After reading this boo please consider the following questions. Can you answer them?
I have also included some additional information along with the answer to each question as well.
Your Pair And Their Well-Being Do you know of a qualified avian or another vet close to you for help when you need it? How old should your pair be before breeding? Are they are unrelated? Are you sure they are healthy?
A Basic Breeding Set-Up Do you have a proper breeding set-up? How many cages do you need? What is an acceptable nest box? What should you use or not use as nesting material?
Their Diet And Condition What is a good breeding diet? Can you identify a male and female in breeding condition? How can you condition them?
Egg Laying And Incubation What is egg binding? How can you help prevent it? What is uterine prolapse? How can you help prevent it? How long is the incubation period for budgies? How long should you wait before tossing eggs that have not hatched?
Care Of The Chicks Do you know how to hand-feed a chick? What supplies will you need to do so? What causes splayed legs? What can cause beak and leg deformities? What should you do if the mother or father are attacking the chicks? What will you do if one of the parents dies? How old should a chick be before they can come out of the nest box without a danger of them chilling?
Weaning the Chicks At what age does a budgie chick usually wean? How can you make sure they are not losing too much weight during the weaning process? How old should they be before you separate them from their father?
Resting Your Pair How do you prevent your pair from having another clutch when they have had more than one already? How long should you rest your pair before you breed them again?
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Do You Know Of A Qualified Avian Or Alternative Vet Close By In the Case Of An Emergency?
Your closest avian vet should be one of your birds best friends. They are the ones you will need to go to when you have a problem. Often times it will be a life threatening situation when you are faced with rushing them to one.
If you do not have an avian vet in your area, please find the closest vet that at least has some idea of how to care for and treat birds.
How Old Should Your Pair Be Before Breeding? Are They Unrelated?
Just because your pair have been through a molt and are showing signs of breeding condition does not mean they are physically and mentally ready to raise a family. Humans can become parents at 8-12 years of age, but this fact does not mean they are ready to become such. It is the same with birds. Give them at least 1 year to mature and grow. If you got them when they were older than babies wait until you are sure they are at least 1-year-old and not older than 4 years. Not knowing for sure does not mean guess and hope for the best. Only breed pairs whose age you know for sure.
Obviously, you also want to make sure that you only breed unrelated birds. If you have purchased your birds from a pet store make sure that they are from different stores and make sure that those stores get their birds from different sources.. Many chain pet stores get their birds from large-scale commercial breeders who inbreed their birds, so again, please be sure they are not related by getting them from different places at the very least.
If you are getting your pair from a reputable breeder please be sure to specify that you are looking to breed them so they do not give you related birds as well.
Are You Sure They Are Healthy?
If you do not have a 100% healthy pair then you will likely have weak, malnourished and sickly babies. Please make sure they are mite free, a good weight and not showing any signs of sickness. If you are in doubt then that is a white flag to hold off until you are sure.
You also want to make sure they are not currently in the process of molting or expecting one soon as this in itself is very exhausting for them.
Do You Have A Proper Breeding Set Up?
You will need a cage that is big enough to accommodate your pair and their babies until they are weaned. 30x18x18 is the ideal size for one pair. Smaller cages can cause fighting between the pair. It can also cause the pair to attack their chicks when they have nowhere to go for their own space. You will need secure perches of different sizes to make sure they will mate successfully, have fertile eggs and to exercise their feet during the time they are breeding.
Make sure you have plenty of dishes of different types to supply all of the food and water they will need for themselves and their chicks. Chicks often like to eat out of shallow dishes on the floor when they are first out of the box and learning to perch. Having a few of these for seed/pellets, veggies, egg food and water will help in their weaning.
See chapter 1 for more details.
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How Many Cages Do You Need?
Two or ideally three cages will be needed for any given breeding pair. You will need at least one cage for your male and female as well as their nest box while they are raising their chicks.
In addition, another cage will be needed to move the chicks into once they are fully weaned and ready to be away from the male. It is always good to have an extra on hand just in case your pair start fighting with each other or another problem comes up along the way.
See chapter 1 for more information.
What Is A Acceptable Nest Box? What Should You Use And Not Use As Nesting Material?
You will need to check on the eggs and chicks daily and clean the nest box. The only way to do this safely and with as little disturbance as possible to your pair is to have a box that is hung outside the cage. Most breeding cages come with a door specifically for this purpose or you can trim a few bars from your cage to make a hole just big enough for an entrance hole.
