HELLO BUDGIE LOVERS! my name is Elise i am 13 years old a young breeder

i am new to this site so bare with me.

okay. well i have been thinking about breeding budgies as i own a little blue girl and i know some one who has a little grey/blue boy.

 

so i thought we could start breeding them... is it easy ?

 

well before i breed those little cuties i think i should know all i can.

 

so here is a list of questions ...

 

. does the female budgie lay eggs then the male fertilized them

. my budgie seems to have a habit of biting will the babies turn out the same?

. i know the female lays eggs one at a time but does she need to be mated with each egg?

.should i leave the male in? do i have to!?

. if i touch the babies will the mother eat them?

. how big do i need the cage?

. how long will it take for the female to lay eggs?

 

well that's just some ! i hope my little bluebell will be a great mother!

 

blubell (my baby girl) is a year and a couple of months and smoky ( the male) is 1 year and a half.

 

her cere is really dark brown and if you look closely a little crusty. is this good? because it used to be a white brown colour. i hope you can help blubell and smoky live to have happy little cuties of their own!

 

and if all goes well ill post a picture of the new arrivals. but smoky and bluebell have never met

will they be alright? how will i know if something goes wrong.

 

only smoky is hand tame as we are having wayyyyyy to much trouble with blubell.

oh well im sure the babies will be hand tame.. i hope!

 

 

well id love to hear from you guys xx Elise (new to budgie breeding)

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by Neat
Spelling .....

Hi & Welcome ....

 

Don't take this as being Mean .... But

 

NO!

 

That is purely the answer No it isn't easy to breed budgies CORRECTLY!

 

The Boy budgie isn't yours so before you even think about adding him with her you will need to quarantine Him first to make sure that He hasn't got any health issues and diseases ( You can't tell ALL of them just by looking at him ... This needs to be done for a MINIMUM of 30 DAYS .....

 

THERE IS A GREAT READ IN THE FAQ'S About breeding!

I suggest you read all you can first & then make sure that you have everything ready!

Then think about it

Hello and welcome.

 

You are in the right place to get all you answers questions. There is a lot to learn before you start breeding budgies, and well done for asking the questions and doing the research before you begin the breeding

There is heaps of information available in the breeding forums and the FAQ's that will help you get an idea of what is involved and where to start.

I am sorry to say Elise, you dont have anywhere near the amount of knowledge you need at this stage to be breeding budgies. This is very obvious by the questions you have asked. I can answer your questions later in detail, BUT please ...at this stage...stick around and read and read and read all of our wonderful information and please FORGET about breeding for at least 6 months until you have learnt a whole lot more

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by KAZ

is it easy ?

to answer that question is simple Yes.

 

but unfortunately the answer to your other question...

 

What could go wrong?

is A lot.

 

 

. does the female budgie lay eggs then the male fertilizes them

they mate and then the hen begins laying eggs.

 

. my budgie seems to have a habit of biting will the babys turn out the same?

not necessarily but I don't know if much research has been taken into this.

 

. i know the female lays eggs one at a time but does she need to be mated with each egg?

not to my knowledge... feel free to correct me anyone.

 

. should i leave the male in? do i have to!?

it would be best to leave him in as he will help feed the chicks, so unless he is attacking the chicks yes you need to leave him in.

 

. if i touch the babys will the mother eat them?

i wouldn't recommend touching the chicks when they are extremely young but once they have started growing and you want to tame them it is okay. Others will give you a better time frame. oh and the mum wont eat them... she might attack them if you disturb her alot though. You should really only check 2 times a day for a brief period of time to make sure that she is feeding them.. there is more information in the FAQ section and other parts of the forum...

 

. how big do i need the cage?

you would need a cage at least 45cm X 45 cm X 45cm... and the perches should go from the front of the cage to the back for best results...

 

. how long will it take for the female to lay eggs?

umm.. I should know this but can't remember the answer someone else will be able to answer it for you I'm sure.

 

Now for some extra information...

 

all the Frequently Asked Questions on budgie breeding can be found here...

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...=show&cat=8

 

I would recommend that you read EVERYTHING on those pages.. (note there is more than 1) It is alot of reading but alot can go wrong and the more you read and learn the more equipt you will be when the time comes to actually breed. Now for some questions from me...

