# Upset she's possibly older than him



## lovemeabudgie (Jun 24, 2019)

Hi all, I'm just speaking my heart here. I recently got two budgies home as a pair to bond and grow old together. It's been about 2 weeks. I was told both were around 4 months. When I got them home I realised (rather felt) the hen was much older say 6+. I checked with the breeder I purchased them from and he said that she is definitely not older than 4 months, realistically 3 months. She's very difficult and always squawks on top of her voice while the male is cute and seems to not know much so comes to me or else runs away because she won't let him. But the bigger problem for me is that she is older. I feel really bad that I am trying to bond a small baby to an older (cere starting to turn brown) female. I want to take her back but in my heart I will feel guilty and I don't know how much has he bonded to her. Additionally it's a 1+ hour trip back and forth and I don't know if I should take it. I am really upset that she's older and would really like some advice if I should get a younger one for my baby. I don't want to torture him
Here is a pic of them together:


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Budgies of different ages can get along just fine so do not let that concern you. The difference in behavior may be due to her hormones and if she is coming into breeding condition, she may be a little more aggressive than what she would otherwise be, or it could just be her personality. Keep a close watch on their interactions and if she is becoming too aggressive to the point of injuring or bullying the other bird you will need to separate them.


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## Obsidian (Jun 12, 2019)

Hens can often be bossy and loud, its just how they are. If you aren't planning on breeding, maybe you could trade her for another male.
A pair of males will bond just fine and you won't have to worry about a hormonal female, unwanted breeding or egg laying.

A age difference isn't a issue with budgies.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The age difference between the two budgies is nothing you need to be concerned about.
Cody has given you good information with regard to watching the female's personality. 
You will need to make sure she isn't overly aggressive or bullying toward the male. 
If she is, then they will need to be housed separately.

Additionally, since you have a mixed gender pair, you are going to need to do everything possible to prevent breeding behaviors.

A Heartfelt Plea to All Members
Guidance regarding Breeding Advice Threads

Rearranging their cage frequently, and limiting the light they get to 8 hours a day will help tremendously. Please be sure you never put a nest box or anything that could be used as a nesting site in their cage.

When they come into condition, limit the amount of protein in their diet at that time. *


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## Ditta (May 19, 2013)

I don’t think your hen is as old as you think she is, I can still see the faint barring on her head so I doubt she is much older than 4 months old. Maybe she is just a precocious teenager!


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## lovemeabudgie (Jun 24, 2019)

Cody said:


> Budgies of different ages can get along just fine so do not let that concern you. The difference in behavior may be due to her hormones and if she is coming into breeding condition, she may be a little more aggressive than what she would otherwise be, or it could just be her personality. Keep a close watch on their interactions and if she is becoming too aggressive to the point of injuring or bullying the other bird you will need to separate them.


I don't think I am worried about how she treats him. He even bites and pulls her feet and she is quite patient  They are always running behind each other. But she causes a lot of discomfort to our ears due to the noise she creates. 
I guess I was hoping since I want them to breed together that she should be smaller than him or at least the same age :sad:
Or am I just overthinking it? Everytime I see her looking bigger than him I get upset.


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## lovemeabudgie (Jun 24, 2019)

Obsidian said:


> Hens can often be bossy and loud, its just how they are. If you aren't planning on breeding, maybe you could trade her for another male.
> A pair of males will bond just fine and you won't have to worry about a hormonal female, unwanted breeding or egg laying.
> 
> A age difference isn't a issue with budgies.


I am planning to breed in future...


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## lovemeabudgie (Jun 24, 2019)

FaeryBee said:


> *The age difference between the two budgies is nothing you need to be concerned about.
> Cody has given you good information with regard to watching the female's personality.
> You will need to make sure she isn't overly aggressive or bullying toward the male.
> If she is, then they will need to be housed separately.
> ...


Thank you. I think I just have it in my head about how the age difference that's acceptable to me. 
Yes I am not going to add a nest to the cage before a year and as of yet don't have anything around they can use as nest. Want to be careful myself not to encorage any egg laying before both of them turn 1.


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## lovemeabudgie (Jun 24, 2019)

Ditta said:


> I don't think your hen is as old as you think she is, I can still see the faint barring on her head so I doubt she is much older than 4 months old. Maybe she is just a precocious teenager!


Actually she's almost always puffed up probably why she looks older. The only time she isn't is when they are both flying around the room and that's when she looks about the same age. She was moulting when I brought her home but now she isn't so maybe that would help guessing her age? I don't think the male has moulted yet. He's always sitting with his wings away from his body.
Also, she doesn't have any bars :mellow:
Attaching top view images.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Why are you planning to breed your budgies in the future?

Most budgies are happiest and healthiest never being bred.

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.

I recommend you remove the wooden dowel perch in the cage and replace it with natural wooden perches of varying diameters to help prevent pressure sores.

Pressure Sores

The information in this link will give examples of better options for perches:

Essentials for a Great Cage

*


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## Ditta (May 19, 2013)

lovemeabudgie said:


> Actually she's almost always puffed up probably why she looks older. The only time she isn't is when they are both flying around the room and that's when she looks about the same age. She was moulting when I brought her home but now she isn't so maybe that would help guessing her age? I don't think the male has moulted yet. He's always sitting with his wings away from his body.
> Also, she doesn't have any bars :mellow:
> Attaching top view images.


Right, because I mixed up your male and female budgie like and idiot. Teach me to post advice when I'm sleep deprived!!! My apologies...


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## Obsidian (Jun 12, 2019)

lovemeabudgie said:


> I was hoping since I want them to breed together that she should be smaller than him or at least the same age :sad:
> Or am I just overthinking it? Everytime I see her looking bigger than him I get upset.


You are overthinking it and I'm not sure why you would want her small. She has to make eggs, you want her to be big and healthy. A tiny petite female could get egg bound.

If the breeder gave you her age, believe them, there is no reason to lie. One of my girls is bigger then the others, all hatched the same month. It natural to have some variation in size.

Females scream more then males, replacing her won't help with that. The noise is part of owning birds.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*By your thinking the female needs to be smaller than or the same age as the male indicates you have a great deal to learn with regard to budgies and the best practices in caring for them for their optimum health and well-being.

Again, I would like to know exactly why you want to breed your budgies in the future.*


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Please take Deborah’s post above to heart. There is so much more to breeding than meets the eye. Although it’s a natural process, it is hard on the hens body. 
There is so much that can, and commonly does go wrong. Where are your birds from? Do you know that they are from a lineage which is genetically hardy and long lived? It’s unfortunately common these days to find budgies with less than ideal genetics, leading to potential weaknesses in health, and shortened lifespans. 

What are your reasons for wanting to breed your budgies?


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there, 

As mentioned above, the fact that you're confused at your female's size indicates you are in no way ready to breed your budgies. There is no reason to do so and if you choose to pursue breeding without doing the proper research, you will put your budgies' lives at risk. 

Please understand, we are trying to do the best we can to help you ensure your budgies' health and happiness :thumbsup:


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