When newbies come along asking for breeding advice something they're almost ALWAYS asked is WHY they want to breed? So i want to ask it to everyone now.

 

I was thinking about WHY i set up a breeding pair. It was partly to repopulate my aviary (as i've lost 4-6 budgies over the past year or two) and i'm also toying with the idea of selling a few babies (though knowing me i won't be able to, hehehe). I don't breed on a large scale at all so really i'm just doing it for fun, as a hobby, but isn't "for fun" a reason usually frowned upon? I know that i can (and most likely will) keep all the babies and love them for their whole lives. If i sold them i would check potential owners to make sure they'll be going to good homes only. But even with their care garanteed by me does that make it okay? I dunno, guess i'm just thinking out loud.

 

So everyone else - WHY do you breed your budgies?

For me, I breed to get a certain result - my last few clutches I wanted a good spangle cock, which I achieved with my last clutch - the process resulted in 14 chicks over three clutches with 6 of them being spangle and only one of those male , It also resulted in a lacewing female(which was unexpected but appreciated!) a pied creamino female, a good normal female (which I will keep and use later) a few dilutes and various other colour combinations, some of which I have passed on to family members (couldnt bare to sell them!) Mum is now having a well deserved rest.

Another clutch last year, with a clearbody hen, all I wanted was cock birds - and out of the two resulting chicks I got 2 really nice ones! I will pair them up for next spring, and see what I get with those!

 

I also do it for fun, its a hobby. I love when the chicks are starting to get their feathers in and seeing the resulting colours!

Edited January 10, 200718 yr by Patches

I am involved in showing Budgerigars as a hobbie. I breed to improve the features of the birds to try to reach a standard of excellence as discribed in "The Standard" . To reach this standard is a challenge which I have accepted.

I am involved in showing Budgerigars as a hobbie. I breed to improve the features of the birds to try to reach a standard of excellence as discribed in "The Standard" . To reach this standard is a challenge which I have accepted.

Why did you breed before you got into showing? As a hobby/fun?

I breed budgies now for both pet and show. Not for a hobby, not for a business, but for the sheer enjoyment of sitting and watching my colourful birds at play. The fact that I usually end up keeping most of the budgies I breed or give some to friends is a sign that every one of them is special to me. I am heavily involved in every budgies birth from hatching to new home to my aviary and their future. Even though I have over 250 budgies only about 30 pairs are breeding. The rest are just enjoying themselves in a great space and a budgie playground and avairy complex that is getting better by the day.

I breed the ones I want for two reasons. My show budgies ....because I am starting out in show budgies and have to breed my own for show and to build up a breedline.

The pet budgies I breed ...for many reasons. Curiousity to see what develops from the special ones, some I breed just because they "fall in love or lust" with a partner of the right age and type and also to exchange bloodlines ( have to sell or rehome some of my babies to buy in new blood so there is no inbreeding and inherant diseases perpetuated within the flock....hopefully ). I have many "favourites" and their welfare is of the utmost importance to me.

Edited January 10, 200718 yr by Bubbles

The pet budgies I breed ...for many reasons. Curiousity to see what develops from the special ones, some I breed just because they "fall in love or lust" with a partner of the right age and type and also to exchange bloodlines ( have to sell or rehome some of my babies to buy in new blood so there is no inbreeding and inherant diseases perpetuated within the flock....hopefully ). I have many "favourites" and their welfare is of the utmost importance to me.

These are the same reasons i have been breeding. Like you each and everyone of my budgies is important to me and i would never want to do something that might harm them (breed underage, inbreed, etc). I'm glad i'm not the only person who breeds for these type of reasons - i was feeling like i shouldn't be breeding.

I breed, because I really love the experience of seeing new life and babies. I love being able to interact with them and it excites me to see what possible colours will pop up! There are so many hidden recessive genes! Specially with Saffy my DF spangle, she could have anything under her coating of yellow. (surprisingly clearwing, cinnamon, blue, dark factors, whoa, it's mind boggling! ). I just love the experience.

I am involved in showing Budgerigars as a hobbie. I breed to improve the features of the birds to try to reach a standard of excellence as discribed in "The Standard" . To reach this standard is a challenge which I have accepted.

Why did you breed before you got into showing? As a hobby/fun?