 

Do you have your parents permission?

Do you know what you are going to do with your babies once they get bigger?

Is your cage big enough if you decide to keep some?

What are you going to do if your bird gets egg bound?

Will your parents pay the Avian Vet bills if there is an emergency and your budgie/s get sick?

Where will you breed them, your house or your friends?

How will you divide the babies if you decide to share them with your friend?

Will you be able to handle it if your chicks die?

What do you plan on feeding the budgies while they are laying eggs and feeding the babies??

 

I know thats alot of questions but there are plenty more that you will need to answer before you are ready to breed budgies If you can answer them all and you feel like you are still ready to breed then I wish you very good luck and make sure that you post lots of pictures of your birds here. This forum is full of very useful information, make sure you read lots... there are plenty of stories on here about sad endings to people trying to breed...

 

If you don't care about animals then you can simply put a breeding box in the cage and the birds will breed... but that wouldn't be very responsible and by coming here and asking questions you are being very mature about it and that should be commended.

 

I wouldn't recommend just chucking a breeding box in, it often ends in tragedy...

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by Neat
spelling

HELLO BUDGIE LOVERS! my name is Elise i am 13 years old a young breeder

i am new to this site so bear with me.

okay. well i have been thinking about breeding budgies as i own a little blue girl and i know some one who has a little grey/blue boy.

 

so i thought we could start breeding them... is it easy ? NO. Anyone who says YES hasnt fully experienced all the pitfalls of breeding budgies.

 

well before i breed those little cuties i think i should know all i can. Its good to ask questions and learn BEFORE you start

 

so here is a list of questions ...

 

. does the female budgie lay eggs then the male fertilized them NO....the mating act has to take place for eggs to be fertilised INSIDE the female budgies body

. my budgie seems to have a habit of biting will the babies turn out the same? All budgies personalities are different. Female budgies bite more than boys and as yours is a female that would be a part of her nature. Babies dont learn to bite from their parents and they dont inherit the behaviour. Budgies bite for many different reasons, fear or uncertainty being some of the reasons

. i know the female lays eggs one at a time but does she need to be mated with each egg? Some say YES to that and some say NO. BUT the boy budgie must stay with the girl budgie for the mating and the raising of chicks. The boy budgie feeds the girl budgie all through the raising of chicks.

.should i leave the male in? do i have to!? Yes, the male must stay with the female for a week to two weeks to make the first egg and then the full clutch, then for 3 weeks it takes for the female to hatch the eggs and then a further 5-8 weeks till the chicks can fend for themselves...so thats about 12 weeks the boy and girl must stay together

. if i touch the babies will the mother eat them? NO ....thats an old wives tale and does not happen if you touch the babies

. how big do i need the cage? You need a large rectangular cage about 60 cm wide by 40cm high and 40cm deep. You need a nestbox OUTSIDE the cage with the entry from inside the cage going into the nestbox. You need two perches in the cage and they must be thicker than normal and stable and not wobble around

. how long will it take for the female to lay eggs? A week to ten days if all goes well to lay her first egg...eggs every two days after that

 

well that's just some ! i hope my little bluebell will be a great mother!

 

blubell (my baby girl) is a year and a couple of months and smoky ( the male) is 1 year and a half. The right age for breeding

 

her cere is really dark brown and if you look closely a little crusty. is this good? because it used to be a white brown colour. Generally this is considered just past her breeding condition

i hope you can help blubell and smoky live to have happy little cuties of their own!

 

and if all goes well ill post a picture of the new arrivals. but smoky and bluebell have never met

will they be alright? how will i know if something goes wrong. You cannot put them together and begin breeding. Smoky needs to be in quarantine for 30 days before breeding with your girl. In another cage in another room for 30 days at your house.

only smoky is hand tame as we are having wayyyyyy to much trouble with blubell.

oh well im sure the babies will be hand tame.. i hope! Babies are not automatically hand tame. It takes a lot of expert handling and training to make a tame bird. They dont come out of the nest tame and if they do, they wont stay tame long without work and training.

