Question about budgie breeding?

[cockatiel92]

Just wondering since it still isn't breeding season for budgies can i still get them to breed, for example by putting in a nest box. they are of age and they are a bonded pair. Lastly can i use aspen wood chips as nesting material. or should i not have nesting material in the nest box. Thanks a lot.

[tabooh]

Because they are in captivity, there is no real gage as to time in which they are going to breed unlike in the wild

[cockatiel92]

also once the raise 1 clutch im planing to remove the nest box and no longer breed them so can i keep the chicks with the parents when they are adults because we have a huge cage ordered up for them all.

[expressmailtome]

Originally Posted by cockatiel92

also once the raise 1 clutch im planing to remove the nest box and no longer breed them so can i keep the chicks with the parents when they are adults because we have a huge cage ordered up for them all.

Just so that you know even if they do not have a nest box they can and probably will mate/ lay eggs. If they are in the same cage it would be hard to stop them.

Matt

[Ashling]

I don't want to sound mean, I know you are just getting information and that is really GOOD! But I must say, do more research until you know exactly what you need to do for your budgies before, during and after breeding. There is more to it than putting in a nest box with a bonded pair. It's best to be ready for every situation a breeding pair of budgies can throw at you as well as getting them physically ready (eg. extra calcium for the mother). Will you be able to hand rear the chicks if the parents reject them?

[usamma]

Please also have a plan on what to do with any chicks. I had a lot of fun last summer allowing two of my budgies to mate and lay eggs. I bought a nest box and they did the rest. However, they had way more than expected. Before the first clutch was completely out, she had started laying a second clutch. They had 14 chicks in all! I had to hand-feed some of them for the first few days because mom had so many to care for (meant getting up at night when I heard them chirp, keeping them in our bedroom so I could hear them, not being able to leave the house for very long, etc). I had to provide special vitamins and food for mom and dad. Mom started to get really tired-looking at the end of it and I felt horrible about the whole thing. Also, two babies died. They were the last two of each clutch, and I think they were smothered by their siblings. It was a sad thing.

But as far as the babies went, I thought, no problem, they are so cute, I can advertise them and easily place them with good homes. What I found out is that there are a *few* good people and a lot of people who are not so great, who I would not trust with a houseplant. Some explained their family situation (baby on the way, three very young kids, living with their mother), other I just got a bad vibe from. I was able to rehome 10 of them over a couple of months. It was time consuming, and things got ugly if I decided not let someone adopt one. I got hate mail! The want ads are full of people trying to sell baby budgies-- and older budgies they no longer want. I didn't want my babies become statistics like that.

I ended up keeping 4 of them because we could not rehome them all. The end results was more birds than I had planned on having. They are a lot of work-- messy, loud, etc. Loved, but a lot of work.

Anyway, although it was a neat experience I would have never done it if I had known all that was involved. I have now chosen to only get birds as rescue cases. I feel that by breeding these budgies I contributed to the problem of unwanted birds.

Not to give you a lecture. I just wanted to share my experience and feelings.