I have three pair of budgies in different cages. I have an American male in with a half English half American hen, another American male in with a half english half American hen, and my third pair is an American hen and a 3/4ths English 1/4th American.

 

I've had them together in pairs for a month before I gave them next boxes. The two pairs with the American males kiss and preen, and feed each other a lot and the females go in and out of the nest boxes. The females have brown ceres and the males have light blue ones. The third pair with the all American female don't do anything. They don't preen each other, they don't feed each other, she doesn't go into the nest box. The male has a dark blue/purple cere and the hen has a white and blue one. But when I got her she did have some reddish brown on it.

 

They have had their boxes for over 6 months and I still haven't gotten any eggs. I haven't see them breed each other but I did see one of the American males put his foot on his hens wing but she moved and he didn't do it again. I have pine chips in the bottom of the boxes, I was told to take them out as they like the feel of the wood bottom of the box and to get a piece of wood that goes in the bottom with a carved out part so they eggs will lay in that and not roll all around. I have one box with that in it but I put chips over it anyways. I haven't been able to find any others for the other boxes so I have left the chips in them.

 

So do you guys know anything I can do to help get them breeding and laying eggs? Also I have grit and cuttlebones for them all the time and veggies served three times a week.

 

Thanks

 

P.S They are on a seed diet and I've been able to fine these things called avi-cakes and they have a pellet in them. The pet stores around me don't have just pellets this is the only thing I've been able to find with a pellet in it. I give them the avi-cakes when I give them veggies.

You need to get an American English / UK English phrase book so they can learn to speak the same dialect. Otherwise grave International mis-understandings may take place with the possibility of all out poop throwing war breaking out.

 

okay - Sorry - it is Friday!

 

Real (possible) answers -

 

Add some variety to your box offerings, realize from reading other posts that there are no hard and fast rules about a "best" box - the most unlikely cage furniture can take their fancy sometimes. I've had birds breed behind a totally unlikely plastic reptile rock once.

 

Or their ceres are the correct color but not at the same time. From what I have observed the males and females "cycle" on a different time scale. You kind of need to wait for them both to peak similtaneously and it may not be yet. Put it this way - One might be cycling every 5 weeks and another at 7 weeks. It will only be every 35 weeks that they might peak together. Though there will be weeks when they are closely together but still not matched. (to be simplistic - those who are scientific and are ready to punch holes in that statement please don't email me to indicate I am wrong - I'm being illustrative, not perfect.!)

 

Or they are too young - wait for them to grow up.

 

They sound healthy enough. Some type of cake/pellet, seed and veggies sounds good to me.

 

And they just might not like each other enough. It happens.

 

Patience - as they say - is a virtue!

 

Budgies are an enigma - especially when they are from different continents!

Thank you for your help.

 

I forgot to metion that all the birds are a year or older. I've had my two American males since they were 9 week old. I've never seen their ceres a dark blue/purple like my 3/4ths english male. Also they are given millet when they aren't given veggies. Also one of the half American half English females has been taking the chips out of the box. I've never seen her do it but I've seen the chips in the bottom of the cage.

 

Also my father wants to move them into an outside cage all together for the summer. Which I really don't want to do because it will mess up them up and will take them longer to have babies. But then they would have access to the other two's boxes, which are all different so maybe they would like one of the other boxes and nest. So what do you think I should do?

sorry cant help it but what the h*ll are - half English half American hen,half english half American hen,3/4ths English 1/4th American.

 

are we still talking budgies here

 

Otherwise grave International mis-understandings may take place with the possibility of all out poop throwing war breaking out.

 

let the poop wars begin

Hath, the OP is referring to the different types of budgies. There is the exhibitors type, the English. It would be the kind of budgie in your avatar. Then there is the American, your average pet store type. The English and Americans are often interbred. So using basic logic, the 1/2 English 1/2 Americans are referring to budgies whose parents are full American and full English. The 3/4 English and 1/4 American would have a 1/2 English and 1/2 American parent and a full English parent.

 

To the OP, I've heard some naaaaaasty things about pine and cedar chips. They contain toxic phenols that are deathly to small creatures. You're in luck, though. Cedar chips are far worse as they contain barbs that when breathed in, snag on the tissues of the animal's organs. I use Carefresh bedding.

I'd be concerned about whether or not your 'hen' really is a hen, (Laughing out loud). White and blue usually means male to me. But...who knows? Other than that, you have to remember what triggers the birds to *want* to breed. Naturally, they are born with an urge to increase their population and continue the species. They naturally will want to do this when there is an abundance of food, water, sunlight, and stability. Don't move things around. Increase the sunlight to 14 hours a day or more. Increase their intake of food, especially softfoods and greens. And always have fresh water available (no biggie). I also agree that patience is the key. It took my first pair THREE years to get into gear :(Laughing out loud): Fun fun!

ParadiseKeets i did know what he was referring to it was i little bit of humour from me i breed and show budgies for the last 10 years or so normally breeding between 50 and 70 birds a year,there is no such thing as a english or american they are all budgies which originate from australia but there is such a thing as a pet or exhibition type

Oops, I wasn't sure. The stuff on message boards always confuses me in terms of tone, sarcasm, and humor.

no problem and welcome to the boards

Move them...outside...Which I really don't want to do because it will mess up them up and will take them longer to have babies

 

You know - I hear that as an accepted wisdom - but I'm not so sure.

 

If nothing is happening as it is now - may be a change of scenery WOULD make the difference. In the wild - when they have scoured an area clear they move on and start again quite quickly. Maybe a change WOULD be good.

 

You MIGHT want to also add a new bird to the mix. Sometimes some new competition can get things going!

Do you think you could post some pictures for us to look at, we might beable to help and or comfirm boys and girls.

 

Here is a picture of 3 cock birds with different ceres.