 

well id love to hear from you guys xx Elise (new to budgie breeding)

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by KAZ

and Lilbabybudgies just so you know if Kaz says something different to me... you go with what Kaz said She has years of experience and is a very knowledgable lady. I on the other hand am not... I have never bred. I simply see what I have red on here. I plan to start breeding one day but don't feel like i am quite ready to yet for a number of reasons...

Hi Elise. Great that you're thinking things through and looking for information before you make a big decision like this!

 

The first time I ever bred budgies was when I was 13 too. We had just got a small aviary and got 6 budgies for it, and then we bred with one pair. I guess we knew what we needed to know for the most part but I obviously knew nothing compared to what I know now (and I still have tons to learn!)

 

It was an amazing experience, but it was also really devastating. We had three chicks, and I became incredibly attached to the first one. Then when my oldest chick was about 3 weeks old, I came home from school and my mum told me that the chick was dead - the mother had plucked the babies and the one I was most attached to had died. After that, my mum had to hand raise the other two, which involved coming home from work every two hours to feed the babies! It was very expensive and time consuming, and one of them died.

 

So even though we thought we were doing everything right at the time, something still went wrong and it took a lot of time, money, energy and emotional effort. I still think it was worth it, but it was really sad and I wouldn't recommend anybody start to breed their pet budgies without a lot of preparation. It sounds to me like you are planning not to buy any new cages or anything, but to just put your friend's budgie together with yours for a while and end up with some new babies and then give your friend their pet back. I honestly don't think that's going to work. If you do want to breed babies, make sure you are ready, and I would recommend getting a new male budgie of your own to breed with - not one that belongs to somebody else that you have to share.

 

Hope that helps. It is a wonderful thing to do but takes a lot of preparation- I hope you can find a way to make it work for you one day in the right circumstances! :laughter:

hey!

 

thanks for all your replies - i have been researching for 3 months and have so many budgie papers on my desk its not funny! if all was to go well with the male i would get my own male. its amazing I'm even allowed to breed ! so i hope all goes well with this one and then i might be able to get my own male.what does quarantining mean!? i know a lot can go wrong with breeding but i am ready for it!

Edited October 16, 200816 yr by maesie
Spelling

hey!

 

thanks for all your replies - i have been researching for 3 months and have so many budgie papers on my desk its not funny! if all was to go well with the male i would get my own male. its amazing I'm even allowed to breed ! so i hope all goes well with this one and then i might be able to get my own male.what does quarantining mean!? i know a lot can go wrong with breeding but i am ready for it!

 

Based on the questions you asked at the beginning of your post, I don't think you are. Keep reading and spend some time here. You will learn heaps

Good on you for coming back Elise. I got concerned that I may have scared you away ..

IT IS AWESOME THAT YOU HAVE BEEN READING A LOT OF INFORMATION !!!

 

Quarantine is a vital part when purchasing new birds ... Even if the new bird is another breed ....

 

Here ---> CLICK HERE FOR LINK about why it is so important .....

HI there Elise my sisters name is also Elise and im also 13 yrs old,

i have only just started breeding as well so im not very good at all of the questions lol

this is a great site and with all of the others help you will almost know most things about budgie breeding

Quanrantine is not just for purchasing new birds ...its also about any bird introduced to your bird. You cannot just put the male in with yours without some form of quarantine procedure. Especially before breeding which creates stress. Stress makes birds sick. Stress is also about moving birds to a new home, eating different food and breeding.

Edited October 16, 200816 yr by KAZ

Thanks Kaz... I should have elaborated more about the "New bird" part

Hey Elise, It is very hard and stressful on the both the male and the female to breed and rear chicks. Many problems can occur, problems that can even kill your budgie. IT took me a very long time to prepare for breeding my budgies I had alot of fear and worry about all the things that could go wrong. And please, please Elise study for a little bit longer I'd hate for something to go wrong and you regret what you did so please study more.

 

I studied for 9 months before I started and I was even not going to do it I was so scared, But now after 9 months of studying and 4 weeks of quarantine for my budgies I have a very happy and proud mama on five eggs and two chicks I'm even still reading over the things I know just in case I missed something and also because I'm worried.

 

So Elise remember Its not as simple as putting a male and female together and letting them mate and raise chicks. Also I'm sorry if im being harsh but I'm just trying to help and pass on what others have told me.

