I appear to have a female who has two males taking care of her. I thought she was bonded with a blue male and then I saw her doing the "funky chicken dance" :grbud: with a green yellowface male. I had to move all three after she started to sit on the eggs while I did some modifications to the small avairy. I put them temperarily in a small cage with nesting box inside my other avairy (safely away from prying pet cat) While in the avairy the Yellow face green male hardly left the box and the blue male just sat around not taking much notice of the female. So I decided as the cage was small I would release him into the avairy. This was not successful as he called and called to the female and got upset so I put him back. After a few days I though I would try the yellow face green in the aviary. This has been better as he didn't call for the female and appeared reasonably happy out of the little cage. Now the aviry has had its upgrade and the nesting pair are re-installed. But I am worried I have taken away her second mate! And wonder will I have babies from both males???? :ausb:

yes you can ahve babys from both males because the odd thing about budgies is that the female can store the males sperm for up to a matter of years its amazing!! so its possible for a female to be mated with in a pet store then be bought and then if she laid eggs within the next 6 months then the eggs could still be fertile. amazing! but dont frown about it, mixing budgie genes is fun and im sure no matter what babys you get they will all be beautiful.

thanks,

Sco-tie

Thanks Sco-tie

 

I am soooo looking forward to this clutch and always love the waiting to see what colour you are going to get! Not long to wonder now, picked up number one egg today and felt movement! But should I return the second male to the cage?? She's sitting on 8 eggs maybe she'll need the extra feeder... (Laughing out loud)! :grbud:

 

By the way just noticed your in Adelaide. I visit family in Semaphore a few times a year and would love to look at your birds, do you allow visitors?

Edited December 10, 200618 yr by Budgie Baby

I believe it would be best to only have 1 male with the female even if she was messing around with 2 during the incubation and feeding of the chicks. I state this because 1 of the males can decide it is time to breed again and ruin the whole clutch. When you colony breed you have to take precautions read too much about it going bad (but let me state many can do it successful).

 

As for sperm lasting years, I have to rebuke that statement. That sounds unrealistic and here is why. If it were true....who would be able to work out true parentage? the father of babies wouldnt be the one the hen was with now but one she used to shack up with 6 months ago?

 

I would like to hear from other who have experience in breeding about this statement and their views :grbud:.

Thanks for the advice Lovey. I think I will stick to the one at the moment too. I hadn't thought of the new batch problem, but it makes sense.

 

In regards to the long lasting sperm, I'm not sure either. Has anyone experienced this personally? It's a fascinating concept but would be hard to deal with in the professional breeding circuit if true!

ive been breeding budgies for years and allthough sperm surviving is rare it is also true. out of about 800 birds about 3-5 will not have the farther they have been bred with. personally i dont know anyone else who has had this happen. to back this up i am saying if a hen mates with a cock and lays an egg she does not have to mate with the cock each time she is going to lay a new egg. hence the sperm is being stored. all the stored sperm will die eventually but remember it only takes one to fertiliase an egg.

thanks,

Sco-tie

for all those who doubt that budgies can not hold sperm then please try and explain this

 

 

 

the Parents are a:

Yellow faced normal blue Hen and a Normal Green Cock

there is no Spangles or lutino or albino genes

this clutch is due to what i believe multiple cock birds to a single hen. all eggs were laid by the single hen, only a single cock was with her and their is no splits as mentioned.

i hope this can set some things straight about the "Sperm Survival Myth"

thanks,

Sco-tie

any other thoughts from other breeders too?

 

The part I don't believe is the years part I would say if they were breed clutch after clutch it could be possible.

 

The ino is a sex-linked gene that the father could have been hiding.

As for the spangle that is not a gene hidden so that certainly could prove a theory. Do you have pics of the parents too :bluebudgie:

I've been told by a breeder that sperm can last in the hen for around 10 days. He seperates his hens from the rest of the flock for that long before pairing them up with a mate to breed.

 

This seems likely and since I had read before this info that all the eggs can be firtile with only one mating it made sence

Wow these birds just keep on amazing me!!! Who knew there was so much to learn! I'm sure my head will explode soon trying to learn about all the proper care, their special needs and genetics (genetics fascinates me, but I just can't grasp it yet!) I'm still happy at the moment with my surprise packages!

Edited December 12, 200618 yr by Budgie Baby

I've been told by a breeder that sperm can last in the hen for around 10 days. He seperates his hens from the rest of the flock for that long before pairing them up with a mate to breed.

 

This seems likely and since I had read before this info that all the eggs can be firtile with only one mating it made sence

 

I agree they are amazing and Nerwen this sound realistic for sure

Loving birds can lead to information overload. Since I am getting a little older now, I tell my kids that I have learned so much over the years that I have had to develop an overflow hole in the back of my head where the all seeing mommy eyes used to be!!! Hey.. it works to explain the short term memory loss. :(Laughing out loud):

Shell