Breeding Budgies - What do I need?

Before you make the decision to breed your budgies you need to ask yourself some questions:
  •  have you thoroughly researched what you're getting into
  • do you have the money to take the parents/chicks to an avian vet should the need arise
  • do you have the time to hand rear the chicks should the hen abandon them
  • do you have homes for the potential chicks to go to once they fledge
  • do you have the space for the potential chicks to live should the planned homes fall through
    • If you answered no to any off these questions then you should rethink your decision. Breeding budgies is not as easy as throwing in a male and female budgie and adding a nesting box. You will need 2 mature (over 1 year old) budgies, one male and one female, that are healthy and 100% unrelated. Both budgies should also be in breeding condition. The hen should have a cere (the coloured part above the beak) that is chocolate brown, and the Cock should have a cere that is a dark blue or dark purple colour (depending on the mutation for the cock).
      It would be best to buy from a breeder who can tell you more about the birds parentage.

      You will also need a spacious cage, such as a breeding cabinet or regular cage, that can comfortably hold the adults and up to 8 chicks for 2 - 3 months. If you use a breeding cage there will be a specific place that you can place the nesting box. If not you may have to just put the box on the floor of the cage.

      For the duration of egg laying and the raising of the chicks, it is especially important that you provide the pair with a cuttle bone, iodine block and lots of fresh vegetables. You should also provide the pair with regular egg and biscuit mix, this will help them to produce crop milk to feed the chicks. You should also have some hand rearing mix and some syringes on hand just in case you need to hand rear the chicks for one reason or another.

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