Are my budgies trying to breed?

[Caytee1996]

Hi guys, first I DON'T have breeding box attached to their cage, they are simply too young and still on antibiotics to feel better (I posted about frostbite earlier) . I'm not sure of the exact age of my budgies (budgies in pic), however I'm fairly sure they are younger then a year..

I noticed them acting strangely today... It started with synyster (yellow) walking forwards and backwards on the perch and frostbite copying him almost in sync. Frostbite is also preening synyster and vice versa. Synyster has also been feeding her and they keep doing something that looks like they are knocking their beaks together and then suddenly she tries to nip him?? Is this normal??

When I looked up their behaviour it came up with breeding posts. I would seperate them but frostbite has the tendency to starve herself.

When her friend before synyster went missing she didn't touch her food for the rest of the day and most of the next and because extremely aggressive towards me, until I got a new budgie and she went back to her almost normal self.

Is this a sign they are going to mate?
What's a way I can prevent it that doesn't involve moving one? - due to the way frostbite acts and because the vet said to keep them together as the treatment would be easier and it would put less stress on her.
How old are they?
What breed are they?

 

[karen256]

I would say they are just bonding, not necessarily trying to breed. It may or may not lead to breeding.
There are a few ways you can discourage breeding. First of all, don't provide them with anything that looks like a nest site - no nest box, no food dish large enough to fit into, no cage paper to burrow under (use a grate if they try to burrow) ect. and don't let them explore cupboards or other dark enclosed places when they are out. Secondly, you can try reducing the daylight they get by covering them up with a dark cage cover at night so they get 12 hours of dark. Finally, since budgies are native to a dry climate, an abundance of water can be a breeding trigger as well. While you obviously want to give them all the water they want to drink, sometimes cutting back on baths or misting a little bit can help.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Birds don't just mate the first time they meet. They form a bond first, and the cock is required to secure food and feed the female to show he can find food for the babies when she is tied up sitting on the chicks and the unhatched eggs. Many people think birds are like dogs and jump on one another at the drop of a hat. Not so. The cock has to convince the hen to stand still while he climbs on her back and gets his vent under her tail and against her vent. Hens have a lot of control and power when it comes to mating in the bird world.

My cockatiels hen, Gracie, lost her mate when they both turned eleven years old. She was not interested in any of the cocks in the room except the new and lonely lovebird cock, Harley. Gracie allowed Harley to treat her like a mate and did everything EXCEPT allow him to actually mate with her. It was hilarious watching Harley sidle over to her, get one food on her back...then the other foot...then stand on her back and start sliding his tail down her side...... That is when Gracie would shake him off and fly away. Poor Harley.

 

[Caytee1996]

They've been in together for 4 months and never displayed this behaviour towards each other. So I was quite confused.

 

[Beanurita]

I agree with what the others have said. Plus your 2 look to be pretty young still. You can also watch the female cere for color changes that will happen when a female is ready to breed. It will become a darker "than" color and sometimes even look "crusty". The males cere change to an even brighter blue color. Even though they have been together for 4 months they may not have bonded till now.....birds can be friendly with each other without bonding and with yours being young they may not have "felt" the need to bond before now........

 

[Lady Jane]

You can find videos on you tube of this. Your birds are really pretty.

 

[Caytee1996]

Thank you Lady Jane
And thank you everyone else.