help

[jonathanH]

hi i am new to this sit and i have 3 budgies 2 females an 1 male. a male and a female are paired up the other 1 is alone now i dont no why the wont have babies i had them over a year now and still nothing i dont no what is wrong ive seen them trying to mate because the girl bends over the male then trys to hop on but he never really gets on her is there something wrong there?? ive noticed the female is always biting the male wher his bum wht does that mean?? i have a nesting box also the female goes in there but the male never he just peeks in so does anyone no what i can do to make them have babies anything will be appriciated thak you

[jonathanH]

nobody knows what i can do?? :(

[Budgiekin]

Hi Jonathon! First of all, welcome to the Talk Budgies Forum! We're happy you found us and we hope you stick around. There's lots of great information here.

As for your two budgies that won't mate, I know that not all budgies are compatible with one another. That isn't necessarily the case for your budgies, but it could be a possibility, even though they seem to be trying to mate. Believe it or not, budgies can take a fair amount of time to figure out how to mate. Not to mention, budgies do tend to breed only during certain times of year (this is highly dependent on the number of daylight hours and their exposure to that daylight). (However, yes, they can breed at any time during the year; even the less ideal times).

In my opinion, there really isn't anything more that you can do to help your budgies to breed. You have already given your girlie budgie a nest box. (Make sure you provide her with a cuttle bone and mineral block to get the much needed calcium and other minerals to help with egg formation).

Is your female budgie friendly to both birds? Or just her cage mate? I know you said you have had budgies for over a year now, but do you know how old they are? Would you say your budgies have a comfortable environment? They don't appear stressed? Do they have some privacy? (This may sound a bit silly, but it may help if they do).

Another question I suggest you to consider is why do you want them to breed? If you are prepared to take on all of the responsibilities that come along with that, that's great! I would encourage you to do some reading to learn as much as you can about the breeding process. There are many things you should be prepared to handle if they eventually are successful in breeding. For example, are you prepared to hand-feed the babies if the mother and father aren't being good budgie parents? Are you prepared to keep the eggs at the right temperature if the mommy budgie doesn't sit on them?

I am sure some of the experienced budgie breeders in this forum would have some insight for you too. Bea, any advice?

[jonathanH]

thank you for answering back well my female that is alone doesnt mind to much to ba honest it looks like she really doesnt care about being paired up she never bothers ther other budgies they actually bother her. my budgies that are paired up are the age of 3 for the female and 2 for the male the other 1 is 1. yes my budgies like where they are they are in a private area with a really big balcony window for lots of light they are in a bedroom. they dont appear to be stessed they are really happy always chirping. The reason why i want to breed is because i have had them for a while and when i got them from the petstore i asked the man about breeding and he said yes they should breed so i really got into the breeding thing. i am ready for babies i cant wait to see how they will look. i think the budgies would be pretty good parents because the female budgie always goes in the nesting box aranging it the way she likes it and when she is done the male always peeks in. i really hope to get babies i dont no tho if i will but if there is anything else i should know it would be greatly appriciated. another thing is that the female always bites the male where his vent is and he jumps what does this mean?? any idea??

[jonathanH]

so noone has anymore advice on how longf it might take them from now to mate and lay eggs??:(

[Budgiekin]

The best I can say is that if they are going to mate, they will do it when they are ready.

[jonathanH]

thx for answering back now i heard that when budgies are in breeding condition you should feed them actual egg shells and eggs is that true and what else can i feed them any advice will be appriciated!!!and maybe i will remove the other female from the cage do u think that would be helpful for the 2 budgies that are mating or you think that isnt a problem with the other female in the cage??

[Bea]

DEFINITELY remove the other female. Having too many females can cause serious fighting over mating and nesting rights (believe me, i've had hens lose toes!). And yes, breeding (and even non-breeding) budgies can be fed hardboiled egg all mashed up, even with the shell. It's a really great source of calcium for them.

[jonathanH]

thank you and now i will be removing the other female i have another cage so i will be putting her in there. and i will also boil the egg and give it to them.what kind of material can i put in the nest box because everytime i put wood shavings the female throws them out??

[Amy]

If she doesn't like the wood shavings in there then let her have nothing, because you can either have wood shavings or nothing.

It's best to begin with wood shavings then see if she will except it, if she doesn't then leave it, its fine!
You want her to be comfortable when she sits on the eggs so let her decide.

