# Concern about second clutch



## JillGat (Jan 10, 2012)

I feel bad about this, so please be gentle with me. My pair are fairly young (about 2 years) and healthy. They get a varied diet and plenty of exercise. I provided a nest box and they produced and lovingly cared for their four young. When the babies first left the nest and started to eat on their own, I went to remove the nest box and found that the female had laid more eggs. Now I've found homes for the four babies, but I am concerned about the fact that she has not had a rest between clutches. Dad is taking good care of her, feeding her and standing watch outside the nestbox. I've been told there is a risk of egg-binding or other health problems for mom. I'm providing broccoli and other sources of calcium, which dad eats readily and feeds to her. 
Is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*You cannot allow these two budgies to breed again after this clutch. It is much too hard on the female.
What are the adult budgies' names?

The female should be getting a good calcium supplement such as calciboost or calcivet.
What diet are you feeding her? Is she getting pellets, vegetables, a quality seed mix and egg food?

When the eggs in this clutch hatch, the female needs to be removed from the cage as soon as the youngest reaches 3 1/2 weeks old.
Sooner if she shows signs of aggression toward any of the chicks. Move her to an individual cage and put it in a different room.
The Dad will finish caring for the chicks at that point in time until they are fully fledged and weaned.

How many eggs are in this clutch?
Has she stopped laying now?*


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## JillGat (Jan 10, 2012)

The parents are Willy and Luz. They are being fed pellets, greens and fruit, and there is powdered eggs on the food and cuttlebone available. She is now sitting on EIGHT (8) eggs! She is a great mom and Willy is helping out, too. But so many! I have handfeeding formula ready in case I have to help. I will definitely take your advice about removing the mom 3 1/2 weeks after the last has hatched. I've never seen such a large clutch. What are the chances they can raise this many babies on their own?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Your two threads regarding breeding have now been merged.

The diet you've indicated isn't varied enough. Please read the attached information:

Budgie Breeding Conditioning Diet

The mother should have been removed from the cage as soon as the chicks reached 3 1/2 weeks old.

Why didn't you remove her from the cage and dispose of the egg(s) as soon as you realized she started another clutch?
Eggs are not viable until they are incubated for several days so removing her from the cage and disposing of the eggs would have been the best course of action.
The poor female has to be exhausted. 

Are you giving her Calciboost or Calcivet to help replenish the calcium that has been depleted from her body?
Just having a cuttlebone and mineral block will not be enough.

There is no way to now if she will successfully be able to raise another 8 chicks at this point in time.*
*You are definitely going to need to be ready to step in.*
*Do you have any experience in handfeeding chicks?*


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## JillGat (Jan 10, 2012)

Thank you for the info. Yes, I have experience handfeeding chicks.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

FaeryBee has given great advice! I hope everything turns out ok for this clutch. Please let us know how things progress!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hand Feeding and Weaning Guide*

*Please let us know in this thread how things progress with your clutch.*


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