Make sure your box is clean, free from any sharp pieces, hardware sticking out or paint that the hen can chew while nesting. It needs to have a concave bottom to prevent the eggs and chicks from going all over the box, and the floor needs to be made of a rough surface so that the chicks and mom will be able to have grip.
Your nesting material needs to be non-toxic. It should not be made from anything fibrous that could get wrapped around any part of the chicks or parents body.
Examples of good nesting material: Unscented pine shavings (not dust). Aspen shavings (not dust). Carefresh bedding.
Examples of bad nesting material: Finch nesting material. Coconut fiber. Potpourri. Toilet paper. Paper towels. Leaves or grass
See chapter 1 for more information.
What Is A Good Breeding Diet?
A good diet is one of the biggest factors in making healthy parents and chicks. A diet consisting of seed and water with vitamin drops is not an acceptable breeding diet.
They need to be eating lots of fresh vegetables and egg food in addition to seed mix at the very least.
See chapter 3 for more information.
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Can You Identify A Male And Female In Breeding Condition? How Can You Condition Them?
Budgies are not ready to raise a clutch at any time during the year. They come into "breeding condition" a number of times a year. At these times, they have increased hormone levels and breeding drives that are essential to raising a clutch. In the wild, they come into condition when food and daylight hours are at their peak.
See chapter 4 for more information.
What Are The Common Egg laying Signs?
Some signs that your hen is getting ready to lay eggs are increased calcium intake, larger droppings and an enlarged lower abdomen (egg bum). Once she begins she will typically lay an egg every other day until she has completed her clutch. Watch out for hens that have irregular laying cycles as it can indicate a hormone imbalance which could result in other problems.
Make sure you have lots of extra calcium available to her at this time and exposure to sunlight so she can absorb it.
What Is Egg Binding? How Can you Help Prevent It?
An egg bound hen has formed or is forming an egg inside of her. The shell is poorly formed from lack of calcium, a poor diet well before she is set up to breed, still being immature and not having a fully matured reproductive system and muscles or from an internal deformity causing her to be unable to pass the egg.
Warning Signs To Look For In Egg Binding: Sitting on the floor or in her nest box fluffed up. Labored breathing. Plucking the feathers around her vent. Passing mostly liquid droppings.
Again make sure your hen is mature before you let her get to this point! Hens that are too young or old to breed are more prone to egg binding. Make sure she is on a good high calcium diet for a number of weeks before you set her up with a nest box to help prevent this. Once she begins showing signs of being egg bound it is in the advanced stages. Get her to an avian vet as soon as possible as she will not last more than a number of hours in this state.
There are few more painful deaths for a bird than dying from egg binding! Please do your best to help her in this situation with the help of a vet.
What Is Uterine Prolapse? How Can You Help Prevent It?
The prolapse of a hen is again a sign of poor diet and condition before encouraging egg laying in most cases. It happens when the hen does not have enough energy and calcium to push the egg out normally and her cloaca which is supposed to be inside comes out.
When this happens it is essential to get your hen to an avian vet as soon as possible! Increase calcium in the meantime to help with muscle tone until you can get her help. Surgery is often required as the weakened muscles do not have the necessary strength.
How long Is The Incubation Period For Budgies?
Each egg has a normal incubation of 18 days. This is from the time the hen has actually started incubating them, not from when the egg was laid. Some hens start incubating right away, some wait until a few eggs are laid.
How Long Should You Wait Before Tossing Eggs That Have Not Hatched?
If you have not candled the eggs to know for sure if they are fertile or still developing then wait at least 7 days after the egg was laid before considering tossing it. Some will take longer than we expected, and the last thing you want to do is throw away a developing chick!
Do You Know How To Hand Feed A Chick, And What Supplies You Will Need To Do So?
Hand feeding is something best shown and not described as it is very easy to kill a chick with one wrong move.
Having an experienced breeder or avian vet give you some lessons is very wise and will help you to be much more confident! They can also give you pointers and suggestions on things you might be doing wrong.
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It is important to have the basic supplies you need on hand ahead of time as well. The last thing you want is to be running to different stores trying to find hand-feeding supplies when you have a starving chick!
Here are some of the basic supplies. Please also reference my Hand-Feeding And Weaning Guide for additional basic information regarding hand feeding.
Basic hand-feeding supplies: A brooder. Hand-feeding formula. Hand-feeding syringes, spoons or both ideally since some chicks prefer one over the other. A thermometer. A digital scale.
