I have my first baby budgie im so excited i opened the box this morning and it was lying there not with the other eggs or the mother so i thought that it was dead but then it moved so i pushed it back under the mummy to keep it warm im hoping that she didnt reject it and put it there.One of the other birds laid an egg yesterday but abandoned it over night so i put it in with the mother of the newly hatched chick is that okay? I have no idea what to do with the chick now if she pushes it away again should i get it out and try to hand raise it? Is there any thing thaat i should be checking for?

Sorry guys i am very keen to learn more about them- im so in love with this baby!

thanks -missylu-

Congrats on the baby.... Check the baby's crop for signs it has been fed. You will see a tiny bubble of creamy liquid ...on the neck area under the beak. Dont be in too much hurry to remove and take over. Its a specialised job and needs experience to be successful at handraising.

The egg you said was abandoned....why do you think it was abandoned ? The hen wont sit and keep an egg warm until they have laid the perfect sized clutch for them, often not sitting until 3 or 4 eggs have been laid. Also the egg you moved ...if it has only just been laid and you put it in the nest of the egg that are just hatching...there is too much gap between eggs that are hatching NOW and the egg that has to be incubated now for another 18 days or more. So that egg may not make it.

Try to not panic and think you have to do it all for them...it will be fine. Check the baby for food in its crop ...it wont be much...just small bubble of creamy liquid in its crop.

Read this article and it will help.....

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

 

PS are you colony breeding ? Or have you breeding pairs in seperate breeding cages ?

Edited March 10, 200817 yr by KAZ

Kaz is correct, My last breeding pair laid her fourth egg yesterday and only started sitting after her third egg. Do not be too hasty. Patience is what is needed.

HI GUYS THANKS FOR YOUR INFO. I TOOK THE SINGLE EGG OUT BECAUSE THE MUMMY OF IT HAD 6 EGGS A WEEK AGO AND I THINK SHE ATE THEM ALL SO I AM A BIT NERVOUS WHEN IT COMES TO HER AND BABIES.AND NOW THAT I HAVE RUSHED AND TAKEN IT OUT I DONT KNOW WHICH EGG IT IS! OOPS. I AM COLONY BREEDING I HAVE 3 FEMALES AND 5 MALES 1 OF MY FEMALES DIED THE OTHER DAY FROM AN UNKNOWN REASON AND THEN I SAW THIS BEAUTIFUL MALE THAT I COULD NOT RESIST SO I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS okay TO HAVE MORE MALES THAN FEMALES IS THIS TRUE? I ALSO WANT TO BUY ANOTHER FEMALE TO PAIR UP WITH MY NEW BEAUTIFUL MALE BUT I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE OTHER FEMALES BREEDING CYCLE. I STARTED OFF WITH TWO TRAINED BUDGIES FOR MY DAUGHTER THEN I FELL IN LOVE AND HAD TO BUY MORE AND THEN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EDUCATIONAL FOR HER TO WATCH THEM HAVE BABIES AND SEE THEM GROW I DIDNT REALISE IT WOULD TURN INTO A HUGE OBSESSION FOR ME! I HAVE NOT HAD ANY LUCK WITH THE BRIGHT GREEN BIRDS NEARLY FLURO COLOURED I BROUGHT TWO AND THEY BOTH DIDED WITHIN THE WEEK I HAVE HAD THE OTHERS FOR 1 YEAR NOW AND THEY WERE AROUND ONE YEAR OLD WHEN I BROUGHT THEM SORRY IM BORING YOU THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

Edited March 11, 200817 yr by maesie
Please remember not to type in capitals. In the world of the internet, capitals is seen as SHOUTING! :-) Thanks for understanding

You arent going to have much success with colony breeding. Its heartbreaking to find a nest of pretty chicks have been slaughtered by another female who cleaned out the nest to keep it for herself. Eventually you will go though that as I did when I once colony bred my birds.

However...if you are going to continue with colony breeding you may want to read this

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

 

It seems you also need to be reading up on quarantine as you have bought a new male and not kept it seperate from the others for any period of time ? Like 30 days is recommended for making sure no diseases are transferred

Read this

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

 

Your female that died could have been eggbound. If you have any birds in your aviary that are under 12 months of age they have to be removed from the aviary while there are nestboxes in there as the nestboxes urge them to breed far too young and that when eggbinding happens.

 

Re birds health, ....get in the habit of checking a budgies bottom for signs of ill health. A pooey bottom is the first sign that something is wrong. If you see that pull the bird out immediately and put it in a cage with a warm lamp nearby. Then consider if it needs veterinary treatment.

 

signs of a sick budgie http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

 

eggbound http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...hlight=eggbound

 

The bright green birds that died within the week would have been carrying a disease or transferred it to each other....most likely due to no quarantine and you would not have noticed they had pooey bottoms or treated for it.

 

Hope this has been helpful to you. Theres a lot more to keeping a few colourful budgies and putting nestboxes in an aviary than you first think.

At least here you will get some help and answers.

