# Nesting



## afreiwald (Aug 19, 2021)

Hi! I have 4 budgies. 2 male, 2 female. There is a bonded pair but they have all accepted eachother into their flock. The pair mated last week for the first time (that I’ve seen). They have a coconut hut inside that they LOVE and have had a nesting box attached to the outside of the cage for the same amount of time. The hen prefers the coconut and has been spending more time in there but I am concerned about the size/space. Should I remove the coconut altogether? There is also a little half circle bed attached to the side of the cage that she is in frequently. Should I remove all possible nesting spots and only keep the nesting box?
Also- I have seen mixed answers on nesting bedding. Some say that they will create their own with their feathers etc. others say to use materials. What is the best option?


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

Welcome to TalkBudgies!

So, right-off, you should remove _any kind_ of nesting spots. This includes nest boxes, huts, coconut shells, etc.
For the health and well-being of your flock, you want to discourage breeding, rather than actively encourage it.

Budgies that breed are very oftentimes not the best pets. Even the most social and lovable budgies can turn into tiny terrors when they are used for breeding purposes.
In addition to all of the behavioral changes that come from hormonal activity, it's not great for the hen's health to breed either.

So. It's in their best interest to ditch all breeding encouragement as soon as possible.

And as you obviously have a mixed gender flock, you need to actively do things to prevent breeding behavior.
This can include, but is not limited to:

Frequently re-arranging their cage
Limiting protein in diets when they are in breeding condition
Reducing light exposure when they are in breeding condition
Redirecting any energy that they seem to want to put into breeding behavior toward other efforts, like training and playing with toys

If you find that none of this seems to help, your best bet is to separate them by gender into different cages. You can cage them near each other so that they can still talk-to and see each other, but all of their out-of-cage interactions would need to be closely supervised to make sure that no breeding behavior occurs. That, or they simply get different periods of out-of-cage time so that they can't directly interact.

Please take a look at the "stickies" posted in each of the topic areas for a wealth of knowledge.
Here are a few to get you started!

Breeders over Pet Stores

Is My Bird Healthy?
Yes, Your Bird Needs to See a Vet

Please Don’t Breed Your Birds
Coffee & Toast, Hold the Eggs

Clicker Training
Positive Reinforcement

Safe Foods
Seed on the Side


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*

*Spicy has given you EXCELLENT information.

You should not be allowing your budgies to mate.
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.

A Heartfelt Plea to All Members
Tips For Discouraging Breeding
Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies
Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads

You need to remove the nest box and any other things such as the coconut hut which can be used as a nesting site.

The very best thing you can do at this point in time is separate the two males into a different cage than the two females.
Limit all of the budgies' daylight hours to no more than 8 hours per day.
Rearrange everything in the cages every couple of days.*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
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*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.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
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.*

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