hi,

 

i've got another question to ask and that is, is it very difficult to breed budgies?

is it as simple as putting a hen and a cock in a decent sized cage with a nesting box and that's it? or does it depend on the bonding between the pair?

 

thanks, shouldn' have too many more questions to ask

Nothing is easy about breeding budgies.

 

1. they have to be of age and not too old....12 months to 4 years being optimum.

 

2. preparation with regard to perfect varied diet prior to and during breeding which is your responsibility.

 

3. breeding more than one pair at the same time ( in different cages ) will ensure you have foster parents for eggs or babies should anything go wrong with parenting or health issues.

 

4. They have to be in condition...........peak condition healthwise and peak condition breeding wise.....i.e. breeding condition.

I would add that it can be as easy as putting 2 budgies of breeding age together with a nest box - BUT breeding Show Budgies, ie. breeding to the Standard is much more difficult!

 

Usually pet budgies are much easier to breed but aviary breeding can cause problems that have been explored elsewhere.

All of Kaz's answers are correct.

 

Number 3 is VERY important, especially if you do not know how to look after baby birds that have been rejected by their parents, this has just happened to me, and I thought I was prepared...but I wasn't... nor did I have the knowledge of how to crop feed a baby that had been rejected and wasn't eating, the result is having babies die and that is heartbreaking....

 

So no, in my opinion it is not as simple as putting a hen and cock together and ending up with all beautiful chicks.

 

Please read the forum posts and learn heaps before you venture into breeding.

Nothing is easy about breeding budgies.

 

1. they have to be of age and not too old....12 months to 4 years being optimum.

 

2. preparation with regard to perfect varied diet prior to and during breeding which is your responsibility.

 

3. breeding more than one pair at the same time ( in different cages ) will ensure you have foster parents for eggs or babies should anything go wrong with parenting or health issues.

 

4. They have to be in condition...........peak condition healthwise and peak condition breeding wise.....i.e. breeding condition.

 

hmmmm, well then i have three more questions to ask, how do you tell if a budgie is in peak condition mainly breeding wise or does that just depend on age?

How can you tell if an egg is fertile or not?

and what do you need to do if some eggs are abandoned by the hen or the pair? or if an egg is rejected?

hmmmm, well then i have three more questions to ask, how do you tell if a budgie is in peak condition mainly breeding wise or does that just depend on age?

How can you tell if an egg is fertile or not?

and what do you need to do if some eggs are abandoned by the hen or the pair? or if an egg is rejected?

 

how do you tell if a budgie is in peak condition mainly breeding wise or does that just depend on age?

cere colour....hens cere will be a nutty brownish and she will be actively courting the male and allowing his advances. She will be looking at crevices and for possible nesting sites in an aviary

 

How can you tell if an egg is fertile or not?

check our faq section for how to candle an egg and the difference in colour of a fertile egg and a non fertile egg

 

what do you need to do if some eggs are abandoned by the hen or the pair? or if an egg is rejected?

 

abandonment doesnt usually happen unless disturbed by other things. if eggs are left to go cold amidst incubation then the chick inside dies. No budgie incubates the first egg she lays and a lot of people panic when they dont see a female sit on her first egg.