Hello all

Today I went to a english show budgie breeders house. He has over $30000 worth of birds. He gave me a pair of budgies in breeding condition, so he says. I took a picture of the pair. Is the yellow budgie the male? from what I can see his cere is pinkish and not blue? Has he ripped me off? http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/8691/breedersye3.jpg

Do they both look in breeding condition to you?

 

Thanks very much

you have a grey opaline hen and a light green recessive pied cock.

They look good to me, although I'm not sure about breeding condition, perhaps wait a while?

The hen looks to be in breeding condition to me, I can see the slightly crusty texture of her cere on my screen. Being recessive pied your male won't show the typical blue cere.

The hen looks to be in breeding condition to me, I can see the slightly crusty texture of her cere on my screen. Being recessive pied your male won't show the typical blue cere.

 

Does he look to be in breeding condition to you?

If he isnt ill put either a blue male in their or a green/yellow male.

What colour babies would I get from a grey hen and a Light green male? What colours would I get from a grey hen and a violet male?

I've noticed the male is alot smaller than all my other budgies, is he a baby? I was told he is 2 years old and ready to breed.

Thanks very much for you reply

Edited June 27, 200816 yr by pearce

Yes into the breeding pen,Pluck a few feathers from around there vent,I think you should breed.

A mixture if birds if the hen is split recessive & the cock is split blue,

I didn't see anything about quarantine, before you start breeding them with any other birds I suggest that you follow the quarantine standard of 30 days (1 month) completely seperated from the flock before you decide to breed. This ensures that the new birds you purchased are in optimal health. You may know this already but putting it out there. Congrats on your purchases.

Your new birds look nice, if you keep them in quarantine you can put the two birds that you got from the same breeder in a cabinet & breed a clutch from them & later if you want to try them with other mates you can. After they have had a batch of chicks you will know if there are any health problems, as breeding would bring out anything if it were going to happen, then you will know they are safe.

Your Recessive male is smaller as that is quite common with some Recessive mutations especially Pieds, that’s why it’s good to breed them with a bigger Normal to keep their size up.

Thanks all

The 2 birds I have are in quarentine, seperated from other birds. Their is a nesting box inside trhe cage incase they do decide to breed. I bought some calcium bells and other items for the birds aswell.

 

Thanks all

Brown crusty is just out of condition you'll need it where it is chocolate brown and not crunchy like

I would put these too down to breed , the cock I can see has some small pin feathers on his head this is a good sign he is almost in full condition and its this condition that will ultimately bring the hen into true breeding condition.

oh

 

 

Should have kept my mouth shute lol ..... Well I learnt something new ... Again

Good news all.

The pair of budgies I picked from my avairy are going fine in the breeder cage. The hen is in the nesting box alot and they are showing alot of affection towards eachother.

I put the pair that I bought from the english breeder in a cage in the house for quarentine. Its about 1 meter by 1 meter by 1 meter. I have taken the nesting box out as I was told the male was going through moult. Hopefully, by the time they finish quarentine, they will have bonded and will be ready to breed.

I'm also in the process of constructing a new flight avairy. It is about 7 meters long, 3 meters high and 5 meters wide. I know its a little small but It should be alright for 20 budgies. I will put mostly young budgies in this avairy and when they get older they can be put in my bigger avairy. This will hopefully prevent elder budgies picking on them? I have stopped colony breeding all together. I now have 8 breeding cages side by side with a barrier in between so the birds can hear eachother, but cannot see eachother. Hopefully When all is finished I will be able to get some great coloured budgies and get alot more. I will put a few quails in each avairy and hopefully they will breed to, Im confident they will as last time I had quails, they bred like crazy.

I've also got a cockatiel in quarentine for 45 days, when he comes out of quarentine he will be a mate for my other lonley cockatiel. They will both be in the big avairy.

 

 

Thanks all for the great help.

 

Ps: I would take some pictures for you guys but, They are always inside the nesting box and I dont want to disturb them. Sorry

Edited June 29, 200816 yr by pearce

I'm also in the process of constructing a new flight avairy. It is about 7 meters long, 3 meters high and 5 meters wide. I know its a little small but It should be alright for 20 budgies.

Small are you sure about those sizes ???? As an aviary like that is huge !! Check sizes.

Yes im sure, I just re measured it. Its an old shed Im tearing down and rebuilding on the cement slab.

It would fit 200 budgies in it and you are worried about fitting 20 ?

I was told I can only fit 50 budgies in my current avairy and it is 11 meters long, 3 meters high and 4 meters wide...

I was told I can only fit 50 budgies in my current avairy and it is 11 meters long, 3 meters high and 4 meters wide...

That is incorrect information Pearce.

Perhaps the person,not into metric & thinking in feet & inches. 11mtrs in the is about 35 feet,The would get tied

just flying from one end to the other

I have my breeding cages next to the carport/shed. At night I put a tarp over the top of the cage to protect them from frost. If it was going to rain I would move them undercover. I live in ipswich, queensland. It gets quite cold here.

Should I cover them with a blanket? I have a big blanket I cover them with at night

Thanks

Moving breeder cages about and disturbing with covers and tarps are not the best thing for breeding budgies. Find a good place for them without disturbances, especially do not move the cages about and you will have more success that way. Breeding birds like to feel secure about the place they choose to breed in. Moving cages about makes egg roll around, eggs break and get addled and hens get flightly and leave their nests.

Edited June 29, 200816 yr by KAZ

Outside is the only place they would get sunlight. Its quite cold at night and if I dont cover them will they be alright? Can budgies stand the cold? Im just wondering because I dont want them dying in the cold... A blanket would just keep them warmer.

The blanket is fine as long as you place it and remove it without making the birds flap about......and do it early morning and at dusk also. Have you put the cages up higher on something to protect them from predators, rodents and wild birds ?

yes the bottoms of the cages are about 3 foot above ground level. They are nailed to the shed wall. I made some sort of fence around the avairy with thin bird wire to stop butcher birds/cats. Their is also a roof which I made from thin bird wire aswell. No birds/cats can get within 1 meter of the cage. I dont usually see many birds/cats here anyway. I went to the petshop today to buy some calcium bells/iodine blocks and calcivet. The owner told me that I shouldnt be even attempting to breed the birds in winter. Is that true?

 

Thanks

Winter can cause issues, especially for chick mortality in the nestbox when some hatch through the night and can go unseen and unfed and cold. Depending on where you live and conditions and weather. If too cold and frosts are likely then its not the best idea to breed until it warms up a little. Cold hens can have issues contracting and expelling an egg and becoming eggbound.

Edited June 29, 200816 yr by KAZ

Hello all

Just a quick question. Keep in mind that this is my first time cabinet breeding budgies, although i've done alot of research.

When ever I walk past my pair in the breeder cage, the male flys to the top of the nesting box and the female flys inside. Then when I walk away they fly back to the perch. The birds have been in their 7 days. Im just wondering is this normal behaviour when the female is about to lay eggs? Im so excited