Danger In The Nest Box

[Dave_McMinn 0]

Last year Kaz contacted Mr Gerald Binks, a renown budgerigar breeder and author, seeking to gain some further insight on a series of a topics. He was kind enough to handwrite responses to some questions, in quite extensive depth.

 

I have taken these handwritten letters and typed them up here for everyone to read and learn from. Mr Binks provides a great deal of useful information as well as some thought provoking questions.

 

On behalf of everyone here, I would like to express our gratitude to Mr Gerald Binks, not only for the information he provides but also for the time he has put into providing this information. Also a big thank you to Kaz, who sourced this information from an expert in the field.

 

There are multiple articles. Please read and offer comment. (If there are grammatical errors or typing errors, they are my fault, and they occurred in the digitising process, and for this I offer my apologies)

 

Danger in the Nest Box by Gerald S. Binks

 

Let me start by mentioning a word of warning to fastidious fanciers who by their strict attention to doing everything right, sometimes find themselves in trouble. I had a call from such a fancier who suddenly noticed two hens in their respective handling cages, swaying on perches. Minutes later both were dead. Heart attacks? Very unlikely. Question? What had he done recently? In such cases it is nearly always an aviary management error.

The cause turned out is using an anti-mite powder, containing pyrethrum, under the nest box concaves. The situation was stable but with the natural sweating of the boxes, with their occupants, it caused the product to dissolve and emit fumes of a poisonous nature. The powder used in this case contained PYRETHRUM. Once the boxes had been vacuumed etc. no further problems. BE WARNED.

 

I was interested to read about younger people today wanting instant success and plenty of money in their pockets. This, plus a lack of patience, was perhaps the reason younger people were not entering the hobby? This I agree with, but here in the UK the hobby is not marketed. I grew up with a phrase spoken to me by my grandfather who was a good green grocer. He said to me, “If you don’t tell people you have a product, you’ll never see it”. How many young people actually know of our hobby? I was a serious young ornithologist as a boy who by sheer chance a school friend showed me his budgerigar and show cages. Had I not seen those, I would never have known about the hobby that has given me so much pleasure. Point taken?

Yet another call, this time from a very kind Scottish fancier who I did not know. He was anxious to tell me of his success after five near barren years of breeding. He had extended the principle of pairing up birds on the lines of the hen in the breeding cage for 3 days with the box open before the cock is introduced. His technique was as follows:

 

The pair having been selected, the hen was put into the breeding cage with the nest hole blocked. She is allowed to be there for 5-6 days on her own. On the 6th or 7th day at the latest, the cock is introduced. The nest box is blocked off for a further 3 days. Then open the nest box. Results? Near perfect and for the time since then, he has had to throw away fertile eggs from lesser quality pairs, every nest has had full eggs. Worth remembering for the future. One thing is certain. It does get over this “box-bound hen” problem, to a large degree.

 

The hobby will be aware that they the exports of budgerigars to Australia has been in abeyance for some years as a result of a review of the situation since certain diseases were apparent in imported birds (not budgerigars) which could affect the indigenous population. Budgerigars were tested prior to export for salmonella and Chlamydia, some 4500 in fact with negative results. However some possesses megabacteria, but as this was already established before any UK birds arrived in the Australian bird life, it is not regarded as a problem by the Australian Authorities to precluding future imports, though they may, if the door opens again to imports, require more stringent testing procedures involving other diseases. The diseases mentioned all seem to be very rare, or present even in the past in budgerigars here in the UK. It would appear other species, including ostriches, are still the focus of veterinary attention.

[renee 0]

Very wise words of advice!!!

[JimmyBanks 0]

Good Article! Really am enjoying these, thanks Dave, thanks Kaz!

[rachelm 0]

The pair having been selected, the hen was put into the breeding cage with the nest hole blocked. She is allowed to be there for 5-6 days on her own. On the 6th or 7th day at the latest, the cock is introduced. The nest box is blocked off for a further 3 days. Then open the nest box.

