Posted January 23, 201411 yr Hi All My son 6 has decided to give budgies breeding ago to make money (dad we pay cost and he take sales). He has never done anything like this so it will be a big learning curve that hopefully we instill some life lasting values and lessons. I have breed budgies when I was a child but that was 20+ years ago. We have ordered a aviary 1.5m x 2.2m as a starting aviary, this is due in about 2 weeks. How many pairs do you think this would be okay for? Also is there any breeders from the top end on here that would like to help a 6 year old get started (info and some starting stock, we will pay)? I look forward to getting to know you mob and share our journey.
January 26, 201411 yr Hello, welcome to the forum. I myself is not a breeder but there are a lot of members on here that are, There is a breeding section on here that you can post your breeding questions on there,
January 26, 201411 yr Hi + welcome Your son is far too young to breed budgies on his own, you'll hav to help dad! Big responsability+ things do go wrong! I've shed many tears in past 2 years! I have 25 finches;6 lovebirds and 18 budgies, I've had success+ failure. Life+death. The saddest is when u lose a budgie to illness; weakness; etc many tips on this site. L o l
January 27, 201411 yr Welcome to this forum, Some of these tips you probably already know, but just in case I will tell you. I strongly agree that your son will need to have help, as it can be alot of work. A few tips from me are; 1. Never colony breed budgies, this often leads to injury like a loss of limbs etc, and sometimes death of babies and parents. (you can colony breed, but do it at your own risk, and have enough nesting boxes so that they can all have one, plus spares) 2. Keep the aviary and cages as hygienic as possible, not only for the birds but you too. (Also keep nesting boxes clean) 3. Don't over check a nest box when there are chicks, as this can disturb them. 4. If you are not sure on how to do something, get some advice, never attempt to do things that you don't know how to do. 5. When you decide a pair that you want to breed ensure they are over 9 months min, preferably 12 months (they can breed younger but it all becomes too risky) Also the hens cere (nose) will be brown like chocolate, meaning she is in condition, and the male blue. 6. Budgies need nutrients and minerals just like us, and like us they need vegetables and fruit, not just seed. (also have a cuttlebone as they give the hens calcium to produce good eggs). (never feed them avocado) see list below. (lastly silver beet is a good vegetable to feed them as it can help the budgies to get into breeding condition) Vegetables -Radishes -Turnips -Carrots (root and tops) -Cooked __af_placement_id--[AFF-PLACEMENT-ID].html"]sweet potatoes -Radicchio -Endive -Mustard & dandelion greens -Swiss Chard -Kale -Parsley -Cooked red potatoes -Green beans -Bok Choy -Tomato -Sweet red & green, and other types of peppers -Cauliflower -Broccoli (head and leaves) -Beet & turnip greens -Kohlrabi -Sugar snap or snow peas -Squash (peeled & steamed) -Red beets (peeled) -Romaine or green/red leaf lettuce -Collard greens -Corn -Cucumber Fruits -Apples -Berries -Kiwi -Mango -Cantaloupe -Honeydew -Pineapple -Cherries -Cranberries -Banana -Pears -Peaches -Oranges -Pomegranate -Tangerines -Star fruit -Grapefruit -Papaya -Grapes -Apricots Wash all vegetables and fruits thoroughly before feeding. Remove the pits and all seeds from the fruit. Any vegetables and fruits left uneaten should be discarded daily so spoiling is not a problem. Because vegetables and fruits are high in water content, the urine portion of the droppings will increase. Helpful tips for those who are beginning Adding variety and appeal: Birds decide what to eat by sight, texture, and taste. Offer a wide variety of vegetables and fruit to provide a balanced diet. Keep them in as natural a state as possible and be creative when preparing meals. Hang food from the cage top or sides, weave food into the bars of the cage, or stuff food in the spaces of toys. As an example, for larger birds, feed corn on the cob rather than feeding kernels of corn in a dish. This will help entertain the bird as well as provide physical and mental stimulation. Switching your bird from a seed-based diet: It is much easier to start a young bird on a varied diet of healthy foods than it is to convert an older bird to a new diet. A bird on an unhealthy diet may take more effort to be converted to a healthier diet. For more information, see our article: Switching from a Seed-based to aPelleted Diet. When switching a pet bird's diet to one based on pelleted foods, you may notice a change in the bird's droppings, which will appear larger and lighter in color. If you see only scants amount of dark droppings, contact your veterinarian; it may mean your bird is not eating well and may need to be converted more slowly. Can't forget this now can I. Foods to avoid Some foods are also labeled as do-not feed. These include: High-fat junk food (potato chips, doughnuts, etc.) Avocado (guacamole) Chocolate Alcohol or caffeine Fruit pits Persimmons Table salt Onions Apple seeds Mushrooms
January 27, 201411 yr Author Thanks to all how have replied I was never going to let him do it alone but he has to do the physical work i.e. check there is food and water every day. I will be there to help him as needed. Budgie mad Wow what a great post with some very help full info. My son has breed chickens with me before so he has gone through the emotional rollercoaster that comes with breeding. I have read the disapprovals on here when it comes to colony breeding and I understand completely. I was thinking having 6 birds to start with and 6 nesting box’s spread out. If he (my son) makes a go of it I was then planning to add some breeding cages inside the aviary and remove the colony ones but I know they take a lot more looking after. I know there is the risk but I need to know if he is going to give it a go before I sink too much money and time into it. And yes I have been warned.
