How Many Is Too Many

[erin_erin 0]

This is my first time breeding budgies. I have a pair of budgies that now have 7 babies ranging from 2 hours old to 10 days old. I was just wondering how many is too many. the mum is doing a fantastic job with all the babies, all chicks have full crops, but i was just wondering what the toll will be on her and what to do when the chicks start becoming mobile. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Taboo 0]

I'v been told 4 per nest for show budgies, any more and they recommend fostering them out to another nest with babies of the same age.

Just keep in eye on the youngest ones as they may need help with feeding down the track.

If the parents are coping at the moment then just watch and see how the babies are progressing.

[robyn 0]

This is my first time breeding budgies. I have a pair of budgies that now have 7 babies ranging from 2 hours old to 10 days old. I was just wondering how many is too many. the mum is doing a fantastic job with all the babies, all chicks have full crops, but i was just wondering what the toll will be on her and what to do when the chicks start becoming mobile. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hi Erin, are your birds pet type or show? I don't have show birds but I've had clutch's of 9 rared in one nest. Provided parents have plenty of food, seed soft food veg's etc. they should be fine.Do you colony breed or cage? that makes a big difference. You'll find littlies tuck in under bigger chicks and come to no harm.

[RIPbudgies 0]

Personally I don't think it makes a damn bit of difference if the bird is show or pet type. Either they are good parents or they are not. I had one particular pair this year that raised 9 chicks and do a super job and then another pair that had only 2 chicks and did a very bad job to the point I have lost one of them. I also have a hen at this time who has raised two babies on her own since they were day olds and neither are hers.

Edited October 14, 2010 by RIPbudgies

[**Liv** 0]

I agree RIPbudgies. They are all different parents and i have had very similar experiences as you.

 

If the parents are coping and the chicks are healthy then all will be well. As already mentioned, Keep an eye on the younger chicks as they can become lost among the hungry mouths and not be fed as well... also really young babies can get crushed under older siblings.

[erin_erin 0]

My budgies are just pet ones, we are on a big block and made a big aviary out of one of the sheds. We have taken in all the birds that no one wants any more, or doesn't have time for. As i am in training to become a primary school teacher, i thought i would create a lesson on the breeding of budgies for my daughters year 2 class, but i really didn't think that i would get so many chicks . I don't mind having that many chicks, i think it is awesome . I am going to have a go at hand taming a few of them hopefully. At the moment, they are in a cage in my study next to me, but once they have finished doing their "thing", i will put the parents back into the big aviary and keep the babies in the smaller cages until sold and homes found for them.

thanks for the advice

Erin

[rachelm 0]

Hi Erin and welcome to the BBC. Budgie breeding, what a wonderful lesson for the children.

[**KAZ** 0]

Hi Erin and welcome

 

 

You say the mum is doing a great job. How is the Dad ?

 

Also ...not sure if you are aware or not but the presence of a nestbox will make the budgies breed themselves to death literally, so as soon as the babies leave the nest you may want to remove all nestboxes so they get a little holiday. Also, any nestboxes in a colony breeding aviary will force the babies to breed too early, so sometimes you have to have somewhere for the babies to grow up and away from nestboxes.

Best and safest breeding ages are between 1 and 4 yrs of age.

There's a few of us on bbc forum who are in Perth

Edited October 14, 2010 by KAZ

[robyn 0]

Hi Erin,

Sounds like everything is working out. Liv said little ones can get crushed, I worried about mine, I'd look in and count, one missing, pick up bigger chicks and there is little one under all of them, put it to one side for a bit of room, straight back in under the rest. Now I just leave them to it with fingers crossed.

 

[splat 0]

Hi Erin and welcome, I agree with RIP on this matter. I have a hen at the moment who has laid 11 eggs and all fertile, she did have seven chicks and was doing a great job but I put the rest of the eggs under another hen and 1 of the chicks. I was lucky the other hen fed the chick because she is a first time mum and her eggs were not due to hatch for about another ten days. she now has 3 chicks (fosters) and more to hatch and she is doing a great job too.

Edited October 19, 2010 by KAZ

[erin_erin 0]

Hi, thanks for all the advice. Just an update on all my babies (Sneezy,Sleepy,Dopey,Doc, Happy,Bashful and Grumpy). The are all doing so well, the biggest one who we call grupmy is starting to get her pin feathers and the rest are at the developmental stages they should be. my kids love them to death and just want to play with them. it is so exciting watching them grow. both mum and dad are taking turns in feeding them. dad escaped out of the cage the other day (and I don't blame him) he was just happily sitting on my ceiling fan watching the world go by. I told him off and asked him to go back into his cage, which surprisingly he did with a little coax with lettuce. i laugh at the way they all sleep, dopey likes to sleep on top of all the other chicks with his head hanging off the side of them all.

 

just another question, when can i take mum out of the box and let her rest, she is looking good, but i dont really know when to separate the parents from the babies.

 

thanks

[**KAZ** 0]

When the babies fledge the nest at around 4-5 weeks of age or thereabouts ( no younger than 4 weeks or put them back ) then the Dad teaches them to eat. About two weeks later they should be eating all by themselves.

[erin_erin 0]

Thanks Kaz