 

I guess I breed for the pleasure of seeing the young develop. It is a great feeling when you see the young mature and leave the nest and join the others.

It is a great feeling when you see the young mature and leave the nest and join the others.

I agree for sure!

Interesting thread, Bea. I keep wondering whether I really should get into breeding later this year. This gives me a lot of food for thought as many of the reasons I wish to breed have been listed above. The results from certain pairings and the wish to try to breed a certain 'type' or mutation makes the whole prcess fascinating and I imagine it would be extremely rewarding on a personal level.

 

I am looking forward to attending my first budgerigar club meeeting, which should give me more of an idea of where I want to go with it all.

Edited January 10, 200718 yr by feathers

Interesting thread, Bea. I keep wondering whether I really should get into breeding later this year. This gives me a lot of food for thought as many of the reasons I wish to breed have been listed above. The results from certain pairings and the wish to try to breed a certain 'type' or mutation makes the whole prcess fascinating and I imagine it would be extremely rewarding on a personal level.

 

I am looking forward to attending my first budgerigar club meeeting, which should give me more of an idea of where I want to go with it all.

 

You're gonna get "hooked"

Interesting thread, Bea. I keep wondering whether I really should get into breeding later this year. This gives me a lot of food for thought as many of the reasons I wish to breed have been listed above. The results from certain pairings and the wish to try to breed a certain 'type' or mutation makes the whole prcess fascinating and I imagine it would be extremely rewarding on a personal level.

 

I am looking forward to attending my first budgerigar club meeeting, which should give me more of an idea of where I want to go with it all.

 

You're gonna get "hooked"

 

I know.. I know.. I got hooked about 3 months back I think... eventually I'll stop fighting it You and Cheeta :hap: :hap:

haha, I don't need to breed.. I get all my babies from bubbles! well no not all, so far I have three, and one is coming, hopefully this Friday..

 

Although I'm thinking of breeding one pair that I think would make beautiful babies (light grey opaline spangle and YF2 cobalt spangle)... and this is for the joy of watching little white eggs turning into pink blobs into pin cushions into beautiful gentle budgies! I'm afraid that if I start with one pair, I want to do it more... but I'll need to watch it as I won't have the space to keep them all and I would want to keep them all!! (Laughing out loud)

I don't breed as of yet and knowing me, I probably never will. But I have seriously entertained the idea and should I decide (once I have time and space) to go ahead and breed it will be first and foremost for health, longevity, and good temperment. I've been doing a bit of research on how to accomplish this and it would be my goal to produce budgies that are less likely to become affected by genetic defects/weaknesses such as tumors. Getting interesting colors will only be secondary, more of a bonus but never at the expense of the primary goal. The other primary reason will be to provide people in my area with an alternative to going to a pet store where they sell older, sickly budgies. By breeding, I would have the chance to meet a lot of different people (prospective owners) and educate them, one on one.

i just love seeing nature at work and its just the greatest feeling when i see the little babies head poke out of the nest box calling for its mum so for me is mainly enjoyment and i also have special show breeding also

Sco-tie

I bred my first two budgies I had. I just watched them every day kissing and cuddling each other, they were so in love . So I decided to buy them a nest box :hap: . I just hoped they wouldn't have too many babies, because I couldn't sell them. It's fun to watch them every day - they changed so much since they were babies !!! They are going to have their 1.birthday next week :hap:

I'm maybe going to breed again, when I have more space. But I think I will always keep all my babies

for the past year l have wanted to breed my budgies ( this is why l first joined this forum ) but l found out that l would have to wait until they where of a proper age , so l had to wait for awhile ( l'm planning to start to breed them in June or July of this year ) , but l'm only planning to breed with only one pair and after they have a successful clutch , l might then breed with another pair but l'm still not sure .

why l would like to breed , most other posters have already mentioned this but l have a lot of time to spare to take great care of them , and l'm researching alot so l will be very well prepared to handle situations and to care for them properly , l would like to do this as a hobby .

l would like to bring the babies up as handraised to sale as pets , but l would also like to give them away to friends and family first if they are interested ( l have a few family members , that have said to me that they would be interested to have one of my babies if l ever decided to breed ) when l look for a home with the public l will give them a care sheet and l also will be very picky on who l choose to take one of my babies , l won't let just any one take them .