[miss_missy]

at the pet store i saw this nesting stuff its in a box and you put it in the inside of the cage it ties on. and if she wants the nesting material then she will make it her self.. but i was told they usually reject nesting matariel

[jonathanH]

but i no that budgies dont make nest i dont no if im rite tho any one no??

[Bea]

No, they don't build nests. Budgies don't usually like nesting material, in the wild they nest in any hollow space (tree trunks, under logs, etc) and often there isn't any materials in these places.

[Amy]

If you are going to put any nesting material in, only put a light dusting in.

[jonathanH]

does anyone no when budgies learn to mate cause i still dont think mine learned so would anyone no the answer??:S

[miss_missy]

i think it just comes ,, like maturing. their hormones probley have a big part in it.

Spelling is really bad today.

[Amy]

Yes it does, they will learn naturally.

[jonathanH]

thx last nisgt i noticed my female budgie the one that is paired up had pooh in her vent i didnt think much of it so i left it alone an couple hours later i went back to check up on her and there was lots of pooh stuch together and it was really big i mean bigger than a normal budgie poop but it look like alot of little poops stuck together than it came out cause she flew and a piece fell and it started happening again what does this mean??

[Amy]

Sorry no idea! Maybe someone else knows. If no one does then take her to your vets.

[jonathanH]

thank you billy and lilly but does anyone else no what can this be??

[jonathanH]

does anyone no what this can be because im starting to get worried

[Amy]

If she's tame then it would be good idea to wash her vent with clean warm water. Do this whenever needed.

[jonathanH]

it isnt that it is stuck it is that it is alot of poops stuck together making a big one i thought this meant that she would be laying eggs but that is why i am asking people for info cause i want to be sure??

[Amy]

Well doing what I said might encorage her to poop normally. I'm not sure that that means she would start laying eggs though.

Has she mated yet?

How old are the pair? If they're under 1 year then they they to young to breed. If so remove the nestbox and other things you may have added to encourage them to breed.

You could search on the web for info and ask other members for help on this matter. I hope I've helped.

[jonathanH]

ya i thimk they have mated i have seen them trying befor and yes they are old enough to have babies i was just wondering if anyone else can tell me if she can be pregnant??

[Amy]

Ok, well is she looking bigger around the vent?

Are they regugitating more?

Is she taking regular visits to the nestbox?

If any of these are Yes then she is proberbly pregnant and if you be patient and an egg might appear in the box and In around a month you might have some more little budgies!

[Budgiekin]

Usually when a female is going to lay eggs, her poops start to get really large, and sometimes a bit waterier (is that even a word???!!). It is possible that she could be developing an egg inside her; only time will tell. You will just need to be patient and let nature take its course. Do you have a cuttle bone for her to chew on? That will give her the calcium and other trace minerals that she will need to properly form an egg.

As far as getting poops stuck around her vent feathers, sometimes that does happen and they usually fall off. I would probably only be concerned if the feathers around her vet were stained and messy. From what I can tell from what you have said, it just sounds like she is having normal poops, but they are just getting stuck together and forming a glob. That wouldn't be anything to be too concerned about. However, whenever you are worried about her or any of your other budgies, that would be a good time to bring them to a vet.

Good luck with the budgie mating and let us know how things are going.

[jonathanH]

thank you budgiekin and yes i do find that her poops are much larger than the other budgies and she holds it in for a while like today she pooped bigger than what i usually see and she is acting different she is more protective over her nest box and she has been chewing up everything even the toys in the cage that she never even use to play with so i hope that she will lay and egg soon how long will it take her to lay her first egg if she is showing signs now?? AND YES she does have a cuttle bone and also a mineral block to chew on.

[Budgiekin]

It takes about 2 days for an egg to form, travel down the cloaca and come out. Unfortunately, you can't tell just by looking if your budgie is pregnant - she will not look swollen. You might be able to tell when she's about to lay an egg if you see her straining a bit at the bottom of the cage. I know that when Skyla laid her eggs (infertile), I didn't even see it happen. I just remember looking one day and there was one. A couple of days later, there was another one!!

I don't have experience with budgies and breeding so I can't tell you how long it will take for her to lay an egg if she is showing signs.

[jonathanH]

thx budgiekin are these other signs of being pregnant....... drinking more,eating more,shredding things like toys that were never touched befor,very protective over nest box, big poops, and holding them for a longer time?? are these other signs of being pregnant?? i also noticed her vent is slightly larger and when she bends over i always see poop it isnt stuck to her tho it is still in her (i hope i explained it rite) so do you think these are other signs??

