BREEDS & THEIR NEEDS
Redrumped Parakeets
( Psephotus haematonus)

General Information on the Breed

•  The Redrumped parrot is native to South Eastern Australia.
• They were first bred in captivity by London zoo in 1857.
• They mainly forage on the ground in small groups.
•  All Floor Foragers need regular worming programmes.
• They tend to roost communally.
• So you could keep a few pairs together out of the Breeding Season
  • When NO NESTBOXES in the Aviary.
• BUT NOT IN THE BREEDING SEASON - ONE PAIR PER AVIARY ONLY!!
• They can be quite vicious and aggressive if in a mixed Aviary or with other Redrumps during breeding time.
• In the wild they breed from August to January (Australia's Spring) in nests in holes or hollow branches of eucalyptus trees.
• They like to be close to water.

Description

Length: 270mm. Weight: Cock approx 70g, Hens approx 60g.

• The normal Red rump cock has a bright green head, neck and breast which has a blue tint.
• The lower back is crimson and the abdomen is yellow which fades to white with some green under the tail.
• The wings are blue green in colour with yellow shoulder patches.     
• The outer webs of the flight feathers are blue and the tail is green tinted with blue.
• The normal Red rump HEN is drab in comparison to the male.
  • It is mainly olive green with dull yellow on the neck and breast.
  • The shoulders bear a few blue feathers.
  • The under the tail is white with a tinge of very pale blue.
  • The red patch on the rump is absent.

Diet

• Seeds including mixed millets, mixed & plain canary seed, sunflower, groats and grass seed.
• A "Budgie Tonic"; Budgie 50 50" or a Foreign Finch seed mix - add plain canary seed to whichever you use.
• Greens such as lettuce, sprouting seeds, chickweed, dandelion leaves and seeds (when brown/ripe)
  • broccoli, spinach leaves
• Fruit including apples and carrots etc.,
• Sweetcorn mixed with egg-food with added Vitamins and minerals supplements in the Breeding season.

Breeding

• Redrumped Parakeets breed well in captivity.
• For successful breeding each pair should be segregated.
  • i.e. ONLY One pair per Aviary
     
• They like a deep Nest box approx 7 - 8" square and 14 - 18" deep with a pop-hole just slightly
  wider than the bird itself, so that it's a snug fit (see Notes on Nestboxes ).
   
• The Nestbox should be placed as high in the Aviary as possible
  • but with sufficient room (2-3") from the roof-  for the cockbird to sit on top of the N.box while the Hen is brooding the eggs.
     
• Don't have the Nestboxes facing South - too sunny and warm during the summer
  • or North - a bit too cool in the cooler months.
  • south-East or south-west are better.
     
• Don't have the Nest box too big (base) as then the eggs can roll around and get chilled and you could lose precious chicks
  • Also, if too big the chicks can also get chilled.
  • Don't have too much loose bedding - same problems the eggs/chicks can get "Buried".
    
• Use Easibed or similar non-dusty wood chip for the base.
• You don't want them going down too early esp. if the weather is very cold, as you could end up with
  Egg-binding  or other problems.
  
• The hen generally lays between 5 - 7 eggs which are incubated from when the second egg is laid.
• Incubation of the eggs is 19-20 days
   
• As soon as the young are able to feeding themselves it is advisable to remove them from their parents and house them separately.
• The cock is likely to attack the youngsters, if they are left with the parents too long.
• I suggest that you keep a very close eye on the Red-rumps as they can be rather vicious towards other birds.
  • It is not unknown for cock birds to even kill their own sons once they leave the nest.
• The only way to get over this problem is to catch the youngsters and place them in a box with a wire front on it and hang it in the feeding quarters and the cock will feed through the wire,
  •  if there is only a small clutch once they leave the nest box catch cock and leave hen to finish rearing.
• Birds are ready to breed from one year old onwards.

 Preparation FOR BREEDING

• Have a look at the "Breeding Charts" (Link on Home Page) and keep your Breeding records on this. 
• You can either print it out of transfer it to "Microsoft Word" and keep your records on your computer. 
   
• Then you know when your first egg was laid,
  • when - approx - it's due and whether it hatches -
  • when the chick is rung, which leg, Ring details
  • When the Chick fledges
  • What sex it is
  • Any problems etc.,
     
• There are also Lineage/Ancestry Charts, so that you can keep track of who bred what and any problems or any good points you would like to keep in your breeding lines.

FEEDING & Preparation FOR BREEDING

• As the Breeding Season approaches you need to make sure the birds have been wormed
  • Don't leave this too late, as it can interfere with the chances of the hen laying fertile eggs!
  • See the page on Worming for all the different types of Wormers available
    • There are Wormers in the water
    • Panacur Wormer (Liquid into Beak)
    • Panomec (Ivermectin based wormer - systemic i.e. absorbed thru the skin) 1 drop on back of neck.
       
• You also need to start thinking about "Upping" the Protein levels of the food you are giving your birds.
   
