# I have a pregnant budgie and need help with nesting.



## Miraculousbirdmom

I normally don't have a nest in the cage since my other birds take interest in it and chew on the sides of it. But one of my birds cleared out the food bowl and had her first egg in it. I just got a nest and I am unsure about transferring the egg to the nest because I don't want the mother to abandon it. Does anyone know what I should do? Please help!!!


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## PoukieBear

Since you are not prepared or knowledgeable in how to properly and safely breed budgies, my advise is to remove the egg and the nest box and do not let your budgies raise a clutch of chicks. 

Breeding budgies is not as easy, fun, or full of sunshine and rainbows as you would like to think it is. There is a LOT that you need to learn and prepare for in order to have a successful clutch of healthy chicks, and parents at the end of it.

Please remove the nest, remove the egg, and any others that she may lay.

Here is a document I have made for my clients to help them reduce the changes of egg laying. Hopefully it copy/pastes ok here.

How to prevent breeding and egg laying.


*Reduce Daylight Hours.*
Cover the cage so your bird(s) only gets 8 hours of daylight per day.
Why? Budgies naturally breed in the summertime when days are longer. This allows them more time to forage for food to feed their growing clutch of chicks. By reducing daylight hours, you will also reduce hormones that trigger a bird wanting to breed.


*Do not Overfeed.*
Do not completely fill up your bird(s) food dish, or feed high fat/high protein foods.
Why? Budgies naturally breed when food is plentiful and easy to find. Budgies only need 1.5 teaspoons of seed per day. The rest of their diet should be vegetables and pellets.


*Re-arrange the cage frequently.*
Move perches, rotate toys, rearrange ladders and swings, move food and water dishes. You can even move the entire cage to a new location in your house if you have the space to do so.
Why? Budgies will only want to breed when they feel safe and comfortable and have a stable environment. By changing things up frequently, you can reduce the chances of breeding behaviour.


*Remove any potential nesting spots.*
Make sure there are no nest box, coconut shells, happy huts, grass baskets, pottery bowls, or anything else that is not meant for a budgie’s cage that could be mistaken for a nesting spot.
Why? Budgies can be opportunistic breeders and may use items that you think are unlikely nesting spots.


*Do not stroke or pet your budgie’s back, wings, rump.*
If you want to touch your budgie, give it some loving scritches at the head and neck area. You need to avoid stroking your budgie’s back.
Why? Stroking a budgie’s back is like molesting your bird. It’s part of the mating process and should be avoided at all costs.


*Separate Male and Female birds.*
Place your male and female birds in their own respective cages, or use a cage divider to separate them.
Why? If they can’t mate, they can’t breed.


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## ozgurco

isn't it natural for birds to lay egg and feed and take care of their baby birds?


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## Cody

Not always the case, they can be abandoned and even sometimes killed.


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## ozgurco

i see.. isn't it also occur in nature?


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## Cody

Yes it does.


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## PoukieBear

Just because it's "natural" doesn't mean that we should allow it to happen in our homes. There are many many MANY things you need to consider before allowing your birds to breed.

Here is a list of things you need to think of before you even CONSIDER breeding.

*1).* *Are your birds proper breeding age?* (Older than 1 year, but younger than 4 years old.)
- Breeding birds that are not the appropriate age will lead to issues/death of your birds and/or chicks.

*2). Has each bird been vet checked and given a FULL bill of clean health?*
- It is extremely important to only breed strong and healthy birds with no health issues that can be passed down to the chicks.

*3). Are your birds on a good healthy diet? One that consists of pellets, seeds, fresh veggies, fruit, fresh sprouts, high calcium and protein? *
- It’s important to have your birds eating a good diet BEFORE breeding. This will help keep their weight and energy up during the breeding process, and these good eating habits will be passed down to their chicks.

*4). Do you have a proper breeding cage? *
- A breeding cage needs to have enough space, natural perches, and a side door to attach a nest box on the OUTSIDE of the cage.

*5). Do you have a proper nest box?*
- A nest box needs to be mounted on the outside of the cage, it needs a concave bottom, and it needs to have easy access to be cleaned out DAILY.