[Budgiekin]

All of the behaviours you mentioned could very well be indicators that she is going to lay eggs, especially her poops being larger and not as frequent. Her vent would likely be larger if she is getting ready to lay eggs as her body would be preparing her for the egg laying.

For your information, it takes approximately 2-3 days after mating for a female budgie to lay her eggs. Then it would be another 3-4 weeks for the eggs to hatch.

It may also just be possible that your girl budgie is really horny (sorry to use that word!). When a girl is feeling frisky, her vent area swells and sort of pulsates. She would also exhibit the behaviours you are talking about (spending time around her nest box, chewing like crazy, becoming interested in things she wasn't interested in before etc.)

Good luck with your girlie budgie and be sure to keep us up to date.

[ETAHoffman]

Hi Jonathan. I've bred parakeets for a long time and have noticed some signs that might help you. First of all, the possibility of your birds breeding is very slim unless you increase the size of your flock. Parakeets are colony birds. The magic number seems to be six. They don't all have to be breeding. You can have one breeding pair and 4 males or 4 females. They just have to be able to hear and see each other to know there is a group. I've experimented with only one pair. Then two. Then three pairs. Bingo.

When my birds are ready to breed, I put the female in the breeding cage first. Alone for a week or so. With the nest box hung. Then, when I know she is used to the cage, I introduce the male. I've actually had experienced birds mate within minutes of being put together. Then, the first egg appears in a couple of days. Then another egg every other day. The eggs require 18 days to incubate.

The hen will remain on the eggs most of the time. She will leave the nest box only to relieve her bowels. Since the matter has accumulated in her body, the mass of fecal matter will be much greater than normal, at this time. Also, possibly, more liquid than normal.

The male will feed the hen all through the laying and incubation period.

Nesting material is not necessary in the nest box. Just try to get a box with a concave bottom. That prevents the eggs rolling away and becoming chilled. You might put a couple of spoonfulls of seed in the box. That will encourage the hen to enter the box and the shells will help prevent the eggs rolling away.

Expect five or six eggs. I had one hen that laid 8 eggs every time. That, of course, was too many chicks for her to raise, so I farmed out three.

Go on the ABS website and you'll find lots of information there.

Hope this helps some.

Tom

[jonathanH]

thx budgiekin and ETHAoffman for the info now tom i have seen my budgies trying to breed befor i saw the male climbing up on the female now i was just wondering if she might be pregnant i have heard it does work better with lots of bird but i think for now until they have babys 3 if enough i really love budgies i was just wondering from that info i put on here befor are those signs of being pregnant??

[jonathanH]

so tom do you think she might be pregnant?

[jonathanH]

anybody know??:S

[Amy]

It sounds as if she is, wait and some eggs might appear soon!

[jonathanH]

no eggs yet!! she still arranges he nest box to the way she likes it tho so can she still be pregnant i have no idea??

[Amy]

She might lay the egg soon but if none are there in a few days she will attempt to mate again.

All this waiting can be annoying can't it!

I'm waiting for Billy and Lily to sucessfully mate.

[jonathanH]

your birds havent mated yet??

[Amy]

Well, they have but, the same as you no eggs yet.

They both visit the nestbox daily and regurgitate loads!

They love their crushed up chicken egg shells, maybe you should try that.

[Joey]

You could det another male or borrow from someone you know , keep the other male beside the cage and let him chirp and whistle this would make the pair interested towards each other budgies ussualy dont live on thier own in the wild ''Australia" and there fore breed in colonies close to each other:) This would possibly encourge the pair to mate. Yes and definitly remove the female like "Bea" said above this could result in a dead female!:(

[jonathanH]

what is i put the female that is in the cage in another cage and make her wistle would that work?? or it needs to be a male??

[jonathanH]

so if there is any more advice on how to breed them it would be appricaiated that you does anyone have anymore ideas??

[Amy]

I don't think that theres much left to say, anyone else think different?

Good luck with your budgies!

[avril]

Jonathon budgies have to be in condition to breed. The females cere will be a choclate brown and the males blue. Give them plenty of good quality seed and fresh water also greens like lettuce as they only use the water mainly for bathing in the wild, they get their fluids from gum leaves and grasses here in Oz.
Also leave them to their own as much as possible while you are trying to breed, also leave the nest box without any nesting material as in the wild budgies nest in tree hollows with no nesting material. Don't handle them too much as this will prevent them mating and it sounds like you are being impatient they will do it in their own good time.
good luck and be patient

[jonathanH]

thx every one now my budgies are loosing lots of feathers i think they are moulting how long does it take them to get out of this because when they moult i heard they wont breed??