After having spent so much time on this forum, I may decide not to breed after all. I got my budgies with the intention of breeding them this coming summer. I have learned so much about the bad things that could happen that I don't know if I want to risk it! I love my birds so much. I just want to give them a good life. If that includes breeding once or twice..... I guess I am just scared now that I know all that is involved.

Shell

I always wondered about the you shouldn't breed for Fun" idea because to be it is fun. Yes you look at the healthy and care of the birds first but overall it's enjoyable to watch the eggs turn into pink blobs into pin cushions into beautiful gentle budgies (loved your comment cheeta )

 

I'm just like the rest of you, I love the idea of seeing the colours that come out and working out which pair to match and so on.

Edited January 10, 200718 yr by Nerwen

To be 100% honest, i breed the budgies becuase i know that all the time i have worked on giving them great care, clean, big cages, a happy environment, great foods, and suitable mates, then why not breed if i have the time?

 

I do NOT breed for money, or fun, as a spir of the moment thing, but rather to breed happy babies that will find GREAT homes! As many of you know that i talk to, or have seen my ads for my pet budgies i sell, i onyl find the BEST homes. I would NEVER sell any pet even a fish) to a home that i would not want to go to if i was the pet, and i try to find a home even better suited than mine! Meaning say there's a nice family whos been researching getting a pet budgie for months, and honestly trying to be the best future owners, i'll invite them over, i'll teach them things (good foods for their new baby to eat, safe branches, tell them great toys, the best places to find to biggest cages, and any other questions they have). Then, they can also visit their baby they choose to buy from me, i put it on hold, and they pick it up when it's been eating by itself for a week or so. They then come, and take their new baby home in a trasnport box that i give to them (i even take the time and money to go to petshops and buy budgie transport boxes for their new pets, thats how into i am (Laughing out loud)) then i ask for updates every few weeks. I feel they are tsill my birds, but have new homes. So i want to check up on how they are doing e.t.c.

 

As a matter of fact, i got an email from one of Kirby and Belles pied baby's owner, and they said they are thrilled to have such a fun baby form me. He's a talker already, loves to sing, play with them, fallow them, and is quite the little magnet to people. he LOVES playing with toy balls, and is eating a great diet (i feed my babies and adult birds cuttlebone, vegies daily, iodine blocks, and great enrich filled budgie seed for variety and energy to give them a boost before they go to their new homes, then i 'make' the nw owner's feed them the same great foods and keep their new babies on a great diet. I ALSO print the owners out a care packagei made out of my head, buy them a new toy per baby for their new homs, and give them baby pics of their birds when they were young.

 

So, as you can see it's a joy to see such brilliant little minds go off into the world, from healthy parents, and become the tamest birds. They truely are my passion and hobby, and in the end, all i want is for my babies to go to great homes that they will get showered with respect, joy, attention, affection, praise, and last but not least, the most important feeling, love

 

Kirby

I am new to breeding but have taken to it like a duck to water, I WANT to breed for quality as here in my little town there are too many birds with BIG health Problems,for example the only birds we can get are from a pet store and they are very small and have scaley face, splayed legs and i am be pretty sure they are inbred.

 

I have taken it upon myself to produce better quality birds for thoes people like me that love budgies but dont like what we are forced to buy.

 

i have just got my first clutch not yet hatched but only about 7 days off so i will see if i can part with any i don't reckon i will but we will see.

 

How do i become a registered Breeder can anyone help me?

I keep birds because i love them and it gives me something to look forward to every day. And breeding just adds that extra bit of excitment. I breed obviously for selfish reason for my own enjoyment. But regardless of what I would like their health and happiness always comes first.

How do i become a registered Breeder can anyone help me?

 

Join a budgerigar club. Order your legrings for your baby budgies and start breeding with good records and better knowledge gained from other likeminded people.

Good Advice from Bubbles. The best thing any one can do is to join a club, even if you don't want to breed. It get enjoyment and you learn many this about the birds. Many of the top breeders know as much as a lot of Avian Vets and are a lot cheaper to talk to. :sad:

Edited March 18, 200718 yr by Bubbles

:ausb: Maybe I should breed, I'm so good at laying eggs! :sad: (just kidding we know! :(Laughing out loud): ), interesting post Bea, as I have said before, MOST of the people who are members of/visit this site are responsible breeders, I just worry about some of the budgies. (big puppy mill arrest here a few days ago).