*6). Do you have proper nesting material? *
- Pine or aspen wood shavings are proper nesting materials and they help keep the nest dry and clean. Wood shavings need to be replaced every day to help keep the nest sanitary for the chicks.

*7). Do you recognize the signs of egg binding?*
- Egg binding is a serious concern for a hen. It is an emergency situation and needs vet care immediately. It is a terrible and painful way for a hen to die.

*8). Do you have an avian vet nearby in case of egg binding or complications with the chicks?*
- Knowing where your avian vet is located is very important before breeding. You don’t want to be frantically searching for one if you are in the middle of an emergency with your birds.

*9). If the hen rejects her chicks, do you have the ability to take time off work/school/extracurricular activities/social events? *
- Chicks will need to be fed every 2-3 hours until they are weaned. This can take 4-6 WEEKS! I've even had chicks take up to 12 weeks to properly wean. You can not skip feedings, you can not delay feedings, you can not forget feedings. Your chicks lives are entirely depending on you, so you must be willing to put your own life on hold until they are grown.

*10). Do you have someone (preferably a vet) to teach you how to hand feed if the parents reject the chicks?*
-This is very delicate work and a chick can easily aspirate and die if you don’t know what you are doing.

*11). Do you have a place to set up a brood box or an incubator if you have to take the young from the parents?

12). Do you have emergency hand feeding supplies?*
- Incubator, high quality formula, syringes, spoons, thermometer, digital scale, ect.

*13). Do you have the expendable income to afford supplies?*
- If you can’t afford to purchase these items BEFORE breeding, then don’t breed!

*14). If you’re a minor, do you have a support system behind you that is willing to pay for the cost of breeding supplies, vet visits, emergency supplies?*
- Parents must be willing to help pay for anything that your breeding birds may need. If you’re parents are not willing to pay, then don’t breed!

*15). If the hen starts to attack her chicks (this happens more often than you think) do you have a separate cage for her?*
- If a hen wants to start a new clutch while she still has chicks in the nest, she will start to attack them and will need to be removed from the breeding cage before she kills them.

*16). Do you have a large weaning cage for the chicks when they start exploring outside the nest box?*
- Chicks will need to have a large cage with lots of natural perches, toys, foraging toys, and a wide variety of foods to try. This is an important time in a chick’s life where they learn how to be a budgie. They learn how to perch, fly, forage, acrobatics, ect.

*17). Do you have homes lined up for your chicks?*
- Depending on your location, it may be difficult to find homes for all your chicks.

*18). Do you have space to keep all the chicks in your home?*
- If you can’t find homes for your chicks, are you willing to keep them in your own home, in appropriate size cages?

*19).* *If a chick doesn’t work out in its new home, are you willing and able to accept it back into your home?*
- Sometimes new owners decide that having a budgie just isn’t for them and may want to return the bird back to the breeder. If you can’t accept the bird back, it will likely end up in a rescue, the SPCA, or even worse.

*20). Are you prepared for potential heartbreak?*
-Because “bad stuff happens”, even to the best breeders with lots of experience. You can easily loose the chicks and the parents if you are not prepared for the worst.


If you cannot firmly answer YES to all of these questions... DO NOT BREED YOUR BIRDS!

Budgies are living, breathing and feeling creatures and theinability to provide the best possible environment will harm them and any other birds you bring into the world.


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## FaeryBee

*Please follow the advice you've been given by PoukieBear.
Keep in mind that the egg is not viable until it has been incubated for several days so you are not "killing" a chick.

Before breeding any species, it is important to learn as much about the animals, their personalities and the best practices to follow for responsible and ethical breeding prior to making the commitment to take on the responsibility. This requires extensive research and an openness to continual learning.

Please do everything necessary to prevent any future breeding.

Additionally, 
Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.

These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.*

*SITE GUIDELINES*

*List of Stickies*

*Posting on the Forums*

*Let's Talk Budgies!*

*FAQ*

*Articles*

*Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*

*Avian First Aid*

*Quarantine IS Necessary!*

*A heartfelt plea to forum members new and old*

*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*

*Cage sizes.*

*Essentials to a Great Cage*

*Resource Directory*


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