• In the Wild Birds have a lean time during winter, when food is difficult to find and the quality is not good
  • They do not breed at these times, as they know that there would not be enough quality food to feed their chicks.
  • So, as soon as the "rains" come along with the warmer Spring weather - the lush vegetation starts to grow and this is the time Birds in the wild will start to breed, as they then instinctively know there will be enough good quality food to feed and rear their chicks.
     
• In captivity we simulate these conditions by feeding a basic "maintenance" seed and water diet with some fruit and veg thru the winter months.
  • We want our birds like "lean, mean machines" i.e. fit but not fat.
     
• Then as the warmer weather and longer daylight hours come, we up the protein and quality of food to simulate conditions in the wild, so the bird is then stimulated into Breeding mode.
   
• So, we feed a variety of high protein foods:
  • Frozen Sweetcorn (covered in boiling water to it's own level - put in Microwave for 3-4 minutes and then drain water off.
  • Add Egg-food to the sweetcorn then add a sprinkle of Vit & min supplement powder
  • Mealworms are a high protein food - not all birds will eat them - more the Finch-types.
  • Shredded chicken / tuna added to the egg-food. (introduce slowly - tiny amounts to start with).
  • Lots of fruit and veg (each bird has it's own preferences)
     
• A Calcium supplement (Calicivet by Bird Care Co.) - follow the instructions
  • You can over "Calicify" and end up with worse problems that those you are trying to avert
  • i.e. prolapse due to egg being too difficult to expel
  • Too thick a shell + membrane then the chick can't "hatch" without help.
     
• The hen bird does draw on her own Calcium reserves to form her eggs so some sort of supplementation is needed.
  • Altho. in nature the hen does increase her own calcium levels in preparation for breeding but each time she lays an egg it depletes her reserves.
     
• this is why you should NEVER OVER-BREED.
  • Smaller Breeds should really only have 2 clutches per year
  • More than that is not adviseable.
  • The parent birds need a few months to recuperate and build up their reserves etc., before the next Breeding Season.
     
• Cuttlefish, grit, pink iodine blocks are all essential at breeding time.
   
•  Be very wary with Budgies - they DO NOT NEED extra Calcium - cuttlefish is enough.
   
•  If you birds will eat pelleted Foods i.e. Kaytee/Pretty Bird etc., all the better, as they are formulated to contain all the necessary Protein, Vits & Mins for each species of bird.
   
• While the Hen is sitting on the Eggs - the extra Protein Foods are withdrawn and just a basic seed and Water.
  • The idea is that the hen goes "broody" when she is sitting her eggs and her metabolism slows down
  • (a bit like hibernation but not asleep) so she doesn't need the high protein foods -
  • just basic seed and water to sustain her while she sits her eggs.
• Once the first chick is due to hatch hen once again you start to feed the high protein foods,
• cos the parents need high protein foods to feed to the chicks to help them grow properly and healthily.
• Remember they grow at a really rapid rate, so need all the nutritional help they can get!
   
• Usually a soft-food such as Egg-food
  • there are lots of Proprietory Brands of Egg-Food on the Market - some better than others
    • I personally like the Nutribird and Rob Harveys Moist Egg Food
       
  • This helps ensure they grow properly, quickly and healthily,
  • with good feather quality and no bone deformities.
  • A poor diet causes all sorts of problems in the chicks 
    • inc. splay legs and poor feathers, beaks etc., as they grow so quickly

Colour Mutations

• There are several mutations of Red-rumped parakeets.
• Many of the mutations can only be found in Australia and are not found elsewhere.
• The commonest mutations include Lutino, yellow and olive pied.
• All these mutations are found worldwide.
• Mutations such as blue, platinum, cinnamon and opaline are common in Australia but rarely found worldwide.
• The European blue is found both in Europe and USA but is rare in Australia.
• Rare mutations such as red suffusion, some of the fallows and grey are currently being developed in Australia
• Lutino Opaline Red Rumps
   
• INCUBATION:  19 - 20 days, depending on when they start to sit.                                   ▲Lutino Opaline Red Rumps
• They lay 5-7 eggs on alternate days.                                                                                                           
• FLEDGE around 34-36 days
• Eyes fully opened around 12 days
• RING: around 12 - 14 days  - 
• RING SIZE:  N         

☼ Added Information from  Members on their thoughts and experiences in Keeping and Breeding Red Rumps

• The Redrump got it's name because of  the red patch over the cock's rump and that's how you tell the cock from hen.
• The Hen's do not have the Red rump.
• All the mutation cocks also have the Red rump.
• You can breed the Red rump in a 3ft cage but you must have a spare cage to put the young ones in when they are feeding for themselves.
• I have bred Rubino, Lutino and the Normal Red rumps in cages but my cages were 4ft with the nest box on the outside
• I had 2 rounds a year.  John 

 

These beautiful, rare Red-rump mutations are owned and being bred by one of our members!
click "Thumbnails" to see bigger pictures

Orange Rubino Pastel Opaline Red Rump	Rare Mutation - Orange Opaline Red rump