What Causes Splayed Legs? Poor diet- The chicks do not have enough calcium and nutrients to develop strong muscles and bones and with so little strength in their legs they can not stay upright under them.
Lack of good traction in the nest box- If the bottom of your nest box is not a rough surface that the chicks nails can grip they cannot keep their feet under them and so they don't develop good muscle tone in their legs which cause the legs to splay outwards and become deformed.
The hen sits too tightly on young chicks- Having a hen that sits very tightly on the chicks with no other eggs in the nest to help take the weight off of them is another factor in splayed legs. If you have only one or two chicks be sure to leave an egg or two in the nest box even if they are not fertile to help take some of the weight of the hen off of them.
See chapter 10 for more detailed information.
What Can Cause Beak And Leg Deformities?
Most often this happens simply from lack of good hygiene in the nest box and of the chicks. When the box is not cleaned regularly droppings build up on the floor which then get stuck on the chicks feet and legs, making it impossible for them to grow normally.
You also need to regularly check the chicks beaks and faces for any food build up especially when you have a hen that is a messy feeder. Leaving dried food on a chicks beak will prevent it from developing and cause a deformity or stunt it completely.
Both of these things are very easily prevented by simply having good hygiene practices. Clean your nest boxes as soon as they become dirty. Check your chicks beaks (outside and inside), faces, feet and legs every day. If you notice any food or droppings clean it gently with warm water and a paper towel or q-tip.
See chapter 7 for more information.
What Should You Do If The Mother Or Father Are Attacking Their Chicks? There is no time to waste if you see the chicks being abused! Usually when one of the parents are attacking the chicks it is from wanting to start a new clutch. Most often it is the hen that begins starting to eliminate the chicks and the male soon follows.
If the chicks are 3 weeks or older removing the female is the best course of action. Putting her in another room out of earshot and sight is usually all that is needed to calm the male and for him to finish raising and weaning the chicks safely. I have never had a male hurt a chick without the female with him. If the chicks are 2 weeks or younger removing the female is still the most logical decision but some supplemental hand feedings might be needed if the male does not willingly go in the nest box right away. There is no telling when this might happen so again, be sure you know how to hand feed at any time!
In either case put lots of extra food for the male to easily access to help wean the chicks, placing some sprays of millet in the nest box if you have not already done so is also a good idea.
See the chapter 13 for more information.
What Will You Do If One Of The Parents Dies?
In this instance, it depends a great deal on the age of the chicks and which parent has been lost. If it is the hen and the chicks are less than 3 weeks old more you need to be prepared to step in and hand feed the youngest chicks until the male takes over. If they are older than 3 weeks most males take over raising the clutch with no problems at all as long as they have the resources available to do so.
If it is the male that has been lost before the chicks have weaned the hen will often raise the chicks without her mate, but be very watchful for the aggressive behavior they can have when they want to start another clutch. Again if this happens you will need to be ready to step in and hand raise and wean the chicks yourself for their safety.
Do not ever leave chicks with an aggressive hen as she can and will kill them.
How Old Should A Chick Be When They Come Out Of The Nest Box Without A Danger Of Chilling?
At 4- 4 1/2 weeks the chicks are usually fully feathered enough to come out safely without a chance of chilling in moderate temperatures. However, most chicks do not fledge until 4 1/2-5 weeks unless the hen is either kicking them out of the box or they are too hot.
If you can still see pin feathers that are developing on the chicks body and head they would do best to stay in the box for a bit longer. Sometimes a chick will just fall out or get a little over curious and fall out. Don't hesitate to put a chick back in the nest box if you see any signs of them not actually being ready. This way they will have a little more time to feather out.
If this happens watch carefully to be sure they are not getting thrown out of the nest box by the hen. If so follow the steps suggested in chapter 13 below when aggression is shown toward the chicks.
At What Age Does A Budgie Chick Usually Wean?
Most parent-raised chicks wean between 5-6 weeks of age depending on how early or late they have fledged and their own individual personalities.
The first week after they have fledged they will spend most of the time they are not sleeping tasting new foods and exploring the breeding cage. Make sure you have lots of good food in shallow dishes on the floor that they can easily reach and a shallow dish of water for them to begin learning to drink from.
How Old Should A Chick Be When They Come Out Of The Nest Box Without A Danger Of Chilling?
