Health Program Prior to Breeding:

The importance of a Pre-breeding program is to insure optimum fertility and for the reproduction of healthy youngbirds.

After Youngbird Season Vaccinate all birds on the premises for PMV and Paratyphoid.
To play it safe, booster the Paratyphoid 3-4 weeks later.

Four Weeks Before Pairing

Increase protein levels to around 18% to prepare the birds for the stress off breeding. This can be accomplished by adding 20% protein pellets to the regular feed.

Vitamins and Minerals including Calcium should be offered 3 times a week. Powdered vitamins and minerals can be added to the grit and changed every other day.

Three Weeks Before Pairing

Start 10 day course of a broad spectrum antibiotic to (theoretically) Clear up any subolinical bacterial problems. Baytril may be a good Choice if you have had a history of Paratyphoid problems.
Note: It is always best to base your antibiotic choice on culture/sensitivity tests.

Start a 5 day course of Canker treatment. The drugs used to control canker (Ridzol,Emtryl,Spartrix,Flagyl) May have an adverse effect on fertility in the cock. Avoid these drugs After pairing before the eggs are laid and when feeding young. It is best to treat 3 weeks before pairing up, then agian while on eggs.

Two Weeks Before Pairing
Have fecal exams done on the breeders and if possitive treat accordingly. If unable or unwilling to have fecal exams done, treat for Coccidia (Corid or Sulmit) for 5 days and worm with 1-2 drops of Ivomec orally per bird.

Increase light to 14 hours a day. This is best done by turning the Lights on in early morning so the birds have a natural dusk. (e.g., if dusk is at 6pm, turn lights on at 4am. and off at 8 or 9am.) This will insure that they Are not caught off their nests at night.

After the breeding season, the birds should be given a rest from medications To decrease the risk of developing resistance to these drugs and allow The birds to develop some level of natural immunity.

someone told me that the best time to pair up is the last week in november and the first week in december as the weather is usually milder at this time..........

mid december for me david

Nice bit of information Ian

Where do you get this information from????????????????????????


being nosey

how to Vaccinate birds, what's the steps or procedure of vaccination

have a look at this alexhe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhHmReK9SJ0

it looks a bit , do we have to do that?

only for young birds or old birds as well? Birds have to be vaccinated every year?

All birds have to be vaccinated

Have the rules been changed David, even if they were vaccinated as young birds they still have to be vaccinated every year

thought you would know this don every year mate ,