I have a pair of budgies in breeding condition, But I need advice for specific questions?

Question

This is my first time asking on yahoo! answers so excuse me. But I have 2 pairs of budgies. One has already started and they have 2 fertile eggs out of the 8 in total (she did lay 9) my second pair is in another cage. It's the usual white breeding cages? I didn't have another so I got a few from someone. It's the only "flight" like cage I have for them. I put in a seed mixture of a veggie type, and a natural based with sunflower seeds etc, fresh water, mineral block, cuttlebone, millet, and a block of soft wood because the female loves to chew.

The box is on the outside of the cage with a small concave in the center. I've put some nesting material inside (the straw stuff from petco) but I went and got pine shavings. It's kiln dried. It's the pine shavings from "petspick". My first question is that are these pine shavings okay? I've looked around and I saw a lot of "okays", but then I find someone who's experienced and she says no? not even paper? I'm confused.

I heard it's also okay to go the natural route, just the concave and the hen plucks her own feathers as bedding. But I just want to know because in the first pairs box (the one with 2 fertile eggs) there is no concave. while they're in egg form they're in this round food dish. So when they get old enough i'm going to have to put something down, but I don't know what. Or maybe at all?

My second question is that the 2nd pair who have not mated or laid any eggs - the female has started checking the box out for days now. Maybe 4-5. I've also noticed a "circular" shape being formed with the straw. She likes going inside, she likes chewing the circular opening of the box, she likes chewing the cage, preening her mate, being "top dog", going in and out of the box etc. She is in breeding condition but display no real want to mate or even lay an egg. I just want to know if this is normal behavior for a female budgie -going- to lay eggs? 

I'm not selling the babies and i'm not forcing them into this. The 1st pair actually laid 3 eggs in a food dish before I could get supplies (all were infertile because the male wasn't interested until halfway into her laying eggs and he found more interest in the purple tent, which I removed eventually which is why there's only 2 fertile eggs) and I had to move the other couple who was also showing signs of being in condition. This female has always wanted it since we got her. She's almost constantly in condition but she is very picky and will only do things her way and when the time strikes her lmao.

At first she would monopolize the side of the cage that faced the 1st pairs breeding box. She was fascinated. She only stopped once she realized she had her own box.

The first pair are roughly 2 years old. The 2nd is a 2.5-ish year old female and a 4 some year old male. I know 4 years is pushing it, but i've kept them all very healthy and this would be the first and only time he'd breed due to his age, if they breed.

I want responses by people who really know what their doing (aka first hand experience if possible), because I'm a first timer and I don't want to screw anything up anymore than I might have already, please and thank you.

Tibby · Accepted Answer

I don't breed budgies but I do breed lovebirds. First off, I wouldn't be allowing your female to breed that often and lay eggs that often since it can be very detrimental to her health. Also the issues with what to put in the nest box kinda bothers me 'cause you haven't really asked anything about what to expect after they breed. To have successful babies YOU need to hand rear them. The male must also be removed from the cage if you're going to allow the female to feed the babies. Males will get jealous and see babies as a threat and may attack them. And then you're going to need more cages to keep from inbreeding between siblings. Hand raising is fun, but not that fun as you're constantly feeding - If you have a job where you leave the house, you should not be breeding birds. There's also a very low market for budgies and average they sell for 20 bucks at a pet store. So you might be forced to give them away for free - regardless if you say you want to keep them.

If you're going to continue to breed, disregard what that person said about not putting anything in the nest box. - Put some shredded paper in there, the mother will tear it up and arrange it to how she pleases. There will be a 'circular indent' in the middle where she will lay on her eggs and keep them warm.

The others you talk about checking out the box - this is a sign that babies will eventually be on the way.

Provide lots of random things for your birds to put in the box. Paper, non-poisonous leaves. Cotton, etc. birds find all sorts of things to keep in their nests. Mine even steal dog fur. lol. She will also pluck and put those feathers in- She will start to look rather homely. Make sure there's always lots of calcium supplements around as she will NEED this, and can become sick without it.

If you're going to do minimal hand feeding - Leave the birds in the nest with the mother for four weeks. Remove the father at 2. Start hand feeding at four - This will help tame your birds. Always handle them gently after a week. There is bird formula suited for all babies at your local pet store. Mine did not have small enough syringes - So go to a pharmacist and ask for some, they'll likely give you some for free - which is what I do.

IF YOU EVER HAVE QUESTIONS YOU CAN MESSAGE ME! I've raised many babies - It is fun and rewarding! Just make sure you're absolutely positively sure it's what you wanna do. And I would let your birds rest a year after their first batch. Females will start laying again IMMEDDDIAAATELY after having babies. Which is bad. bad bad bad. so remove the nest box and don't allow them to breed again.

I have a pair of budgies in breeding condition, But I need advice for specific questions?

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