 

Jodie

Edited October 16, 200816 yr by Neat

Jodie.

 

 

I am very impressed with your reply! Coming from a young member it is great to see that the advice you were given did not go in one ear and out the other ....

 

 

 

 

Thank you

Jodie.

 

 

I am very impressed with your reply! Coming from a young member it is great to see that the advice you were given did not go in one ear and out the other ....

 

 

 

 

Thank you

Jeey thanks Neat

Edited October 16, 200816 yr by KAZ

if all was to go well with the male i would get my own male.

 

I still think it would be better to start with your own male in the first place. I think it could be quite stressful to both your birds to come from being on their own, to being put together, raising a clutch, and then being separated again and for your friend's boy to have to go back to being an only budgie pet again...and for your hen to then have to bond to someone else... OR... bond to one of her own children (which you could not allow her to mate with). Others might know more about this - budgies can be quite adaptable sometimes but I do think this seems a bit risky to me when you could just have your own from the start and save the hassle.

 

Also, I'm just thinking in terms of the logistics of borrowing a friend's pet for a few months. Your friend might think it's a good idea now but what if they change their mind and miss their budgie too much? You can't just pull him out of the nest. What if the hen only has one chick? Will it be yours or your friend's? Are you both in full agreement on all the practical issues involved in taking your friend's budgie for a few months or longer? Do you think there's any chance your friend will let you keep him for good?

 

Just some food for thought.

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE HELP MY FRIEND DOESNT WANT A CHICK.

 

I HAVE DECIDED TO NOT BREED FOR AWHILE BECAUSE ALL THE STUFF YOU GUYS ARE WRITING IS MAKING ME SCARED THAT SOMETHING COULD GO WRONG AND I KNOW IT CAN. BUT WHAT DO I HAVE TO KNOW BEFORE I AM 'WORTHY' OF BREEDING? I CANT GET A MALE UNTIL I HAVE TRIED IT ONCE .. HOW DO YOU QUARANTINE?

 

THANKS HEAPS XXELISEXX

 

shortcut language

please do not use shortcut language other than approved shortcuts ...please see forum rules. We have to edit your posts. Please do not use capitals.

Edited October 18, 200816 yr by KAZ

Why can't you get a male if you haven't tried it? Is it because your parents won't let you? Because it should be okay to get a male that you can keep as a pet separately from the female if they don't get along or if breeding doesn't work out. If you're not allowed though then that's a shame.

 

 

I think the first place to start is in making sure you have the right set-up to breed... like the right sized space and nesting box. Then you'd have to think about whether you want to have two couples going at once so you can foster. If you only had one couple breeding, then you'd have to keep giving away most of the babies, because you couldn't end up with an entire flock of budgies that are all related - then brothers and sisters would start breeding with each other. And I am pretty sure that you won't want to just stop at one clutch of budgies once you've had the joy of it once

 

To me those are the first steps, and if nothing goes wrong then it's great, but there are probably plenty of other steps other people could suggest to ensure things go well too.

Hi Elise, it is nice to see a young person on here that recognises the value of learning about breeding before doing it. It shows how much you care about the welfare of your bird. Why don't you try and find a breeder in your area that might show you how their breeding cages are set up so you can get an idea of how a proper breeder does it. Of course you won't be breeding on the same scale but it is sometimes handy to see how it all works and it's good to have someone nearby that you can call if there is a problem and you need the sort of help that can't be provided 'online'.

I agree with MB, possibly one of the greatest learning experiences would be to find a local breeder and go to their house (with a parent) and see what is involved. Make sure you ask them lots of questions and get all the information you can. We can tell you answers but without pictures, diagrams or a pair in front of us it makes it a lot harder to comprehend some things. I know with me I read and read and read even before buying a budgie, and some of the stuff I read on here I just went, "okay sure, I have no idea what that means but thats what your saying so great." I made sure I had the basics down and then I went out and got a pair. I brought them and only then did all the pieces fit into place.

 

You won't start breeding when you are an expert, its impossible to be an expert without any practical application... it isn't a matter of being worthy, its just a matter of being ready.

