Morning everybody, I hope somebody can give me some advice here please, My only breeding pair in my aviary have brought up 2 broods, and I dont want her to have any more this year, but before I could take down the nesting boxes, she was in there doing wifey things like clearing out all the debris, it looks like shes getting ready for a 3rd lot, If I take the boxes down now, will she lay somewhere else, like on the floor or somewhere, or will she NOT lay, and get eggbound, or can something else happen that might harm her, Help and advice would be most welcome, thanks in anticipation, Regards Baz

I'm not so experienced, but I've had the same problem. My hen had one cluch and I didn't want her to have any more. But she layed eggs again. I waited till she layed all the eggs and then removed the nesting box with the eggs. She was nervous a bit, but it took just a little while. Then she forgot all about it :ausb:

I think it would be dangerous to take the box away before she lays the whole clutch - she should finish laying, when she starts.

 

 

But rather wait for someone more experienced :bluebudgie:

Definately take the nesting box out NOW!! You should only let your birds breed twice in 12 months. It takes a lot out of the hens laying and rearing her chicks and you should never let them breed any more than they already have within the 12 months. If she lays any more eggs take them out and dispose of them. She wont become egg-bound.

Remove the nesting box, if any eggs are laid, get rid of them, addle (shake them) them.....no harm will come to the mother. But, letting her have another clutch may kill her. You must do this...it's best for the bird regardless of how heartless it may seem to you at the time. :bluebudgie:

Evening all, (well its evening here) thanks to every body for your advice and help, the nest boxes have been removed, luckly, Emily (thats the mum) hadn't layed any more eggs, so thats another crisis over , but I might have another one (crisis) in the future, which brings me to another question, ( sorry bout all this, but I have little or no experience in breeding ) ( Budgies or otherwise) but now I have another 4 budgies (babies) in the aviary, and cannot tell the sex of them yet, but next spring when the "sap" start to rise again I'm worried they may interbreed, brothers and sisters and even mother, - will they do their thing, (I read on here somewhere about a "bonking branch" ) even if theres no nesting boxes, I've decided to have a breeding cage, and if I see a couple (ahem !) doing it, so long as they're not related, I'll put them in this cage, The big question is, will my budgies interbreed without breeding boxes? Thanks once again, kindest Regards. Baz x

Budgies will have recreational sex without a nesting box in sight regardless of their relationship with parents or siblings usually. Some may even pass an egg. But please dont use this sign as a sign to get a nesting box for them or they will all proceed with abandon. A nesting box is their reason to procreate. Or anything that resembles a place to raise babies. You must know the ages and relationship of the birds you have and not allow breeding between siblings or child/parent. The budgies must be old enough......at least one year or older. Hope this helps.

Edited July 9, 200618 yr by Bubbles

This is one problem regarding Colony breeding. In a closed breeding set up. You decide who will breed with who and when.

 

This is a bit of my set up.

Breeding cages with nest boxes.

The flight is for enjoyment not for breeding.

 

 

Edit * This is an old picture. I am now up to 9 breeding cages or 7 breeding cages and 2 nursaries. :fear

Edited July 10, 200618 yr by daz

Hello again, especially to Bubbles and Daz, thanks for the info, thats cleared my dilema, and Daz, yyour picture you included, - - -yes, thats the sort of setup i have in mind, (bearing in mind not to let my 4 " newies" interbreed, or with their mum) thanks again, Baz :fear

I was going to suggest removing the nest box also, as this should stop your hen from laying. When my birds were breeding I had to seperate the male from the female and remove the nest box as they were wanting to start a third clutch too. She laid one egg on the floor of the cage, but stopped after that. Thank goodness, since she laid 7 eggs the first, and 6 the second. 14 eggs is a lot for any hen, and this was her first breeding. I think she came out of it so well because she was in good health to begin with, and also was 2 years old.

 

Related budgies will try to breed with each other if conditions are right. I kept all the babies for quite a long time before rehoming some of them, and it was sometimes a real treat to keep them from becoming too hormonal. You may have to go through a phase of keeping all males in the same cage and females in another.

I was going to ask the same question about removing the nest box. My babies just came out of the nest box this morning, and mama bird is in there quite a bit with a real swollen bottom. I took the box out, but am worried about 1. Will the babies be okay? and 2. If the mom is just ready to lay an egg, will she be okay? This is their third batch. Batch one had 1 hatch out of 6 eggs, and batch 2 had 3 out of 5. Thanks so much for your advise! Holly

I was going to ask the same question about removing the nest box. My babies just came out of the nest box this morning, and mama bird is in there quite a bit with a real swollen bottom. I took the box out, but am worried about 1. Will the babies be okay? and 2. If the mom is just ready to lay an egg, will she be okay? This is their third batch. Batch one had 1 hatch out of 6 eggs, and batch 2 had 3 out of 5. Thanks so much for your advise! Holly

Holly, Mum budgies will lay eggs and raise babies till they die. Two clutches in a row is enough and a third clutch shouldnt be allowed for the sake of the hens health and wellbeing. If you take out the nesting box everyone will be fine. If Mum lays another egg....leave it. Remove if broken. With no nesting box she shouldnt continue to lay....maybe there will be another egg or two, but she will stop. Please dont let her raise a third clutch. Baby budgies can cope quite well if they have fledged from their nesting box and are 4 weeks or older.....with Mum and Dad feeding them and food they can access themselves. If Mum and Dad are trying to mate and raise another clutch, they will be less inclined to look after their existing babies and may well become aggressive towards them. Babies who try and go back to the nesting box will be seen as invading territory. Leaving them in a cage with the mum and dad trying to raise babies again may well endanger their life as mum and dad budgies try and get them out of the way even resorting to attacking their own babies. It is all motivated by the presence of the nesting box and the urge to have more babies. If you take away the nesting box...it solves all. Three clutches is too much. Hope this helps.

Edited July 11, 200618 yr by Bubbles

Thanks Bubbles, the nest box is now gone! Holly :fear