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Breeding Budgies.


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Hi all. Hope this is the right place to post these question's.

I just aquired 4 new budgie's. One is a bonded pair and the other i paired up myself. The bonded pair are very lovey-dovey, alway's kissing and preening each other e.t.c. Today when i walked out there to feed them i noticed the male was rubbing his vent all over the breeding cage wire while chirping and it looked as if he was feeding the female, does anyone know why this is? Also with the pair i paired up myself, the male is a english budgie but the female is just a Australian Native budgie. They have been together 2 day's and so far everything seem's to be going fine with them. The female is alway's going in and out of the nest box, i don't know if they is doing this for fun or what, although the 2 don't really interact and i don't expect them to lay for some time as they are quite new to each other.. I have breed tiel's before but never budgie's. Sorry for all the question's.

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When you say rubbing his vent all over the cage do you mean it looks like he is doing it all over the cage because I have a cock bird like that he is always doing it to the wire front, it is very annoying I think he is over sexed but he is very fertile so it doesn't really bother me but I notice one of his sons has picked up the habit.

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Hi Phillip :D

 

Today when i walked out there to feed them i noticed the male was rubbing his vent all over the breeding cage wire while chirping and it looked as if he was feeding the female, does anyone know why this is?

Sounds to me that he hasn't quite got the hang of the mating part yet, and put all the move together correctly. Or as Splat stated he is over excited. I'm sure soon enough you will see them mate correctly (as in the male doing as you explained while standing on the hen.

 

 

They have been together 2 day's and so far everything seem's to be going fine with them. The female is alway's going in and out of the nest box, i don't know if they is doing this for fun or what

It will take a while for them to bond, it's good that the hen is taking an interest in the box. I've got birds set up at the moment that had to bond fist it's almost two week now before I saw any mating happening. So give them time. There isn't any concern with a larger show bird and a smaller pet type one. If your wanting to breed bigger birds the cock may increase the size of the young.

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Thank's guy's. I have only seen him to it today, he was in the one spot rubbing his vent on the wire front. I'm hoping he know's what his suppose to be doing :D:P

 

I'm not in a rush for them to breed anyway's. I'm just happy that they are happy.

picture time. Sorry about the quality, they are in the breeding cages and they are scared of the camera.

Dark violet hen

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/ph...19082007022.jpg

Again

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/ph...19082007030.jpg

No idea what mutation's these are but they are gorgeous

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/ph...19082007027.jpg

Again

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/ph...19082007028.jpg

Again

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q225/ph...19082007029.jpg

 

Also the 2 female's cere are very brown and scabby, does this mean they are in breeding condtion?

 

**************

Just went out there and he is at it again.. Frisky little bugger (Laughing out loud).

Edited by Nerwen
merged posts, pictures over board limit
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Phillip, sorry but I had to change your pictures to links becuase they are over the board rules of 450 x 450 (they where 800 x 600) If you use the photobucket resizer tool and use the email size that normally brings them under the board rules.

 

Your second pair is a yellowface type 2 (also called goldenface) He looks just like my two Marine and Squeaker (farther and son)

 

The hen looks like a violet greywing. Greywing is a recessive gene.

 

If the male returns to the same spot you might be able to put something in the way and he will return his attention to the hen. Only if you think it needs attention.

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Thanks for the mutation Info. I don't think it need's attention as of yet but if he continues I may have too.

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I wouldn't worry about the rubbbing Phillip, I have seen plenty of birds, even hens rubbing themselves on perches etc...Budgies are pretty highly sexed, they live to breed, it's their survival, they calm down as they age like most of us...(Laughing out loud).

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Hi your budgies are very cute..:hap: Can I just ask if your perchers move a little when the birds jump on them? They look thin so if they do you may have to get thicker ones or make them sturdy with some wire or something. Personally I would make them thicker your birds will have better grip to mate on..

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Totally agree with Lady about the perches. The diameter is way too small for perching and mating behaviour.

How old is your hen ?

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The perches don't move at all. I am trying to get thicker one's but I can't get them to get in the back through the wood, that's why i added the calcium perches. Which hen are you talking about Kaz?

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The perches don't move at all. I am trying to get thicker one's but I can't get them to get in the back through the wood, that's why i added the calcium perches. Which hen are you talking about Kaz?

Drill a pilot hole through the back of the breeding cage and drill a hole through a thicker dowel( precut to length for front to back ) . Position the dowel in front of the hole and drive a screw into it by holding the dowel at the front and driving the screw in from the back. If you cut into the front of the dowel with a cross section it should locate and hold on the mesh. Failing that, another screw in from the front using a large washer as well.