If the pair are already bonded, do i still need to put the hen in first and wait 5-6 days before adding the cock? Or is okay to add both birds and block the nest box for 3 days?

Edited June 9, 2010 by rachelm

[splat 0]

The whole idea of this I would think is the hen gets her self in the breeding mode and then when the cock is introduced and the nest still bloked off gives the two plenty of time to mate before the hen takes to the box and more than like resolves the problem of nest bound.

[rachelm 0]

The whole idea of this I would think is the hen gets her self in the breeding mode and then when the cock is introduced and the nest still bloked off gives the two plenty of time to mate before the hen takes to the box and more than like resolves the problem of nest bound.

Thank you for your reply Splat . I think i understand now

[**KAZ** 0]

I dont go to all this trouble. Both go into the breeding cage at the same time and choose to use the nestbox when they are ready.

Edited June 9, 2010 by KAZ

[rachelm 0]

I dont go to all this trouble. Both go into the breeding cage at the same time and choose to use the nestbox when they are ready.

Thank you for your reply Kaz .

If you breed a bonded pair, will they produce eggs sooner than a non-bonded pair? Also, what is the average time it takes for the first egg to be laid?

[GenericBlue 0]

I dont go to all this trouble. Both go into the breeding cage at the same time and choose to use the nestbox when they are ready.

Thank you for your reply Kaz .

If you breed a bonded pair, will they produce eggs sooner than a non-bonded pair? Also, what is the average time it takes for the first egg to be laid?

im not kaz but

if they are bonded and incondition

10 to twelve days for egg

after about a week settling

however in saying that i put a pair up two days agow and i have a cleared out nest and sighns of thikning

these birds i could see were in true condition their for put in a breeding cage i had set up for them for spring

if i had of waited id missed out

[**KAZ** 0]

I dont go to all this trouble. Both go into the breeding cage at the same time and choose to use the nestbox when they are ready.

Thank you for your reply Kaz .

If you breed a bonded pair, will they produce eggs sooner than a non-bonded pair? Also, what is the average time it takes for the first egg to be laid?

There no such thing as a bonded pair in my aviary....as a matter of fact budgies are so "social" there is really no such thing as a bonded pair long term with anyones birds.

BUT a pair that choose to get frisky with each other are more likely to go to nest quicker than others.

Averages a week to ten days to the first egg from first matings.

[GenericBlue 0]

i dont know kaz my birds pair permanently

i actually need to separate for month and marry them off and once released into flock even after the extended time breeding rest and all is

go straight back to their original partner

or chosen mate

[rachelm 0]

im not kaz but

if they are bonded and incondition

10 to twelve days for egg

after about a week settling

however in saying that i put a pair up two days agow and i have a cleared out nest and sighns of thikning

these birds i could see were in true condition their for put in a breeding cage i had set up for them for spring

if i had of waited id missed out

Cool thank you GB, i appreciate your reply. So to get best results, listen to the birds and they will let you know when they want to breed

There no such thing as a bonded pair in my aviary....as a matter of fact budgies are so "social" there is really no such thing as a bonded pair long term with anyones birds.

BUT a pair that choose to get frisky with each other are more likely to go to nest quicker than others.

Averages a week to ten days to the first egg from first matings.

I only have one 'pair' that have been smooching since i got them. All the others have a different friend every week I'm very excited about breeding birds and i will probably be impatient first time round, so its good to know how long before first egg arrives

[dazler2 0]

Just as a matter of interest. I to have a bonded pair. I tried to breed from the cock bird with another female and paired them up. No go, eventually after 2 other hens I returned the cock to the large aviary and immediately he went back to his original female he had been bonded with and now 6 weeks later he is still with her and they are inseperateable. And look out any other male who may fancy her. Then I have had a cockatiel bonded with a male budgerigar. Every where together - even to eating at the seed bowl. Certainly interesting hobby. Dazler2