Hey all, I have taken alot of time to study on how to breed budgies. I think I am ready now. I just wanted to how some of you raise your baby budgies. Do you take the eggs out after they are laid, or do you let the parents feed them? Which would be easier for a beginner? Also I never really got this, how do you hang the nest box on the outside of the cage so you can check on the eggs or take them out if you have to? And last question this pair is not tame, will that affect anything?

Thanks all

Do you take the eggs out after they are laid, or do you let the parents feed them?

 

I leave the eggs in the box unless there is an issue with the the hen sitting. Then I foster out.

 

Which would be easier for a beginner?

 

It would be easier for a beginner to let the parents raise the chicks. You realy don't have the experience to incubate and hand rear a chick. (It's a bit like parashooting, I can't understand why someone would jump out of a good plane.) Be prepare to step in if needed but at first let the parents do the job.

 

Also I never really got this, how do you hang the nest box on the outside of the cage so you can check on the eggs or take them out if you have to?

 

This depaends on the type of breeding cage you have.

This box is out side.

 

These boxes were inside like this but I have moved them outside.

 

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a26/darrylw/Picture001.jpg

The bottom one is outside and I moved the others outside as well. Just screw hooks to the top front and a stopper at the bottom to keep the box level.

 

 

And last question this pair is not tame, will that affect anything?

 

No not at all.

okay thanks for the info, I know how to hand feed them just incase something goes wrong. Yeah I will try to get it in their some how. The only reason I ask if it matters if they are tame or not is because if I have to set the nest inside the cage then they probably wouldnt let me check on the babies, or anything like that. So how should I do that? I heard that they become alot more calm around the babies

It sould like your useing a normal cage and just adding the box, this is fine. I'm doing that now.

 

With an untame mum she might be a bit more protective of the babies towards you than other, but just go slowly and talk calmly and they are normally happy to move out of the way for you to have a look.

okay yeah its a normal cage, but I made sure it was big enough, how are you setting up your nest box? Oh and how should I introduce the pair into the cage?

 

I have my own home made box and so was able to make it suit the cage and where I wanted it.

 

I add both mum and dad to the cage when they were in breeding condition. Some breeders like to add the hen then two or three days afterwards add the male.

Edited March 13, 200619 yr by daz

Some breeders like to add the hen then two or three days afterwards add the male.

 

Nerwen do you know why some breeders do this?

 

It was seven days and it was to break any bonds the hen has with a previous mate...

I think it was for the hen to gt use to the cage and box. Thre are post around where i got the info from. I think Hath told me.

it is interesting when you talk to people. A lot of what we discuss here is not what really happens with Australian breeders.

 

I was at a Budgie Show yesterday and mentioned a type II yellow face. and they all told me it's no good. The bleed is bad and I should not be breeding with her..

 

I remember when I was learning to drive and what I do know. It is the same feeling I get when talking to Breeders.

Many breeder hate the yellowface gene I heard. Beucase it can be carried just like the blue and ruin the aim with a line.

 

Many breeder hate the yellowface gene I heard. Beucase it can be carried just like the blue and ruin the aim with a line.

I love them for the oddness of the bleed

Many breeder hate the yellowface gene I heard. Beucase it can be carried just like the blue and ruin the aim with a line.

 

Many breeder hate the yellowface gene I heard. Beucase it can be carried just like the blue and ruin the aim with a line.

I love them for the oddness of the bleed

 

I like them too. Spangle was a type II and chime is a type II. i'll keep Chime but won't breed with the show birds.

I am by no means an experienced breeder, and don't intend to be. My pair of budgies are on their second clutch and I've learned more than I ever thought I would. With that, I have also developed some opinions.

 

I've read and heard many breeders, of all kinds of parrots, speak about hand feeding, the dangers, the failures, as well as the successes, the time involved, etc. I've also fed older babies. I never knew how Mama really fed her babies, and how incredibly different she does it than we do. We do it for our convenience, and not to match Mama. When my Mama had her first clutch, I was so excited (still am!), so enthralled, and watched everything as close as I could so that if she had trouble, I could assist her. What amazed me the most was how she fed them. She feeds them a little bit every 30 mins or so, and the time lengthens as they get older. She never stuffs their crops but they are never empty either. The largest feeding the babies get are at night, probably so Mama can finally get some rest! - but even so, they are not stuffed so much that the crops are popping out, looking like they're going to pop, as I've seen some breeders so. No wonder things go wrong - that crop isn't supposed to be a balloon full of food. She keeps them warm, is always touching them, nurturing, caring, and loving them. My babies ended up being awesome, beautiful, happy, well-adjusted birds who also love to cuddle with humans and have no fear of humans.

 

I have no doubt Mama loses babies because of crop problems too, just like human feeders do, but I bet the rate is much less.

 

Anyway, like I said, I'm far from an expert, but I strongly believe that Mama should feed her babies. I handled the babies quite often, they have no fear of me, and I would bet that no one would be able to tell the difference between my babies being mama-fed and babies that are hand-fed, other than I think my babies will be better off emotionally as they know they are birds and had the warmth and nurturing of Mama 24/7.

 

Okay, you can tell me how I'm mistaken now )

 

Julie

Julie, I completely agree with you. Birds feed baby birds so much better than humans ever can. Also, human made baby food will never match the nutrients etc that they get from mummy bird. Just like with human babies, what she feeds them changes nutritionally as they get older, from the first crop milk that she feeds them, to being able to see seeds in their crop as they get older.