Cheers Kaz

Edited March 11, 200817 yr by KAZ

THANKS FOR THAT I WIL HAVE TO EXPLORE MY OTHER OPTIONS INTO BREEDING THEM SEPERATLEY. I HAVE MADE SURE MY BUDGIES WERE ALL OLDER THAN ONE YEAR MY YOUNGEST IS TWO YEARS OLD NOW .SO DOES THAT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME OR IS IT JUST WITH SOME BIRDS THAT ATTACK EACH OTHER? I HAVENT HAD ANY ATTACKS SO FAR BUT I AM WATCHING OUT FOR IT ALSO SHOULD YOU HAVE MORE MALES TO FEMALES OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

The problem with colony breeding arises when two hens want the same breeding box. Usually the one positioned the highest. The best deterent is Kaz's suggestion. If you cannot do this then make sure you have 2 nest boxes for each Hen all positioned at the same height.

THANKS FOR THAT I WIL HAVE TO EXPLORE MY OTHER OPTIONS INTO BREEDING THEM SEPERATLEY. I HAVE MADE SURE MY BUDGIES WERE ALL OLDER THAN ONE YEAR MY YOUNGEST IS TWO YEARS OLD NOW .SO DOES THAT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME OR IS IT JUST WITH SOME BIRDS THAT ATTACK EACH OTHER? I HAVENT HAD ANY ATTACKS SO FAR BUT I AM WATCHING OUT FOR IT ALSO SHOULD YOU HAVE MORE MALES TO FEMALES OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

I believe the article on colony breeding that I put up for you tells why it all happens...but in a nutshell.....a favoured nestbox over another, a higher nestbox than the others, a nestbox too close to feeding areas, a nestbox that other birds can stand on top of, a hormonal female. a territorial fight and so on.

 

What size is your aviary and how many birds and nestboxes are in that space ?

 

you should have equal males to females.

Edited March 11, 200817 yr by KAZ

THANKS FOR THAT I WIL HAVE TO EXPLORE MY OTHER OPTIONS INTO BREEDING THEM SEPERATLEY. I HAVE MADE SURE MY BUDGIES WERE ALL OLDER THAN ONE YEAR MY YOUNGEST IS TWO YEARS OLD NOW .SO DOES THAT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME OR IS IT JUST WITH SOME BIRDS THAT ATTACK EACH OTHER? I HAVENT HAD ANY ATTACKS SO FAR BUT I AM WATCHING OUT FOR IT ALSO SHOULD YOU HAVE MORE MALES TO FEMALES OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

I believe the article on colony breeding that I put up for you tells why it all happens...but in a nutshell.....a favoured nestbox over another, a higher nestbox than the others, a nestbox too xlose to feeding areas, a nestbox that other birds can stand on top of, a hormonal female. a territorial fight and so on.

 

What size is your aviary and how many birds and nestboxes are in that space ?

 

you should have equal males to females.

 

 

I had 4 females to 4 males and then i brought another male because my hen did not like the last male and before i could even put him in the cage she got sick and died so i now have 3 females and 5 males i was going to buy another female but i was told not to introduce another female or it would disturb the nesting birds so im not sure what to do now the aviary is 2 metres by 3 metres and i have 6 nest boxes in there i have not had a problem with the hens at all they stay away from each other its more the males that i am worried about they are very curious.

Sounds like you dont quarantine your birds. Introduced diseases by just putting them straight in with your others is a main reason you would have birds getting sick and dying.

Please read the links I gave you in my first post to you, especially the one about breeding colony style and quarantine.

You need another 2 nestboxes as well.

Cheers kaz

If you can"t breed in a breeding cage,its best not to breed.Its not very hard to make up breeding cage.Iam sure there would be picture of a breeding cage on the forum some where.

If you can"t breed in a breeding cage,its best not to breed.Its not very hard to make up breeding cage.Iam sure there would be picture of a breeding cage on the forum some where.

Edited March 11, 200817 yr by george

IF YOU CAN"T BREED IN BREEDING BOXES,ITS BEST TO NOT BREED.Its

 

Sorry Guys..... But like I have said before everyone should enjoy the excitment and pleasure in breeding Budgies Wether in Breeding Cabinets* or Aviaries - I have been breeding Colony style for about a year and have had one problem with another hen pecking other chick to fight for nest boxes But I have learnt to control the number of hens I breed .... Not everyone can afford or have the set up to breed in cabients. This doesn't make me not love my birds any less . . . . .

 

But what works for me may not work for others - Most of you here all know that I jumped into the whole breeding side before I knew anything and like I said then how are we to learn to drive a car just by reading road rules!!!!!!

cONGRATS

If you can"t breed in a breeding cage,its best not to breed.Its not very hard to make up breeding cage.Iam sure there would be picture of a breeding cage on the forum some where

 

Not everyone here is a show breeder like us George nor do they have the available space for breeding cabinets.

