I have the nest boxes in my aviary, I never took them out. I noticed 1 1/2 weeks ago that 2 of my pairs had eggs. Now I have 4 pair with eggs and one pair has 6 eggs. Is it too early/cold for breeding, Not that I can do a lot about it now. I'm in Victoria!. Should I be worried, I don't want to lose them!

I normally do let them until later in the year.

Any thoughts please

 

Steve

Hi I've no idea what the weather is like where you are. But its normal unless you have some sort of heating to

restrict breeding to the late spring early summer. Nest boxes should be removed after 2nd or 3rd round of chicks

if only few chicks are raised.

If you can supply no heat then your problems are not with the breeding birds but with chilled eggs & dead chicks

You can remove the boxes it wont harm your birds....It's up to you....B.J.

Hi Sharky, I have bred all through winter here. First time I have done so, weather here is milder than Vic. I'd say, my aviary is open with no added heat etc. I have breeding cages set up in one end of Aviary. separate from other free flying birds. I have had 2 rounds of chicks and have 2 new pairs down with eggs now. I drop a blind down each night or in rain etc. I haven't had any problems due to weather. I think if you already have eggs and birds are settled I'd say leave them and see how you go.

 

Thought I'd add picture so you can get idea of my set up.

 

Hi Steve A slip of the finger on my post. It should read Boxes removed if full nests are raised

in 2 rounds. 3 rounds if only 1 or 2 chicks raised...

Well you've got 2 opposing views about breading in winter. It's up to you...B.J.

Edited September 1, 201212 yr by Bird Junky

Thanks to you both. It is quite chilly here at the moment. I'm in Kilmore sort of central Vic. I normally would not breed at this time of year as I feel its too cold but I checked them all today and crikey I'm a bit behind, 1 x pair has 6 eggs, 3 x pair has 4 eggs each, Mmmm lol might have to get a bigger aviary. Ummm I know their chances are reduced a little bit because its a bit cold but I guess at this stage I'll see what happens as I don't particularly want to pull that many eggs out. I did'nt relise I had that many going. On another note, hopefully they survive I'm quite excited by the prospect of being successfull again after I lost all those birds a while back, I did'nt even have a breeding pair left. I've managed to pair up quite well and have 7 pairs all mated up and 1 x pair on the way and looking good at this stage. Although I am questioning whether the hen is a hen. Time will tell!. If I'm successfull with this lot of eggs then I should get some awesome color configurations I think. My fingers are crossed.

Thank you very much to you both for your advice its much appreciated.

 

Steve

These sort of posts do my head in , ask questions after the event , responsibility my friend is yours.

What is that supposed to mean corka?

I did'nt have any intention of breeding now, I lost a lot of birds a while ago and only just finished pairing what was left with the new ones I got. I had not been in the aviary for a bit other than slipping feed and water in and when I did go in I found eggs that I did'nt relise were there.I'm not a show breeder that maybe goes in every day, just a hobby breeder. I have never bred this early in the year and was just after some input/advice from others as to whether it might have been a bit too early in the year. I dont get a chance to get on here every day and between my first and later posts they have considerablely more eggs. I dont really wish to pull that many eggs out.

I don't see a problem with my post but I will refrain from asking any more questions, that way I can't as you say """do your head in"""

I'm dumbfounded and to be honest, offended to get a response like that for such a simple question.

Maybe I'm missing something here but I thought we were all budgie lovers/enthusiasts here willing to exchange knowledge, experience and advice. I must be wrong!!!

Everyone has there own view Steve, I'm a fan of letting the birds tell us when they are ready!! Yours sound READY.

You say you have paired them, are you cage or colony breeding? Hope you have a lot of healthy chicks arrive shortly. Let us know how you go. It's all a big learning curve isn't it.

Hey Steve You come on & ask as many questions as you like. I expect you caught him

having a bad day. You should read some critics of my posts (on another site) They

think it makes them look clever. Don't let the buggers grind you down......B.J.

If you had no intention to breed , than why leave the nest boxes in the aviary , responsibility lies with you.

