I have a pair of budgies, and They breed sucessfully on a regular basis, now she has one chick yet to come out of the nesting box from the last clutch, and I intended her to have a rest, however, I noticed today that she has started laying again! Can I remove her? will the father continue to care for the chick? When I breed her again, I intend to put another cock in with her, so I am unwilling to allow her to continue to lay. By my diary, the chick should be out, its just taking its time. Seems fine.

If the last chick is over 4 weeks old it can be placed in the breeding cage and the nest box removed. Mum and Dad will look after the chicks.

 

Shake the eggs to adle them. They wont hatch. It's not the egg laying that causes the stress but the raising of the chicks.

 

If you do this you might find her laying some more eggs in the breedig cage. If you don't have a ready hen to accept them, I'd throw them away.

So, in a couple of days when the last chick comes out, I can just remove the nest box, complete with eggs, clean out, and she'll be okay, How long should I rest her? I have a type 2 cock that I'd really like to put with her, but he's a first timer, and as I said, she's just had a clutch. (She's had 5 clutches over the years.)

If this is her 2nd clutch in a row I'd rest her for 3 to 6 months.

It really depends on the number of chicks she has raised in the clutches over how mant clutches in a row.

no its her first clutch this year, I'm thinking of not breeding her until feb/march, because of the heat, amongst other things, she had 7 chick this clutch.

If thats the case you can breed her again when you think it's best for the weather?