When I breed my budgies I am planning to only have 2 clutches for the one girl. I was wondering what I should do to prevent the pair from starting a third clutch while they raise the second.

I read somewhere that you should take the hen away from the babies when the youngest is 10 days old and leave the father in and the father is supposed to start feeding the babies by him self. This doesn't seem like a particularly safe method to me, cause the father may not realise that he has to feed them What do you do and what do you think is the best way to prevent them from having a third clutch.

Thanks for you help :)

There are all sorts of ways to stop them.

(not in order of best)

1. Removing the eggs when found from box so none are brooded and hatch.

2. fake eggs.

3. as you said removal of hen.

4. Removal of box.

 

I removed my hen to stop them breeding agian but the farther had a fit not being with her and took it out on the babies begging for food from him. I returned the hen and ended up doing as daz said and removed the box, moving the one out of it and offering a small place for them to hid into for protection. But mine where around the 4 week mark and ready to fledge.

Edited May 5, 200619 yr by Nerwen

When do the hens start to lay the next clutch? How old are the babies from the previous clutch when they do this?

I've found when my hens do have a second clutch they'll start laying when the babies average 4 weeks old. Sometimes though they don't start to lay for a couple weeks after the last baby has fledged so you can take the box out then.

 

Not all hens will lay a second clutch.

I replaced the eggs with fake ones until the clutch had fledged. by then, mum had given up and quit laying more.