Avian Breeding Success: A 6-Stage Guide
The bird breeding season is one of the most exciting but nutritionally demanding times of the year. For breeders, success depends on providing the right nutritional and health support at the right time.
Based on decades of veterinary experience and research, this guide walks through six critical stages of a successful breeding season, highlighting key considerations, common challenges and Vetafarm’s veterinarian‑formulated solutions to support healthy parents, strong chicks and long‑term flock success.
Stage 1: Building the Calcium Foundation
A strong breeding season starts with calcium - and it is not optional. Breeding places enormous demands on a bird's body. Without adequate, highly-absorbable calcium, breeders may encounter poor fertility, egg binding, soft shelled eggs and compromised chick development. Calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D imbalances are also a leading cause of skeletal issues in growing chicks. Establishing a reliable calcium program before and throughout breeding is critical.
- Highly-digestible liquid calcium with vitamin D3 for maximum absorption.
- Supports strong eggshell formation and normal bone development.
- Easy to administer via drinking water or soaked seed.
- Powdered calcium supplement with vitamins and minerals.
- Supports strong eggshell formation and normal bone development.
- Easily dusted on to food sources.
Stage 2: Creating the Right Environment
Before birds enter peak breeding condition, it’s essential to ensure they are housed in a clean, low-stress environment and free from internal parasites. This preparation should ideally begin six weeks prior to breeding.
Regular worming prior to breeding helps ensure birds are in optimal condition before the increased demands of egg production and chick rearing begin.
A well-managed environment supports:
- Better nutrient absorption
- Reduced disease pressure
- Improved breeding performance
- Healthier parents and chicks
- Internal Parasite Management
Wormout Gel is formulated by avian veterinarians for total worm control in caged and aviary birds. This product effectively kills all intestinal worms including Thread Worm (Capillaria spp.) Tapeworm (Raillietina spp, Choanotaenia spp.), Roundworm (Ascaridia spp.), Caecal Worm (Heterakis gallinarum), Hook Worm (Acuaria spp.). It contains rapidly acting ingredients for a complete and safe kill of intestinal worms.
- Water-soluble all-wormer
- Suitable for all birds
- Easy to administer via drinking water or soaked seed
Avicare is a reliable and safe disinfectant designed to help maintain a clean and healthy environment for both birds and carers.
- Effective against bacteria, viruses and fungi
- Suitable for use in aviaries, cages and breeding areas
- Helps reduce the risk of disease transmission during breeding
Stage 3: Powering Breeding Performance
Once a calcium program is established, the next priority is ensuring birds are metabolically and nutritionally prepared for the demands of reproduction.
Breeding places increased pressure on:
- Energy metabolism
- Hormonal activity
- Feather, skin and tissue health
Why Multivitamins Matter
Research shows that 8 out of 10 companion birds are fed a primary diet of seed, and approximately 75% of avian illness and disease is related to diet. A high‑quality multivitamin supplement helps address nutritional gaps, particularly during the breeding period.
Multivet supplements the diet with essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to assist in maintaining general health and feather development. This product is an easy to give liquid which may assist in the prevention of disease associated with vitamin deficiency.
- Comprehensive liquid vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplement
- Specifically formulated to balance seed‑based and homemade diets
- Ideal for use throughout breeding and maintenance periods
For breeders seeking additional reproductive support, Breeding Aid provides targeted nutritional assistance during the breeding cycle.
- Supports fertility, egg production and breeding performance
- Particularly useful during pre‑breeding conditioning and active breeding
- Strengthens egg membranes with omegas / fatty acids
Caged birds on seed diets require nutritional supplementation with vitamins and minerals to maintain good health. Soluvite D Breeder contains all 12 essential vitamins required for a balanced diet in birds, along with increased levels of Vitamin D3 to support birds with insufficient access to natural sunlight.
- Super‑concentrated, water‑soluble vitamin supplement
- Contains 12 essential vitamins with boosted vitamin D3
- Ideal during peak breeding and for birds with limited sun exposure
Nutriblend Breeder Pellets have been developed for use from 6 weeks prior to the start of breeding through to the weaning of chicks.
- Essential nutrition for parent birds
- Extruded pellets for optimum digestibility
- Fruit-flavoured for palatability and enrichment
Breeder Pellets have been developed for use from 6 weeks prior to the start of breeding through to the weaning of chicks.
- Essential nutrition for parent birds
- Extruded pellets for optimum digestibility
- No artificial colours or flavours
Stage 4: Supporting Chicks from Day One
The nutritional foundation provided in the first weeks of life has lifelong consequences for a bird’s health, development and resilience.
High quality hand-rearing formulas support:
- Optimal growth and feather development
- Strong immune and digestive systems
- Safe, consistent nutrition from hatch to weaning
- Developed from over 40 years of veterinary and nutrition expertise
- Extruded for superior digestibility, palatability and food safety
- Made with fresh, non‑GMO ingredients
- Contains prebiotics, probiotics and enzymes to support gut and immune health
- Balanced nutrition for a wide range of baby birds.
- Fortified with 13 vitamins and minerals, 9 probiotic strains and 7 enzymes.
- Non‑extruded blend for easy preparation.
- Made with fresh, non‑GMO ingredients.
- Not recommended for highly sensitive species.
Stage 5: Long Term Success
A successful breeding season doesn’t end at hatching or weaning. Long term outcomes including growth, immunity, skeletal strength and longevity are shaped by ongoing nutrition and proactive health management from the earliest stages of life.
Establishing birds on a balanced, complete pellet diet early plays a critical role in lifelong health. Pellets help ensure consistent intake of essential nutrients, reducing the risk of deficiencies commonly associated with selective feeding and seed heavy diets.
Vetafarm offer several core diets, each formulated by veterinarians to meet the needs of a wide range of parrots.
Maintenance Diet is veterinary formulated to fulfill all of your bird’s core nutritional requirements in an easy-to-feed formula.
- Extruded pellet diet for optimum digestibility
- Ideal for maintaining a healthy weight
- No artificial colours or flavours
These multi-coloured and fruit-flavoured pellets are specifically designed to aid in the conversion of picky, seed-eating birds and to encourage weaning young birds onto a solid diet.
- Extruded pellet diet for optimum digestibility
- Ideal for maintaining a healthy weight
- Fruit-flavoured for palatability
For birds that enjoy variety, this highly palatable diet includes added seasonal nuts and fruits for enrichment and has a natural blueberry flavour.
- Extruded pellet diet for optimum digestibility
- Ideal for maintaining a healthy weight
- With seasonal fruit and nuts
Beyond our core diets, Vetafarm offers an extensive line of specialty formulas to meet the unique dietary requirements of different species.
Stage 6: Ongoing Health
Even with a strong nutritional base, breeding birds and growing juveniles benefit from additional digestive and immune support, particularly during periods of stress or transition.
- 3‑in‑1 formula combining prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes.
- Contains 550 million CFU/g of beneficial bacteria.
- Supports gut health, immunity and nutrient absorption.
- Ideal during breeding, weaning, illness or recovery.
Breeding Success
Breeding success is rarely the result of one single product or decision — it’s the outcome of consistent, informed management at every stage.
By addressing these six key stages, breeders can create a structured, science-based breeding program that supports healthy parents, resilient chicks and long-term flock wellbeing. With Vetafarm’s veterinarian-formulated solutions, breeders are equipped with the nutritional and health foundations needed for reliable breeding outcomes season after season.