[Budgiekin]

Moulting can last anywhere from two to four weeks. And yes, you are right, they likely won't breed when they are moulting as that process (i.e. the moulting) takes a tremendous amount of energy. Also, their nutrient requirements are higher during a moult.

[jonathanH]

http://picture 002

[jonathanH]

i was trying to put images of my budgies but i dont no how can some one tell me thank you??

[Budgiekin]

To post pictures, you'd need to use an image hosting website. I use http://tinypic.com (http://tinypic.com/).

1. Go to the tinypic website and click on the Browse button to choose the picture you wish to use from your computer.

2. Click on the Host Image button. Then wait a bit, until your picture appears near the bottom of the tinypic window.

3. When your picture appears, you should see a bunch of information (Tag, Img, Url and Link). Where it says Img, copy that link (Edit > Copy).

4. Then go back to the Talk Budgies Forum and in your message, paste the IMG information that you copied from the tinypic website.

5. Click on the Preview button to see what your message will look like.

6. If you like what you see, then you can click the Submit button.

You can use the same procedure to post pictures in your signature or journal too. Just paste the Img link right in the spot you want the picture to appear.

Let me know if you have any trouble and I would be happy to help!

[jonathanH]

http://i1.tinypic.com/s47wr4.jpg

this is my female budgie holly that i am trying to breed


http://i1.tinypic.com/s47ww4.jpg


this is my male budgie aqua i am trying to breed him with holly

http://i1.tinypic.com/s47wxf.jpg

this is my other female budgie tweety im pretty sure she is a female anyone else think different?

[jonathanH]

sorry that they sre soo big

[Budgiekin]

No worries Jonathan. I have resized them to 400 pixels by 300 pixels and reposted them for you.

Do you have any software on your computer that you could use to resize them with before using the image hosting website? Something like Microsoft Photo Editor would work and it should come with any Windows Operating System. If you're on a Mac computer, you'd have something as well. If you're not sure, which program do your photos open in when you double click to open any of your jpegs?

[jonathanH]

thx budgiekin anyone think my budgie tweety could be a male??

[Budgie_Birthday]

Sorry no idea! :p

[Budgiekin]

Well, since females have opaque bluish/purpley ceres with pale white rings around their nostrils and males have translucent purpley pink ceres, I would say that it is quite possible that Tweety could be a male. His cere looks more purpley pink to me, but it is hard to tell for sure since the lighting in the photo may be making it look different than what it really is.

[your_only_nightmare]

ill try and do it as a attachment, the website you gave me is slow

[your_only_nightmare]

here, i hope it works, in one of them i think ou can see the white around his beak

[Budgie_Birthday]

Oh nice pics i love them. Your budgie is cute. I can't see the white thingy you were talking about but you still have anice budgie. :p

[your_only_nightmare]

thank you;)

[Budgie_Birthday]

No problem. Its my job to fish for comliments! :p

[jonathanH]

i think my budgie tweety might be sick what do i do??

[Amy]

Well start a new thread on it, this one is getting a bit full!

[Budgie_Birthday]

yes 13 pages wow! :p

[Budgiekin]

Keep Tweety warm and bring your sweetie to an avian vet as soon as possible. And yes, please do start another thread on that topic. I'd like to get some more details from you about what is leading you to believe Tweety is sick. :(

[Amy]

yes 13 pages wow! :p

No! 7 pages! Your settings are different to mine! I have 10 posts to a page.

[Budgie_Birthday]

Oh oops. Is it good to play music to my budgies? I jut got them today and they seem to be calm and enjoying the music! :D

[Budgiekin]

Focus Budgie_birthday and Amy!! We seem to be getting a bit off topic here. . . . :p

[Budgie_Birthday]

Sorry just asking! :)

[Budgiekin]

Don't worry about it Budgie_birthday. We all lose our focus sometimes!! :)

[ETAHoffman]

Jonathan....any luck yet? I've been out of the country on vacation for a week and have just now signed on to try to catch up with things.

Re moulting....do not attempt to breed the birds if either is moulting. (I've never had birds even come into condition while moulting.) The strain on the birds is great at this time. They need as little stress as possible at moulting time.

Have you checked out the American Budgerigar Assn. website? You can find lots of good info there too.

Keep us posted.

Tom (Or, perhaps, I should say Tomas...since I've just returned from a wonderful week in Merida, Mexico!)

[jonathanH]

no no luck yet i am pretty sure they are moulting tho

[jonathanH]

any other info would be good