 

When I first owned budgies over 20 years ago I started with the colony system. I was about 12 and could not build breeding cabinets nor did my father have the time to do this for me. Space was at a premium those days and I was lucky enough that Dad built an avairy measuring 2 mtrs long by 1.5 wide. I had many a success with colony breeding and some disapointments but no more as I do with controlled breeding today.

 

Do not be quick to judge others as they enjoy their birds.

I agree with Ikon and Neat... I have heard of budgies bred in breeding cages and still hear of instances when the mother attacks the ckicks... I can't say that I'm an expert, I'm not but we are dealing with natural creatures and it is natural for not everything to be perfect... whilst it is regretable that some chicks get attacked all we can do is MINIMISE the risk not ERASE it...

 

If colony breeding is what you want to do missylu then I would suggest you read up on the subject, change your set up where needed and then keep a close eye on them...

Thanks for all your positive feedback i love to see my birds flying around together and being in love in my aviary i try my very best to keep them happy i am not breeding them to make money i am doing it for the love and like to see the natural processes of breeding whether it has dissapointments or not they are doing what is natural to them. i have not had any attacks at all my birds get along great. I have purchased breeding cabinets for my special birds but i will let my others be free and see who they pair up with and what coloured babies they end up with.Thanks again guys

I colony breed too with no problems... i had 2 troublesome birds many years ago that would pick fights and be nasty with their peers - I think they may have had "issues" as they only lived to be about 5 years old.

Good luck and i hope your breeding experience gets better

Edited March 21, 200817 yr by **Liv**

I wasnt sure if you had read the link I sent you about colony breeding...how to if you want it to work out ( well as far as you can make it work anyway )...I used to colony breed and have found someinteresting ways it worked and wrote this article for the FAQ section. I gave you a link to it before but will post for others.

 

 

Colony Breeding

 

I have often heard from people who "tried" colony breeding and met with disaster. Often it can be the case. If you are trying to breed too many birds in too small a space with nesting boxes ( and maybe not enough of them ) lined up on a shelf right next to each other....it IS a recipe for disaster.

 

To colony breed successfully you need to be available to watch over the dynamics of the aviary and the relationships of the birds at the time.

 

If You Intend To Colony Breed....You must check all these points:

 

There needs to be two feet minimum between nesting boxes for this to work.

 

You DO need twice as many nesting boxes as pairs of birds...so the hen can choose their nestbox.

 

Placing the nesting boxes with entry ways from different directions helps too.....i.e. Not all facing forward. Some sideways entry, not directly facing another birds entry. Kind of arrange them this way and that. You may need to screw some into the walls and not just rely on a shelf.

 

Try to have all nesting boxes at the same height as higher ones are mostly highly sought after by all birds.

 

Some times you need a piece of plywood placed strategically here and there so a pair's view from the entry of their nesting box is obscured from a pair of birds nearby. You can screw these dividing screen sections to the boxes concerned.

 

You also need to be sure that the pairs you have ready to cohabit and breed in that space are easygoing birds, none of the hormonally aggressive types that may get nasty with others.

 

Be prepared to watch the hierarchy in the aviary closely for a while off and on over some days till they all get settled within their own nesting sites and happy with their own partners. I

 

t's best if you can remove some of the birds for awhile and add each pair to the aviary again giving them time to select and settle in the chosen nesting box before adding the next pair.

 

Have more feeding cups/ stations than you normally do and try not to have a feeding area or main perch right next to a nesting box.

 

If you can put a slightly longer perch on the front of each nesting box that accommodates both male and female....it helps. It generally stops the male feeling he has to defend the top of his chosen nesting box from anyone who wants to sit for awhile or peer in.

 

If a pair of birds sits on top of a another pairs chosen nestbox and interferes with the "owners" coming and goings, put something on top of the nesting box to stop that happening...maybe an upturned plantpot or something.

 

Any aggressive pairs or males that interfere with others, please remove and put elsewhere for the duration as these will be your "troublemakers".

 

You will have to be prepared to watch closely and look for potential problem relationships.

 

You WILL get babies that "don't belong" to the father you thought was in fact the father, as some birds will mate with a few different partners under these circumstances. And in those cases, you may have nasty fights between the males over the chosen female.

Well i must have some super easy-going birds as my set up is all wrong, but i haven't had any problems at all :hap:

Oh, except the problem for not knowing who the father of most of the chicks is hehehehe

I currenly have a happy threesome happening - one hen - 2 males, all feeding "their" chicks

Edited March 21, 200817 yr by **Liv**

Thanks for that kaz i did read it and i found it very helpfull thanks heaps trust me you will get alot more questions from me!!! (Laughing out loud)

I have the whole Standard Breeding aviary all on the top shelf 4 Nest boxes ( and now ) 3 Pairs had a fourth in there But she wanted the one that someone else was in .. Big Bird fight rolling on the floor squarking like no tomorrow ... ( the fighter is the daughter of the other fighter I had ... She is now in a flight aviary ..... THey other couples are all fine with each other and no problems .... I have had many chicks this way ... It is what works for me at the moment Until I can get Hubby to make the breeding cabinets up : )