 

I think your biggest challenge is going to be convincing your friend that you should have her bird for at least 2 months... by the time you do that I suspect you might of been able to convince your parents that you need a male of your own

 

Good luck with it all. And don't be a stranger. hang around even though you're not breeding yet, you'll learn a great deal of information just by going through old threads... Good luck again and happy reading

Edited October 19, 200816 yr by maesie
Typo's

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE HELP MY FRIEND DOESNT WANT A CHICK.

 

I HAVE DECIDED TO NOT BREED FOR AWHILE BECAUSE ALL THE STUFF YOU GUYS ARE WRITING IS MAKING ME SCARED THAT SOMETHING COULD GO WRONG AND I KNOW IT CAN. BUT WHAT DO I HAVE TO KNOW BEFORE I AM 'WORTHY' OF BREEDING? I CANT GET A MALE UNTIL I HAVE TRIED IT ONCE .. HOW DO YOU QUARANTINE?

 

THANKS HEAPS XXELISEXX

 

shortcut language

please do not use shortcut language other than approved shortcuts ...please see forum rules. We have to edit your posts. Please do not use capitals.

 

 

 

Quarantining - You isolate the New bird from your others if Inside needs to be in a different room if out side needs to me MINIMUM 5 meters away from your current birds ...

 

During this time Deal with your current birds first . Ie changing their food water cleaning etc .. THEN YOU DISINFECT YOUR HANDS not just wash them under water ... .. Then you Deal with the quarantine bird/s .....

 

In this 4 - 6 week period I start with .... WHITE PAPER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAGE ... I am a poo girl SO i like to make sure that I can see any changes with any of my birds in quarantine

 

 

 

All items from cage / feeder bowls and perches etc are washed disinfected and left in the sun for 30 mins to kill anything ... Then it is thoroughly washed and let to sun dry for the day ....

 

Then I get my NEW BIRDS :rofl:

 

Week 1 Ivermec - This is a medication ( available from Vets ) that is applied 1 drop to the back of the bird/s neck ... It treats for scaly face mites & Lice and mites ..... Even if they do not show signs PREVENTION is better then CURE :bliss:

 

Week 1 Day 3 - I spray with an AIL ( Avian Liquid Insecticide ) Mite & lice spray ... I get a cotton tip ( cotton bud) and Spray the AIL on it and rub it under the birds neck ... I spray the bird over Especially under the wings ... Being careful not to spray in the eyes ... ( if you do it in the cage remove all water and food ) .... ( It is a good idea to have your list written down , As i had forgotten some steps before ) A product called Sunni chick is added to the water :fly:

 

Week 2 Wormer - I don't use the in water method I but the drop of wormer directly on the beak ...

 

Week 3 Rest from meds and a Multivitamin is given every second day in their water ....

 

Week 4 Re worm birds & re spray for mites and Lice ACV added to water again ....

 

Week 5 Sulpha is given as a preventative for Cocci .....

Week 6 ACV is given again .. I usually take the birds to the vet ( avian ) and get a smear done of their poo and a good once over ..... Rested for the week ....

 

I will be getting Doxy and will include that in my quarantine program ....

 

During this 6 weeks period ( not everyone does 6 weeks . I do :yes: ) It is a time of watching and getting to know the bird :bow:

 

I do all the stuff on a Monday and the rest of the week the bird/s are left to get used to their surroundings

 

This had worked for me - With no sickness TOUCH WOOD to this day ......

well its my birthday soon! and i might be getting my own boy

 

oh and do any of you breeders live in the melbourne area?

Edited October 20, 200816 yr by KAZ
changed bihday to birthday

That's exciting! The way I see it, you have two options if you want to breed....

 

1) Get a baby budgie now and tame him and have him as a nice pet, and then breed in a year

2) Get a young adult budgie now and breed them right away, but he probably won't be tame unless you get him from someone who has tamed him.

 

Depends if you want him tame or not, and also depends how old your hen is because you don't want to leave her another year to breed if she's already really old.

 

Just something else to think through! Are you planning on keeping any babies you have, or not? Because if you are, then you will have babies to tame soon enough anyway I guess, but if you aren't going to have the space or ability to keep them, then it might be nice to get a young male to tame and work towards breeding next year instead.