At 4- 4 1/2 weeks the chicks are usually fully feathered enough to come out safely without a chance of chilling for the moderate temperatures. However, most chicks do not fledge until 4 1/2-5 weeks unless the hen is either kicking them out of the box, or they are too hot.
If you can still see pin feathers that are developing on the chicks body and head they are best staying in the box for a bit longer. Sometimes a chick will fall out or get a little over curious and fall out, don't hesitate to put a chick back in the nest box if you see any signs if them not being actually ready so they will have a little more time to feather out.
If this happens watch carefully to be sure they are not getting thrown out of the nest box by the hen. If so follow the steps suggested in chapter 13 as this is a sign of aggression toward the chicks.
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How Can You Make Sure The Chicks Are Not Losing Too Much Weight During The Weaning Process?
It is normal for a chick to lose some weight during the fledging and weaning process. From being so well fed and getting little exercise while growing within the nest box, they often weigh a bit more than their ideal weight when they do fledge. This is an advantage for them since they have a little extra reserves to rely on while learning to feed themselves.
You want to make sure that they are not losing too much weight during this time though. The best way is to gently hold the chick in both of your hands and run your fingers over the chicks keel bone on its chest. A chick that is too thin will have a very sharp keel bone that is easy to feel with very little fat or muscle on either side. A chick that is at the ideal weight or just a little under will have a keel bone that is easily felt but with good muscle tone on either side. It's a good idea to regularly feel every chick you have so you can get a good idea of what is normal for each one before hand.
If you suspect one of your chicks is losing too much weight but the parents seem to be caring well for them a trip to the avian vet is in order to make sure there is not some underlying cause for it. Your avian vet is the key to figuring this out before it is too late.
How Old Should Your Chicks Be When You Separate Them From Their Father?
The very earliest you would want to separate the chicks from their father is 6-7 weeks old. If there are no reasons why they need to be separated 7-8 weeks is even better and will help them to be more confident and well-adjusted adults.
If you do not have experience in what a weaned chick is like it is always better to wait a little longer just in case. They can be tricky and some act like they are eating enough to sustain themselves but in truth they are not. A premature separation before they are confident enough to care for themselves can also cause them to revert to their baby ways. This is a very dangerous situation if the male is not present to feed them.
It is always better to be safe than sorry in this regard! There is no harm in separating them later than needed, but they will fade quickly if they are not ready for this big step in their lives. If you have heard any of them begging for food within one week of considering a separation then think twice and leave them for at least a week longer.
Why Is A Resting Period Essential For Your Breeding Pair?
In the wild, they are forced to stop breeding when the conditions in their environment change. Food and water sources dwindle and fewer daylight hours cause them to stop breeding after raising a couple of clutches.
Your pair needs a good rest after raising a clutch or two. Letting them raise clutch after clutch is not only dangerous for them but for the chicks they produce as well. In the weakened state that results they can barely care for themselves let alone growing babies. Do not try to push your luck with more than they can handle. If they show any signs of losing weight or exhaustion make them rest. It's your job to do just what would happen naturally in the wild.
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How Do You Prevent Your Pair From Having Another Clutch When They Have Had More Than One Already?
Once the chicks are nearing the 4-week mark in age you can reduce the daylight hours of your pair to 8-10 or so to discourage them. After the chicks have fledged removing the nest box is an obvious thing to do. Often times though they will try to start another clutch before the previous one is ready to leave the nest or be separated from them.
If you see any signs of another clutch such as mating, aggression toward the chicks, the hen spending more time in the next box etc and the chicks are 3 weeks old or older remove the female and let the male finish raising them. Limiting her high protein foods, daylight hours and putting her in a new cage will help to throw her out of breeding mode and prevent another clutch all together.
If she lays an egg or two on the floor at this time foster them to another pair if possible, or if not dispose of them. It is not ideal to do so, but you must choose the lesser of two evils in this situation. By letting them raise another clutch exhausted you not only run the risk of the chicks they produce being weak and dying but your pair themselves are in danger of becoming sick or dying from the exhaustion. They will quite literally breed themselves to death and you need to think of their health and well being first in this situation.
How Long Should You Rest Your Pair Before You Breed Them Again?
Depending on how many clutches they have had and their condition after raising them, 6 months is the shortest period of time you want to give them to rest and build themselves back up. If they raised a number of clutches in a row or seemed more exhausted then 8-12 months is ideal. Use your good judgment and do not rush. Make sure they are in top shape before setting them up again.
