I have 3 pairs in separate cages at the moment to breed, 1st pair mickey and minnie. Mickey seems very keen but minnie just doesnt seem interested. I have moved them from outside with the dogs to a breeding cage inside away from noise and kids etc thinking it was maybe too stressful for them with the dogs and kids running around outside. Is there any reason why she may not be interested? It has been 3 and a half weeks now and still nothing?

 

Next problem I have Molly and Tommy who laid a clutch earlier in august while in the avairy. I separted them and put them into their own cage once her cere turned brown and she was showing interest again, however she seemed to go weird once in that cage and just sat there and kept trying to get out. I put them back in the avairy and within a day she was in and out the nest boxes, however fighting was going on so have separated again and now nothing. wont even go in the box?

 

Any suggestions on what I should do with any of these pairs, whether try new partners, swap cages etc would be appreciated. sorry it is so long

It is not uncommon for aviary birds to go a bit troppo in a small cage, how many other birds are in the aviary and how many nest boxes are in there?

there are only 2 other birds in ther and 1 other 2 nest boxes. I dont want to colony breed so not sure about putting them all back together

The jailbreak scenario only lasts a couple of days. Did you leave them in there long enough to get over that ? Could they see the aviary from where they were ?

Mickey has been ready to breed again for a long time. Minnie looked to be in condition also...maybe block off the nestbox for a few days and then open it up and try again.

It is their surroundings that is stopping them ....

 

They will breed when they feel safe and happy to - Because they were fine and happy in the aviary you moved them inside to a smaller

"home" Which will then make them more insure they will need to spend time making sure that things are basically okay for them to breed, so to speak, Kinda like we check out playgrounds or look for dangers before we let our kids play ....

 

There are a few thing that you can do ...

 

1 Remove the others from the aviary and replace them in there by themselves ( sounds like the most comfortable for them as they were in a nd out of the nest box then .

 

2. Remove the nest box ( or block off like Kaz said ) from the inside cage give then a week or so to get use to all the different noises and surroundings then replace the nest box

 

Adding branches that they can gnaw on will stimulate them into condition again ..

 

 

i say this from MY EXPERIENCE as a ex colony breeder and from

 

Good luck mate

Also...quietness is a sign of danger to budgies, so if the inside ones are in too quiet a space they will not breed. Leave a radio on by them to block out the deafening silence if this is the case. Also, if the cage is in part darkness ( not enough light conditions ) that also will affect them wanting to breed. They like bright conditions for breeding.

Edited September 24, 200816 yr by KAZ

Thanks for those suggestions, I will put the 2 from the avairy back in there and the others out, and I will add more light to the room for minnie and mickey as it is not very bright. There is another bird in a separate cage that they chat to all day so it is not silent. I hope they come around, minnie does actually seem very scared and jumpy when I go and feed/ clean water etc so maybe she just needs time

Thanks for those suggestions, I will put the 2 from the avairy back in there and the others out, and I will add more light to the room for minnie and mickey as it is not very bright. There is another bird in a separate cage that they chat to all day so it is not silent. I hope they come around, minnie does actually seem very scared and jumpy when I go and feed/ clean water etc so maybe she just needs time

Sounds like a good plan. Mickey will persevere too so eventually you should have a result, especially changing the light conditions.

I have just swapped the 2 pairs outside (molly and tommy back in the avairy and sunshine and raindrop in own cage) and would you believe molly is already back in the box!

Another question, sunshine a dominant pied is feeling very large around her belly and has been guarding the nest box hoever her cere has not changed, I was starting to think she is past breeding age(was not told age when brought) as she has never shown any interest. Does this mean she may be getting ready to lay or she just eats too much?

 

What branches are safe to use?

Edited September 24, 200816 yr by molly

Most fruit branches are safe but the best are gum, hibiscus, bottlebrush and grevilla .... SO that i have found

 

Hens don't get pregnant Bellys they get what what we call here Egg bum lol -

 

Can you post pics of the birds that you are breeding / going to breed - we may be able to help you out

as some breeds look like they are female but are actually male we can also give a rough guide to ages too

great news, two of my pairs are now showing very good signs that things may happen soon, they are both in the boxes quite a bit and have seen them in action with their mates.

 

Thankyou everyone for the suggestions, hopefully soon I will be posting about eggs arriving!!

 

Fingers crossed

I have 3 pairs in separate cages at the moment to breed, 1st pair mickey and minnie. Mickey seems very keen but minnie just doesnt seem interested. I have moved them from outside with the dogs to a breeding cage inside away from noise and kids etc thinking it was maybe too stressful for them with the dogs and kids running around outside. Is there any reason why she may not be interested? It has been 3 and a half weeks now and still nothing?

 

Next problem I have Molly and Tommy who laid a clutch earlier in august while in the avairy. I separted them and put them into their own cage once her cere turned brown and she was showing interest again, however she seemed to go weird once in that cage and just sat there and kept trying to get out. I put them back in the avairy and within a day she was in and out the nest boxes, however fighting was going on so have separated again and now nothing. wont even go in the box?

 

Any suggestions on what I should do with any of these pairs, whether try new partners, swap cages etc would be appreciated. sorry it is so long

 

 

Regarding the disinterested hen.... give it time. I have a breeding pair in a cage right now for 5 weeks and they are just now exploring the nest box. I also have another pair that was in the cage together for 3 weeks before the cock would even let the hen sit on the same branch as her... now they are finally adjusting to each other and the cage... no box activity yet, but I'm sure they'll get there. Is you hen maybe out of season? Is her cere really crusty brown? She just might not be in the mood right now and a bit longer just might be what you need to catch her back in condition again?

 

The second issue I think is just the change. Alot of birds taken from an aviary and put into a cage have a little bit of issues going into a much smaller breeding cage. She will adjust. Putting her back in the aviary made her feel "at home" again, but also allowed the risk of fights. You gave her the means to breed then took them away and then gave them back again... she just might not be ready yet. I would try one more time, but this time put her in the breeding cage first without the added stress of the nest box... let her get use to being in the cage vs. the aviary first then introduce the nest box.

 

I hope this helps... it's suggestions given to me before on here and it worked.... the key is patience and not to do too much too fast. Baby steps! Good luck