maesie

YES!!!! Renee, the first bird died a few months ago... the one in the photos is not dead.

The male and female budgie have sex. The sperm from the male budgie fertilises the female budgie and she produces and lays fertile eggs (not all will be fertile)... she then sits on them and after 18 days (give or take) they begin to hatch. She usually lays one every second day and they therefor hatch every second day. It is best to keep the male and female budgie together. The female budgie will spend most of her time in the nest box with the eggs and chicks. It is the males job to feed her, and once the chick arrive, feed her AND help her feed the chicks too.

Good stuff about the millet. Do they have any 'fluff' on their heads yet??? Could she be plucking that? I'm thinking, that even if they don't have feathers yet... this behaviour could be an indication of something to come??? BUT... It's a good sign she hasn't done it to any of her other clutches... maybe just keep a close eye on them for now?!?!?! Good luck and please keep us updated

Based on the questions you asked at the beginning of your post, I don't think you are. Keep reading and spend some time here. You will learn heaps

Are any of the feathers missing??? She may be plucking them. You need to be very careful of this and be on the ball. I suggest putting some millet in the nest box. You can also replace the nest box door with a clear plastic one... both suggestion CAN stop this behaviour... if this is what is happening. Do you have any other budgies breeding who you can foster the chicks to if needed???

Thanks Liv I was thinking the vet. How much cordial do you add to 250ml of water and should it only be raspberry? Hi and welcome too I'm not sure about the ratio (I'm sure LIV knows), but I'm thinking it should only be raspberry. Also, make sure you go to an AVIAN VET. Normal vets usually don't know all that much about birds and you'd probably be wasting your money going to them. Good luck and please keep us updated. I'll also keep him with you and not move him back home until he is all better. Stress from moving probably hasn't helped what ever it is he is suffering from.

I tend to agree with the others. Just remember to offer him lots of veggies etc... as moulting is very stressful and he will need these nutrients

I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope it was just a bad moult that made him unwell and nothing for serious that could harm the rest of your birds. Hugs xo

My suggestion would be to go out and BUY new seed and water dishes. They are quite cheap and they have the little hooks that you hang them by. This way you don't need to move the perches all the time. It's great you have seen him eat and drink. I'd keep offering the fruit and veggies and perhaps pop in some native branches to chew and rip apart. He'll love them. Just remember to wash them with warm water first.

Great Job. Your Mum will LOVE it I'm sure :bump:

Oh mate!!!!!! Biggest hugs of good health! :bump:

ROXY!!!!! Stop giving your Mummy trouble... I don't know Deb. Gucci and Dolce (similar aged to Roxy) are going through their first moult now, and are also inside birds... Sorry I can't help... Have you ever given her suppliments or vitamins??? Maybe she is lacking in something???

Catching them at night would be a VERY BAD IDEA. I'm glad you will not do this!!! I use either my hands or a net. It depends on the bird and how quick and confident I am feeling :bump: NET = Less stress (for me most of the time anyway)

Great results Pearce. Congratulations :bump:

Oh man... I feel for you mate! When I was living up in the country with my Grandparents, after an evening out and a stinking hot day, I walked up from the tractor shed where I park my car, and saw what looked like a big stick!!! I stepped over it and as I walked away I heard a noise... turned around and it MOVED!!!!!!! I slowly made my way inside without making an quick movements... got my Grandpa, and he was off like a shot. It turned out to be a massive Brown Snake!!!!! Lets just say in future I always had a torch with me... and thank god on that night it was a full moon!!!!!!!!!! Good luck with getting rid of them... I don't envy you in the slightest. I own lizards, but snakes make my skin crawl!!! :ratty:

As no one has replied to this... I'll have a stab in the dark. It could be any number of your thoughts or a combination of a few. I guess the one thing I'd be wary of would be re-enforcing the behavior. If he does bite, the worst thing you could do would be to react. This would teach him that when he bites, he gets a reaction, and he will then play on it. This can begin very unsocial/undesirable behaviors which can be difficult to banish. I have found, ignoring the bite/attempted bite works best for me and my birds... this can be hard and sometimes painful... but it's like the whole jumping dog sinario... if you pull your hands up and react, they will continue to do it... if you cross you arms, turn away and ignore, they wont... Hope that makes some sort of sense.

Busy, busy hey MB. Good luck and keep those updates coming! :bump:

I will indeed... as long as it doesn't look shocking!!! :bump:

No need to stop asking questions... just try to relax a little . You'll spend the whole time worrying and before you know it the chicks will be all grown up!

I agree with the pot idea, but have some reservations. If I was planting shubs... I'd go for it, as they get big and it 'looks' like they are planted in the 'rustic planters', but I am planting Cactus and Succulants, which means they won't grow huge and you'll be ablt to see them in the black pots IN the planter... I'm fussy, I know, but I'm not sure if I will like the look of that... mmm. why do I make everything for myself sooooo hard :rofl:

Good point...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: I like that one!!!

:hug: I hear you mate. Last year I had several hens on eggs and I lost many newly hatched chicks to ants... I was crushed and vowed never to breed again... over 6 months later I did. I agree, I hate that side of it too... but just try and remember the wonderful reason you DO breed.... Biggest ((((hugs)))) again.

Every member on here handles their birds and no one here has Bird Flu. :hug: (AND, if your bird had bird flu... you wouldn't need to touch it to get it. It's an air borne disease, meaning you breath it in) YOU WILL NOT CATCH BIRD FLU!!!

Oh no... I'm so sorry for your loss. :hug: If they were ready to fledge... perhaps she was keen to start a new clutch, and this one might have been getting in her road??? The other unharmed one might have been happy to stay out of her way. Hugs on your loss mate xoxo