WHAT THE *** IS YOUR PROBLEM!!!!!!! Yes I left my boxes in, I dont take them out I just block the holes off, Yes my responsibility, As already stated I lost around half of my birds to the dog a while back and did'nt expect the ones I have only just paired up, to start already. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but if you are just going to be negative and go on the attack for whatever stupid reason then (I'll probably get banned for what I'm about to say and if admin feels I've breached forum rules then I accept that) Corka, go and annoy someone else! I don't have to take that **** from you! If my thread annoys you then dont read it!!!

I appologies to all the others, but enough is enough. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

I have bred budgies on and off for over 25 years but never during the winter which is why I felt I needed to ask the question. A bit of unknown territory for me.

 

 

Robyn they are in an aviary so colony breeding yes?. I do have 2 x pair in breeding cages, 1 x pair is not quite paired up but I'm confident will. Oh the nest boxes attached to to these cages are blocked off, That should make him happy!!!!Pfft.

 

Thanks BJ and Robyn I appreciate it your constructive input.

By the way Robyn forgot to tell you, love your aviary, in time I will build something similar.

 

Steve

For the record the website has filtered 2 x words out of my post. They were not swearing, first was the opposite to heaven and second was a 4 letter word found at tips starting with c and not s one. Sorry I felt I needed to clarify this as I would not disrespect other users by swearing.

Hi Steve, going by the date of your first post, you had 6 eggs in a nest then, you must be close to some hatching? Let us know how you go with them, I found the heat generated in the nest box's more than made up for the chilly weather. Good luck with them.

Hi Steve, I have been reading your post and I agree with Robyn, your hens will know what to do. People breed in colder climates than we have in Aus without heat. Plus I've had eggs go cold in warm weather because the inexperienced hen wouldn't sit on them, that's nature. Good luck I'm sure everything will turn out fine.Keep us posted.

 

Don't let other people bring you down.

Sorry its been a while between posts. I have 10 youngins, 3 to one pair, 4 to another and 3 to another and have a bird sitting on 5 eggs also.My first time breeding a pure white too. Its weird as the parents of that white one are "Hen" white with blue chest and "cock" is a yellow/green and lol there is not one out of the 3 with any yellow/green in them its unusual.First picture of the parents I'm talking about.

I have had some dramas with the mothers fighting and for some reason wanting to commondeer other mothers nestboxes. Something I never do but I had to do is remove the offending/injured birds and their young to smaller breeding boxes and thankfully its worked out okay. I can only assume that the hens wanted to lay again but could'nt because the young were still in there nests. Buggers could have picked other boxes as there is 4 others in there not being used Grrrrr.

I need a bigger aviary or lol more cages. I've just advertised on gumtree to sell some I have'nt bred off yet as I am going to have too many. Most of the young ones I will keep as there is some awsome colors. I have pics of some but not all yet. Hope you like them.

Appologies some pics are poor quality.

The last picture is of the pair sitting on the 5 eggs

Glad to hear you have managed to rear some young. Looking good. Is your pure white an Albino or d.f.spangle, looking at first picture looks like both are spangle so d.f. spangle I guess.Not that I can work out genetics. l.o.l

It's like a lottery when you don't know what splits your birds are carrying. Half the fun I guess.

 

Your hens will fight over nests if you colony breed, caged pairs work much better.

Thanks Robyn. The white is'nt an albino unless their eye color changes later Lol I'm hopeless with the tech color names.Thats what I love about breeding them is to see what colors/variations you get. I have a beautiful one stiil in the box its hard to describe but its sort of greyish. I will get better pics when I can.

With fighting over the nests is it normal when all 3 hens try to take each others nestbox despite having young in their respective nests?. I've almost always bred in aviaries and have not struck this until now. Just went out to my garage and the pair that has the eggs has a sqawk coming from in the nest so yep (if they survive) more on the way.

 

Steve

Well all the babies are out (have been couple weeks) and lol they dont muck around I have 8 eggs to 2 hens again. I also have another 5 babies which are starting to get their feathers in another box in the shed which should be out in the next couple of weeks or so. Cock is a blue and hen is an english yellow/green. Should make for some interesting variations I think. Errrr Ha Ha I think I need another avairy or the an extension.

 

Steve

I'm pleased to hear that all is going well Steve.

 

I am very new to breeding and can't wait until I get my first egg let alone a whole clutch of babies.

 

Good luck and I'd love to see some more photos.