I've been waiting for my flock to grow up so I can breed again. Some of them won't be ready until march 2010. However I have a hen that is 12 months now or older.. I got her last august so she must be older maybe around 15 months. The thing is that I was waiting to breed her later this year so my cocks can be old enough as well. I have two that will be a year old in december for sure maybe older as well.. I got them around march and they were about 6 months old but since I'm not sure I decided to wait until december.

 

Okay the question: She is in breeding condition, she's been in breeding condition since after her first moult with me but she is showing signs that she wants to breed now. She has shown signs of wanting to mate before but now its different. She gets into the seed dishes and starts kicking all the seeds out, she has been trying to mate with another of my hens. Six handsome boys in the cage but she chooses another hen lol. I'm gonna put a nest box in there and see if she is interested, just for a few minutes of course. But first....

 

What do you all think? Should I separate her and prepare her for breeding now that she is ready?

I'm afraid that if I wait until later then its gonna be too late.

 

My two boys.. lets say that they were 6 months or older in march by now they should be 11 months old would that be okay or do you think I should wait the whole month? One of them has a very blue cere the other one's is blue and dark purple..

 

and which one should I choose? I'll get to those questions later first I want to know if If I should get ready now or not.

 

Oh.. and another one of my hens is as old as the boys are, not in breeding condition yet but her cere is getting darker and darker everyday so she is getting there. So I thought I could pair her up with the other cock that way I'll have two pairs down. Another of my hens will be a year old in september but she is nowhere near breeding condition yet.

 

If you need pictures just ask.

 

Thanks in advance for the help

 

-Corina

Edited August 7, 200916 yr by Cory

I wouldn't breed a Cock under 12 months.

 

If your hen is over 12 months, and in breeding condition she should be fine.

Make sure the cock is in breeding condition too or else it might be a waist of time.

Hmm when a cock is in breeding condition his cere should be a deep blue.. that would be my Oliver I think Sonny is getting there too. Is there a way to tell their age for sure? Oh and I won't breed them now.. I would wait until september.. they will be 12 months there. But is it a good idea to separate them now and change their diet to the breeding diet? without nest boxes that is. They would be in holding cages.

Edited August 7, 200916 yr by Cory

He should also be overactive.

He should also be overactive.

 

 

Head bobbing, louder that usual, feeding her alot, going all over the flight like crazy without stopping, over excited, etc... is that what you mean by overactive?

and change their diet to the breeding diet?

Breeding diet ?? It should be the same as that all the time...............all the best of food and fresh vegies etc.

 

What do you all think? Should I separate her and prepare her for breeding now that she is ready?

I'm afraid that if I wait until later then its gonna be too late.

 

Too late wont come into it. There wont be a time thats too late. Mostly this is about our excitement and anxiety to breed. I feel your excitement, but waiting would be best right now.

 

Six handsome boys in the cage but she chooses another hen lol. I'm gonna put a nest box in there and see if she is interested, just for a few minutes of course.

 

Do NOT put a nestbox in a mixed cage not even for a few minutes. Bad move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have waited this long and its admirable that you have....another month or so isnt much longer to wait.

Edited August 7, 200916 yr by KAZ

and change their diet to the breeding diet?

Breeding diet ?? It should be the same as that all the time...............all the best of food and fresh vegies etc.

What do you all think? Should I separate her and prepare her for breeding now that she is ready?I'm afraid that if I wait until later then its gonna be too late.

Too late wont come into it. There wont be a time thats too late. Mostly this is about our excitement and anxiety to breed. I feel your excitement, but waiting would be best right now.

Six handsome boys in the cage but she chooses another hen lol. I'm gonna put a nest box in there and see if she is interested, just for a few minutes of course.

Do NOT put a nestbox in a mixed cage not even for a few minutes. Bad move. You have waited this long and its admirable that you have....another month or so isnt much longer to wait.

Okay.. by breeding diet I mean the same food that they had been having. But adding more protein, calcium, soft food, eggfood, and all that little extra breeding budgies need. I've read about it here.The idea of putting in a nest box to see if she is ready I got from this same forum.I won't breed them now. I've read on here that many of you separate your budgies from the rest of the flock a month or so before breeding so you can get them prepared and make sure they are in their top shape and fit.I stated that my hen is old enough and that the cocks will be next month. One of my cocks is already in breeding condition as well as the hen.All I'm asking is if now is a good time to start preparing them to breed them next month.Hopefully I'm clear enough now.

 

Oh......... I guess I got the title wrong. It should have been. "Should I start preparing her now" Silly me.

Edited August 8, 200916 yr by Cory

Preparing her now would be great. Advice about the nestbox whether you got it here or not is not a good idea. Not everyone who answers on this forum has expereince. Sometimes you have to check what experience a member has when issuing advice for you to judge whether or not the advice is good and sound.

Good luck with your breeding plans.

Preparing her now would be great. Advice about the nestbox whether you got it here or not is not a good idea. Not everyone who answers on this forum has expereince. Sometimes you have to check what experience a member has when issuing advice for you to judge whether or not the advice is good and sound.

Good luck with your breeding plans.

 

thats very true kaz

not everyone on here knows everything and that even goes for some of the long time breeders its just that every one has diffrent ways more than they dont know and the fact is some of thoughs diffrent ways are not good

i think i once wrote about putting breeding boxes in my aviry to see what hens are ready and what cocks were interested

it isnt a good practice but i do belive it helped me as a beginner learn how to tell what birds were in breeding mood and what were not

thing is when doing this all hens young and old that seemed to look like they were ready went straight to boxes so... as you can see anyone that doesnt know age of bird could actually put up a bird thats way to young thinking well she went for the box

when i did this i was also breeding my birds at 9 months old as thats what i was taught through a club years ago when i was 13 im now 36 so.... i do not do either of these things any more

if i had not of joined this sight or my club i would mabe still be doing this as the books i owned were very old and all said 9 months to breed

THEY WERE OLD AND UNDATED we have since learnt that birds need to be fully matured or the eggs are made with the calcium that builds their own bones this is whey it is important to wait for one year of age

 

takeing birds out and into breeding cages at 11 months is okay so long as no box is placed in their doing this also lets the birds be around 1 year and 1 month by time they lay

so if your going to set up too pairs it wont hurt for you too do so with out nest box and place them in on september but i would place them in around the 13 to the 20th this way the eggs will be layed closer to 1st of october

also if you can try put more than too pairs up as if something goes wrong its less worry about who is going to take on chicks and ect if you have 2 pairs and one wont feed and they have 5 eggs each

thats 10 chicks what will you do with the ones that arnt getting fed when the good feeder gets all chicks hatched and you add two fosters (which i think is plenty )thats 3 chicks left where do they go ???

so in my opinion 3 pairs should always be the least put up at once

4 if at all possable

but this is MY OPINION and im still learning loads of things so....

and i been breeding for 3 years since i started back with it

lots has changed since i first breed birds

 

this is my opinion though and as i said every one is diffrent

GB has given some great advioce as always.

The thing about putting a nestbox in an aviary to see if birds are ready is one a lot of breeders do...........generally though the nestbox is a mock up nestbox and may not even have a proper door or bottom in it. Sometimes it may be a length of wood with nestbox sized holes and perches in it. Its just to see which birds are keen enough to investigate and get excited about it.

Edited August 8, 200916 yr by KAZ

The hanging of a nest box is usually in the hens flight to see who is interested. Henry George uses hollowed out tree branches.

Being in the hens flight causes no problems as there are no cock birds in there. I used to use an old nest box but have become used to spotting a hen coming into season.