Posted August 15, 200915 yr I am new to this forum. I have 12 keets as of this minute. I started with 3. Rafiki, Ariel, and Pollyanna. I have had keets multiple times during my life and have never aquired a "pair" that hooked up. Till this year. I have had these 3 for almost 2 years. In March of this year, 2 eggs showed up on the bottom of the cage while I was out of town. When I returned from my trip and asked how my birds were my husband said something to the effect that "you still have as many birds as you did when you left but 2 didn't make it". (He likes to jerk my chain). He finally told me about the eggs on the cage floor but they were both broken. I wasn't sure which female had laid them as there were 2. I removed Ariel because she was being aggressive and put in a nest box up on the side of the cage just in case they were serious and "ta da!" they started laying eggs. 8 in all on the first clutch. 4 hatched and all survived. They are beautiful. Once they were weaned I separated the Pollyanna from the Rafiki. All was well till June. I let them fly around my house while I clean cages and usually they stick pretty close to their own cage. Rafiki doesn't usually even leave the cage so I don't have to worry. This time however, Pollyanna was out and while I was cleaning Rafiki's cage she flew in. I could not remove her. I couldn't catch her. I left the cage door wide open all day thinking she would go out. No go. I was worried that she would drop eggs on the cage floor again and that bothered me so I did put the nest box in but this time I just sat it on the floor of the cage. I didn't rig it up high like I had before. I really didn't think she would feel secure enough to lay again but she proved me wrong once again. She laid 6 eggs this time and 5 hatched. They are all doing well. 2 have left the box so far and a third has been in and out. They are loads of fun and interesting to watch them grow and change. Now I just have to separate the parents again so no more chicks arrive. I think I'm at my limit! I will include pics as soon as I figure out how to do so!
August 16, 200915 yr Hi and welcome... it sounds like you have a busy birdie house Great idea to remove the nest box now, as it's not good for their health to have more than 2 clutches back to back, without a good long holiday in between. I look forward to some pictures of your beautiful budgies. Click on the link in my signature for instrutions.
August 16, 200915 yr hi there and welcome :celebrate: Remember, if you don't want anymore unwanted babies just remove or don't add a nestbox :celebrate: Nowhere to lay means they go on the floor and more than likely break, OR they just won't lay at all once they realise they have nowhere to do it :celebrate: At the stage of being laid eggs are barely fertilised and are only a few cells inside it, not a living organism yet, so try not to feel too guilty about disposing of them :celebrate:
August 16, 200915 yr Welcome, we have a wonderful forum here for you to ask question after question :celebrate:. We also have a great contest month called Budgie of the Month so if you want ot submit a picture of your bird (s) you can do that under the contest section or if you just want to share we have our Budgie Photo Section too. Again, welcome!