 

 

Well another reason I don't want to move them outside is because they cage they would be going in has two pair of zebra finiches in it, So I don't want the parakeets killing them and I don't want them bothering the keets. Would they be okay together?

 

I could try and get pics of them. I know two are 100% females as they have brown ceres and I have no doubt about them. The two American males have lighter ceres like the one in the above picture on the left. The 3/4ths english is darker then the one in my middle. Now you guys have me wondering about the American female. The top part is white and the bottom is blue and now today it looks like around the nostrils it's turning brown.

okay I thought it was time to do a little update. Pair three still don't really like each other. Pair two I haven't seen the hen in the nest box for the past few days, and pair three the hen has been inside the next box a lot for the past 3 days. Isn't this a sign eggs are soon to come? Also her cere has gotten a bit darker.

Now you guys have me wondering about the American female. The top part is white and the bottom is blue and now today it looks like around the nostrils it's turning brown.

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Then I would say you have a hen. Either she is too young to safely breed, or she is an older bird that was out of condition and is just going in. How old is this bird?

The bird is a little over a year old and when I bought her she did have brown on her nostrils but it went away for awhile and now it appears to be coming back, it's just a faint band right under the nostrils.

I'd say she is definitely a hen. I'd wait several more months before breeding her if she were mine. Hen budgies can physically breed as early as 6 months, but that doesn't mean they should. Even at one year, I think they are somewhat immature emotionally and probably don't have enough calcium stored up in their bodies. But that is just my opinion, there are breeders on this forum who begin at one year. I have several hens that are around one year old, and they still sometimes look and act like babies. I can't imagine they would make good parents yet.

okay I thought it was time to do a little update. Pair three still don't really like each other. Pair two I haven't seen the hen in the nest box for the past few days, and pair three the hen has been inside the next box a lot for the past 3 days. Isn't this a sign eggs are soon to come? Also her cere has gotten a bit darker.

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Is there a reason you want these bird matched up? If not swap them around, they may simply not like the other bird. I would leave pair three and see if something happens soon if the hen this the interested in 'fixing' up the box then she may be either ready to breed soon or lay soon.

 

It sounds like you don't want you birdies outside, they should be okay with the finches, I have never done that but I have herd of many that have them living together. Also there is a higher risk of fighting if they are outside together as the hend will/can fight over the boxs the males might/will fight over the hens and if any babies show up you could lose them becuase another hen attackes them. Just things to think about.

Good news everyone....

 

 

Last night one of my hens laid her first egg, She was the one who for the past 3 days as been in the nest box a lot. She's actually sitting on it now. She's in the nest box all the time and comes out for breif moments (usually when the male is banging on something) and then goes back in. Also I saw him breed her today. I came home and she was out and he just stepped right up on her and got the job done. I didn't have any idea that it was going to be like it really was. I have chickens and mating is only a few seconds with them. But with these two it was almost a full minute. So I'm expecting my second egg tomorrow as today is her day off. I'm so excited and I can't wait till they hatch.

 

Also since this is her first round of eggs should I leave the chicks with her and let them wean them so they have the experience and just hold them every day after they are 2-3 weeks old?

 

Or can I take them around that time and handfeed them. I don't want them to get thinking the babies will always be taken away. They shouldn't right?

There is really no reason to handfeed budgies, unless the hen cannot take care of them all properly and there is a chance they may die unless intervention occurs. Contrary to popular belief, handfeeding budgies does not make them any better companions, and there is so much that can go wrong with the handfeeding process. Formula must be the proper consistency, temperature, and strict sterilization procedures must be followed. You must be vigilant you send it down the correct tube...otherwise you will asphyxiate (sp?) them. When they normally fledge at 5-6 weeks, they are pretty tame already, and very easy to handle. I'd let the parents take of this. :bluebudgie:

"handfeeding budgies does not make them any better companions"

 

Actually I think it does. My two american males were handfed and they are very friendly and step up and give kisses and other good things as well. But my american female and my half english half american hens don't want anything to do with me, no matter how much I play with them, the 3/4th english male was hard to get to step and play with me and he still needs some work but he's making progress but the females are the worst.

Today I got my second egg. I'm so happy. My mom said she saw them breeding again today so that's a good sign they will be fertile. She started sitting when she laid the first egg so it's due on the 8th of may. Plus the male is going into the box more and more for longer and longer periods of time. Before she laid the eggs he never went in it. Could it be that he doesn't want to be away from her or something?

I wouldn't hand feed because it is very tricky and i'm pretty sure budgies are one of the hardest types of birds to feed. Your babies will be just as tame if you simply hold them for about 15 minutes each day from when they're 3-4weeks old, before they can fly. Increase the time you spend with them as they get older and stronger.

okay thank you very much, I know one of the pet shops breeds her own budgies, tiels and lovebirds and some she hand feeds and some she doesn't. The ones she does hand feed budgies included she chardes more for of course.

 

Also I now have 3 lovely eggs.

Whoo....those eggs are just popping out! Keep us posted!

Yes I will, I'm also starting to think the two American males I have are recessive because their ceres are light so I will have to post in the genetics forum and find out.

Well I now have 4 eggs and I'm expecting my 5th tomorrow. The 8th is coming fast which is when the first egg is due to hatch so I don't think she's going to lay too many more.

 

Also my other pair the male has been in the box a bunch the past two days and he's got the chips moved all over inside it. The female has been in it as well and when he's inside the box she's outside on the perch. I think they have their rolls a little reversed or something (Laughing out loud) but maybe they are getting down to business.

 

 

EDIT: I went to the pet store Monday and I got a 5oz can of nestling food for the pair with eggs and they love it. When I first put it in the male was eating it up like it was going out of fashion.

Edited April 27, 200520 yr by Nasal_Tufts