I was asking about the age of your violet hen :)

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K will do Kaz, thank's! The violet hen is 9-10 month's old.

The male in the bonded pair is is feeding the hen so i'm guessing that's a good sighn? still up to his trick's with the wire, must be something about that wire :)

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I thought your hen looked young. Would have been better to wait till she was at least a year old.

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Yep i know. I don't plan on breeding them yet. I am just letting them bond in there for a week or 2 then they are going in the aviay with no breeding box until she is at least 1 year old.

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Yep i know. I don't plan on breeding them yet. I am just letting them bond in there for a week or 2 then they are going in the aviay with no breeding box until she is at least 1 year old.

Then why are they in a breeding cage with an open nesting box ? Your inquiries and posts indicate you are trying to breed them and the pictures show that also.

Edited by **KAZ**
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I'm trying to breed the bonded pair. Not the other 2, they were only put together 3 day's ago.. I didn't worry about covering the nest box hole as i was sure that they were not going to breed for a while as i just introduced them together and she is still too young. I'm leaving them in there for a week or two then moving them in the aviary.

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I'm trying to breed the bonded pair. Not the other 2, they were only put together 3 day's ago.. I didn't worry about covering the nest box hole as i was sure that they were not going to breed for a while as i just introduced them together and she is still too young. I'm leaving them in there for a week or two then moving them in the aviary.

BIG mistake :( ...I would cover the nestbox hole with some plywood or move them elsewhere without a nestbox.

Regardless of your hens age, she WILL breed with that cock in the presence of a nestbox. It is the very existance of the nestbox that creates the urge in them to mate and make use of it. I have 12 week old hens mating with all and sundry boys in the aviary, so your 9 month old hen would as well. Sometimes you can use a younger cock with a hen of appropriate age, but even under those circumstances you must monitor the situation. A hen too young is a worse problem. Apart from eggbinding there are other things that may well occur. When you have budgies breeding too young, they start off okay, mate, lay eggs, and then the problems begin. Budgies too young quite often eat the eggs, they may start raising chicks and then stop abruptly at the 10 day old mark and you are stuck with failing chicks who are undernourished....often these chicks drop all their feathers from stress and poor nutrition. And you are looking for other nests to try and foster the chicks to.

I know you have said you havent bred budgies before, just tiels. But you may well be rushing into things with budgies that arent quite old enough.

Edited by **KAZ**
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Kaz, thankyou alot for that info, i really didn't think that a 9 month old hen would try to mate even in this short time! I am going right now to cover the nest box, thank's. Do you think it is okay to leave the other pair's box open? They are 12 month's old, well that is what the breeder said.

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Kaz, thankyou alot for that info, i really didn't think that a 9 month old hen would try to mate even in this short time! I am going right now to cover the nest box, thank's. Do you think it is okay to leave the other pair's box open? They are 12 month's old, well that is what the breeder said.

 

12 months old is fine, Phillip. Its the younger ones that give you trouble. Like I said, you can occasionally try a slightly younger cock bird, ( watch out as they often eat the eggs when too young ) but hens truly DO need to be there full 12 months or older.

Cheers karen

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Thank's alot. I've coverd the nest box hole so there is no way they are going in there ;) I'm going to move them in the aviary soon also. It is raining here today so i won't be able to today. The bonded pair are going really good, preening, kissing, male alway's feeding here so they are going great. Hopefully the male will get the idea that the female is who he is suppose to mate with not the wire :) :hap: Also another question, what do you use for bedding? When I bred tiel's I used wood shaving's... Is this okay for Budgies also? I was reading on the net and alot of the sites said to put some newspaper in the nest box and on the bottom of the the cage.. Although I have never heard of them bulding there nest so I wasn't sure as to wether or not this was correct?

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Thank's alot. I've coverd the nest box hole so there is no way they are going in there ;) I'm going to move them in the aviary soon also. It is raining here today so i won't be able to today. The bonded pair are going really good, preening, kissing, male alway's feeding here so they are going great. Hopefully the male will get the idea that the female is who he is suppose to mate with not the wire :) :hap: Also another question, what do you use for bedding? When I bred tiel's I used wood shaving's... Is this okay for Budgies also? I was reading on the net and alot of the sites said to put some newspaper in the nest box and on the bottom of the the cage.. Although I have never heard of them bulding there nest so I wasn't sure as to wether or not this was correct?

Newspaper is fine for the bottom of a budgie cage or breeder cage, but wood shavings is perfect for the nestbox. Most hens will move it out when preparing the nest, but you can add it back bit by bit later on.

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Once again thank's.

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