I've kept budgies for quite some time, and I've read alot about owning and breeding them, although I have never experienced breeding my own.

 

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time for me to breed my first pair. I bought a nest box, put some wood shavings in it and set up the cage with all the required accessories.

 

I placed the couple(that had never met prior to this)that I wished to breed into the cage and waited...

 

and waited..

 

and.. waited...

 

After about the first week I noticed that the male (Albert) had started to preen the female (Mary)

alot, and he would flap his wings as if to get her attention. I also noticed that he made a sort of backwards and forwards bobbing of the head motion. The pair also rubbed beaks and have been sitting together quite often.

 

I'm positive that the birds themselves are ready to mate, Mary's cear is brown and crusty, while Alberts is a deep colbalt blue. Albert, is a bird that I have owned for a couple of months, and I know that he has a shy nature. He never interacted with my other birds, just kept to himself, will this make him a bad father?

As this is my first time at ever pairing a couple together, I was just wondering if I could ask a few questions.

 

1. How long does it take for a couple to bond?

2. Will Alberts level of shyness affect his ability to help father baby chicks (if there is any)

3. What is going on! From the behaviour I described, does it seem like they are flirting? Will they ever end up mating?

 

I am willing to wait as long as it takes, I am just curios of how long that may be. Also, are there any factors that may lessen the chance of their bonding?

*Topic moved*

 

there are loads of experienced people her who will be able to help you.

 

im not a breeder so the only thing i can say is are you sure they are both old enough? i only say that because you say youve only had them a couple of months.

Yes, they are both old enough.

 

Albert, the boy, is at least 1.5 years old, so the breeder told me when i bought him. And mary, she is about the same. I got them from totally different breeders so theres absolutely no chance whatsoever that they are related. I hope i do get some feedback from some experienced budgie breeders on here, and I'm sure there are plenty of them!

oh good, well you sound to be doing all the right things... i guess sometimes it is just a matter of waiting! (Laughing out loud)

 

im sure somone will be along soon to help you more than i can

Yeah, I'm more than happy to wait, I just wish I had more of an accurate idea of what their behaviour is like before mating.

Yes your two are 'flirting' and starting a bond. What you told us about are the sign of courtship. I don't know if the shyness would affect the length it would take to bond fully, also I'm not sure there is a set time for that to happen. I had a pair of mine in a breeding cage for a month and they were bonding, but I stoped since the female started to moult. But about two weeks after that I saw them trying to mate.

 

Just keep with them and make sure you are giving them heaps of fresh foods.

Thanks for your advice, I've been giving them plenty of seed and millet spray, i've also been giving them fresh fruit at least every couple of days.

Good luck with the breeding.

 

Just wanted to chime in and tell you that fruit is often very sugary and should be reserved as more of a treat. (It's good to give, but is no substitute for good veggies!)

 

There is a general guide to nutrition in the FAQ but it takes a bit of research to figure out what veggies are good and what should just be treats. For starters, kale, spinach, broccoli, and carrots are very good veggies to offer. Beans and lentils are great too! Here's the link to the question in the FAQ: http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...id=2&artlang=en

 

Keep in mind that a breeding female is going to need quite a bit more calcium. This link includes a list of good calcium-rich veggies (skip the dairy stuff, budgies have trouble digesting dairy foods): http://huhs.harvard.edu/HealthInformation/...ciumContent.htm

Bek you should start to see the female inspection the nest box soon. When she starts to going in and out of the box frequently, count 9 to 12 days and you should have your first egg. Make sure she has a supply of calcium. Fresh fruit and veg and some egg and biscuit mixture. Fresh water everyday.

I grate some carrot, broccoli, add some snow pea sprouds and some sprouted mung bean seeds and them mix in about a table spoon of Egg and Biscuit Mix. Put this in in the morning and remove the uneaten part at lunch time. (feeds about 12 birds)

 

 

The eggs will be laid two days apart...roughly.

 

The incubation time is approx 18 day to the first hatch. Incubation may not start until the 2nd or 3rd egg is laid. That is normal.

 

Good luck and if you need to know something ...Ask.

Edited October 29, 200519 yr by daz

Thanks guys

And put some cuttlefish in if you haven't already, she may not touch it, but she might need it. Good luck

And put some cuttlefish in if you haven't already, she may not touch it, but she might need it. Good luck

 

Lin i used a soluble calcium suppliment with Spangle and it seemed to be okay. Have you used suppliments before with yours?

No I haven't Daz. As a famous lady once said 'Please explain'

I have always kept a cuttlebone available to all my birds, just so they have the choice whether or not to use it. I have something else that I was given with a new cage that i bought, it's yellow and in the shape of a banana, I image it's some sort of supplement, but I don't know what exactly it may be. Perhaps you could help me to identify what it is?

No I haven't Daz. As a famous lady once said 'Please explain'

 

Avian Science is the brand I use. It comes from the pet store or vet. It is a liquid calcium supplement that you mix up in water.

 

 

I have always kept a cuttlebone available to all my birds, just so they have the choice whether or not to use it. I have something else that I was given with a new cage that i bought, it's yellow and in the shape of a banana, I image it's some sort of supplement, but I don't know what exactly it may be. Perhaps you could help me to identify what it is?

 

It would be a calcium or iodine "Bell" in the shape of a fruit. They are okay.

 

Some times I think the items are made to sell to us rather the budgies.

 

Budgie looks at banana *oh good she has given me a banana that tastes like old chalk* :hap:

I know I saw something like that last time I was at the feedstore, but I didn't have a good look. Possibly a calcium block mixed with iodine, or they mix it with something else, magnesium maybe?

You also asked if Albert being shy would affect his daddy skills. I doubt it, Lilly was super shy in the aviary but he's the best little daddy.

Thanks everyone, I have another question for you though, that is, do they usually sleep together at night if they are bonding? Mine always sleep as far away as possible from each other, and it makes me think they hate each other now, hehe. Probably a silly question, but I thought it's worth asking. They've been grooming and preening each other every time I watch them lately though, which I imagine is a good sign

yep that is a good sign as to sleeping it depends on their moods, I check mine and all but one have picked the same branch that night (not always the same one) or they are all over the place, and the pairs are not alway next to each other.

Oh yay! I'm looking forward to having some cute little baby budgies!

 

Oh no! I just saw Mary kick Albert... What does that mean? I've seen her kick him 3 times today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit Merged Posts

he might be moving a touch to fast for her, if they haven't got the singing and bobing and feeding down right and try to mount they will get a telling off Female budgies are very picky.

But do keep a close eye on them, if she really isn't happy withhim it might turn ugly fast.

Hmm, maybe I over exaggerated.. I freak out at the smallest things, since this is the first time I have ever had a nest box in with two birds. Let me try to explain more what the action is like.

 

Albert and Mary will be deep in some serious preening action and then they will touch beaks and albert will do the head bobbing thing to her and they will look at lovey dovey and such, and then she will just sort of, put her foot on his wing, not a violent thrust, just like shes resting on him or something. It deffinately dosn't look as aggressive as I made it out to be. I've seen two of my babies do that to each other before, I don't think it's meant to be an aggressive thing.. I wonder what it is though

 

As for the singing and chirping part on Alberts behaf, I havn't witnessed very much of that.. All he really does to get her attention is the head bobbing and flying around the cage, towards and backwards from her and flapping his wings.