the eggs and then don’t feed the chicks or kill them. And some pairs do everything right and you end up with chicks. But you will have losses at times, and the first and sometimes second clutches fail because the parents are still learning. Chicks can’t remain with the parents once weaned, because usually the parents will not tolerate them, and if they do, they will mate with them when the chicks are old enough. And male & female chicks can’t stay together, also because they will mate. It’s a lot to consider before committing to letting them breed. If you don’t want to breed them, then you can discard the eggs, and definitely do not give them a nest box. But you also can’t let the hen keep laying, so that’s another issue to deal with. Definitely do a lot of research, and if anyone says it’s easy, they were just very lucky! LOL
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
