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| PET GAZETTE | AVIAN
may however become highly pugnacious in
the breeding season, especially if any other
species is marked with red or orange plumage.
Keeping more than a pair of Pekins in a flight,
especially as multiple cock birds is - in my
experience - just asking for trouble. In an ideal
world the breeding pair would be maintained
alone with maybe the addition of small Quail
or robust Finches such as Java Sparrows. Care
must be taken. Pekins are also expert egg
thieves, you may indeed end up sacrificing the
young of any other species to the boon of the
Robins, indeed, they may also take hatchlings.
The Pekin Robin can become fairly tame
even when kept in flights. They will interact
with the keeper and can be allowed to take
food items from the hand. They are however
fast and intelligent; a safety door should be
installed, and the flight kept in tip-top condition
to remove the risk of escapes. Full foliage
planting and a covered section with roosting
box will help to protect them from high levels
of heat and cold. In dramatic temperature falls
these boxes can be thermostatically heated or
the birds brought inside for a time.
The day to day diet can be made up from
a proprietary dietary mix such as universal or
specialist softbill pellets or a mix of the two. To
this a range of fresh fruits should be added.
Pekin robins will also need access to live
insects. Mealworms, waxworms, Calciworms,
fruit flies and crickets can all be used. These
will be needed in great numbers all over the
breeding season. Livefoods should be well
gutloaded and hydrated being fed forwards.
Natural base mineral and vitamin powders are
also required. If the birds are kept outside they
will have plenty of access to natural sunlight.
Those kept within the birdroom will need to be
given access to suitable full-spectrum+UV-B
lighting. This will allow them to see correctly,
enable good mate selection and supply
essential vitamin D3 within the natural D3
cycles. It is also worth noting that these birds
will benefit greatly from the inclusion of bee
pollen in the diet as they will from heavy
pollen bearing flowers such as hibiscus when
in season. As a point of note, it was long
suggested that Pekins could be fed a seed diet.
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This is not true. They may consume some seeds
within the wild diet, mostly being fresh and still
on the plant. They simply do not have the ability
to digest large amounts of hard dried seeds, as
such there use should be kept to a minimum.
They should be provided with suitably stable
perching alongside the shrubs and trees used
to decorate the flight. This will help to keep the
legs strong and place a firm foundation for
copulation. This is an active species that will
flit around the flight almost constantly. It is vital
that they have safe places to go to as they do
so. It is also a good idea to double mesh the
flight. This will reduce the risk of rodent ingress
and help protect the bird from Hawk strike.
The Pekin Robin will sing almost all day
long and for almost all of the year. This is
a charming song that is both learned and
inherently known. This means that young cock
birds can sing a version of the wild song (albeit
not as complex as some), but that they will also
increase the complexity and range of song by
learning from other local Pekins. The song is
rather loud but certainly never offensive. Both
sexes also have an alarm call which is used
when startled. I found it very useful to play a
range of Pekin Robin songs via YouTube videos
in the birdroom when I had mine. I played a
mix of recordings of wild birds and those held
by keepers all over the world. This could be
thought of as positive enrichment.
Typically, the hen will lay three to four eggs
in a standard pan shaped nest within a shrub.
Nest pans should be left in multiple locations
and plenty of nesting material should be
supplied. This can be a mix of dried and fresh
grasses, proprietary natural nesting material
and feathers. Open fronted nest boxes can
also be used but both pan and box should
be placed within the shrubs. The hen will
incubate the eggs with some help from the
cock on occasion. Keep interference to a
minimum, if the birds are tight on the nest,
then it is better to leave it well alone. Both cock
and hen will incubate and feed the young. It is
within this period that you will need to supply
a serious quantity of livefoods. The provision
of mass quantities at this stage is the key to
nestling survival and eventual fledging.
The nestlings should emerge at day 14-16,
sometimes earlier and being slightly or even
worryingly underdeveloped. This has led to
disaster as the young birds chill and stress
when on the floor and being exposed. You
can try and put the offender back in the nest
or place a small breeding cage with no cage
front out of the wind and low down in the flight.
The stray bird or birds will usually gravitate to
its cover and remain there whilst being fed.
If this does not occur naturally the young bird
or birds should be hand reared. Captive bred
birds should also be rung with a suitably sized
ring. Please contact the softbill association for
more details and to be supplied with rings
Once fledged, they will stay close by and be
looked after for another six weeks or so. The
young should be removed as soon as they are
fully independent as the cock may be seeking
to go back to nest again and be inclined to
be aggressive to his own young. These young
birds can be placed within the bird room in
good sized flights until after the first moult, be
careful, watch for aggression even within the
young birds. It may be necessary to further split
even a small group for a short period.
Yes, the Pekin Robin can produce two or even
three clutches in a season. However, it is vital
to maintain the condition of both cock and hen.
A ready supply of calcium is required, and this
is best provided within a natural base mineral
powder. This can be added to the powdered
diet and coated upon the live foods. The use of
a good egg food and those treated with natural
full-spectrum carotenoids are also useful in
building condition and maintaining high levels
of natural colour, as is the addition of a small
amount of nectar complex which can also be
mixed with some honey and bee pollen.
Keepers are now also very well connected
with very good UK and European keeping
groups available via social media. It is here
that keepers and breeders can exchange
tips and stories and further expand their
knowledge and abilities each year. A CB pair
of Pekins will retail between £300-500pr
depending on season, quality and availability.
I would certainly be suspect of the quality of
any offered for less as a retail price.
September 2018