Before I breed my birds/questions I need answered

[Bunchobird]

Hello, I have their Nest box shipping to my house within this week.

I will attach a photo of my pair, The male and female have recently (within the last 6 months) become sexually mature, both been vet checked and have gotten a thumbs up to proceed!

I was thinking for their first clutch, I Don't know if they will make good parents (lol) so i bought some dummy eggs and was thinking to replace all eggs but two so that i don't hatch out 8 and them abandon them. I don't want to be stuck hand-feeding 8 babies. I have prior hand-feeding experience with finches but it is SO hard! Is this a smart idea or just let nature take it's course if they abandon them?

Any other breeding tips? Bedding to use? What do i do if my female won't stop laying after she has her clutch? What foods are calcium enriched? How to encourage breeding? take the eggs out to candle or not (asking since it will be her first clutch)? is candling budgie eggs not good in general? Ways to control aggressive behaviour if changing food and water becomes an issue? How to encourage successful mating? dietary supplements to use (powder or liquid form) to enhance crop milk? When should babies fledge, and if they don't what to do? After raising her clutch, if she doesn't stop laying, what can I do to prevent egg laying and sexual behavior?

Any other things that I need to know before I breed and may make me change my mind (other than the fact that it is a big responsibility, and takes time, money, and effort).

sorry for so many questions, I am trying to be the best prepared I can.

You don't have to have answers to them all to answer!

 

[AussieBird]

You sound like you've put more thought into this then most who come here wanting to breed their budgies.
This in my opinion is a must read for future budgie breeders.

There is a LOT that goes into breeding Budgies, and you need to do your research before you even begin to think about breeding them. Just because they are small and sometimes inexpensive, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the same attention, dedication, and hard work that it takes to breed show dogs, rare cats, or even prized race horses.

We don't need more backyard “breeders” in this world. And I use the term “breeder” loosely here, because most of these people don't even know how to sex their own birds, don’t know anything about genetics or mutations, or simply don’t know what to do in an emergency breeding situation.

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! 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 “shizz happens”, even to the best breeders. 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!

I can probably answer some of those questions but I feel @Zara will be able to do it better

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

Hello, I have their Nest box shipping to my house within this week.

I will attach a photo of my pair, The male and female have recently (within the last 6 months) become sexually mature, both been vet checked and have gotten a thumbs up to proceed!

I was thinking for their first clutch, I Don't know if they will make good parents (lol) so i bought some dummy eggs and was thinking to replace all eggs but two so that i don't hatch out 8 and them abandon them. I don't want to be stuck hand-feeding 8 babies. I have prior hand-feeding experience with finches but it is SO hard! Is this a smart idea or just let nature take it's course if they abandon them?

Any other breeding tips? Bedding to use? What do i do if my female won't stop laying after she has her clutch? What foods are calcium enriched? How to encourage breeding? take the eggs out to candle or not (asking since it will be her first clutch)? is candling budgie eggs not good in general? Ways to control aggressive behaviour if changing food and water becomes an issue? How to encourage successful mating? dietary supplements to use (powder or liquid form) to enhance crop milk? When should babies fledge, and if they don't what to do? After raising her clutch, if she doesn't stop laying, what can I do to prevent egg laying and sexual behavior?

Any other things that I need to know before I breed and may make me change my mind (other than the fact that it is a big responsibility, and takes time, money, and effort).

sorry for so many questions, I am trying to be the best prepared I can.

You don't have to have answers to them all to answer!
View attachment 422370

I'll answer some but @Zara can definitely answer these

How to encourage breeding?
Nest boxes encourage breeding

Take the eggs out to candle or not (asking since it will be her first clutch)? is candling budgie eggs not good in general?
It's fine to candle the eggs but try to wait until the female isn't in the nest box

After raising her clutch, if she doesn't stop laying, what can I do to prevent egg laying and sexual behavior?
Take out the nest box and extend the dark time

What foods are calcium enriched?
Eggs are high in protein

 

[Bunchobird]

I'm trying to plan as well as I possibly can and i know some things i will just have to learn, but as prepped as i can be is going to be my ideal.

Thank you for the reading material. I can answer no to only one of those things, FULL proper diet, which i'm trying to get to a stable place for a good period of time before breeding.

 

[AussieBird]

I'm trying to plan as well as I possibly can and i know some things i will just have to learn, but as prepped as i can be is going to be my ideal.

Thank you for the reading material. I can answer no to only one of those things, FULL proper diet, which i'm trying to get to a stable place for a good period of time before breeding.

I really appreciate that you are so willing to learn. Have you done much reading here on AA? I know I have at least two other breeding related bookmarks I will share for you.
Also is getting a breeder mentor an option for you? Having someone with years of experience who'll be able to help you with everything is a valuable tool!

 

[Bunchobird]

Iv'e done some reading around AA. I would love the bookmarks! I have looked for a breeding mentor, but I unfortunately think it may not be an option due to the closest ethical Parrot breeder OF ANY SUBSPECIES is 8 hours away. I am still constantly trying, but the closest breeder is a 15 yr old unethical breeder.

 

[AussieBird]

Both the threads these quotes are from have more good posts, so go read the threads when you can.
(you can do that by clicking the yellow words at the top of the quote)

Hopefully no you will not. Why, because people give up on their birds often and need other caring homes. Adopt can be a better choice for a bird's welfare.


Many pet bird owners, at least once or twice, entertain ideas of allowing their pets to have a family. While having a nest full of adorable chirping babies may seem like a great idea at times, owners should know what they're getting into when they choose to breed their birds and should take several key issues into consideration before rushing out to buy their bird a mate.


Being a Successful Bird Breeder Requires Four Key Components

• Time
• Money
• Knowledge
• Dedication

If you can't provide all of that and more, then it's best to refrain from breeding. Do you have money set aside to use in case of an emergency? Do you know what to do if your hen becomes eggbound? Can you hand feed a tiny baby bird with a syringe, on a schedule, without giving him crop burn or worse? When you choose to breed birds, you are essentially taking responsibility for the lives of the hen and any potential babies. If all four of those key breeding components aren't in place, the result can be deadly.



Your Relationship With Your Bird
A big issue to take into consideration is your relationship with your pet bird. Many times a bird who takes a mate becomes less interested in his "human flock". Are you willing to risk giving up your bond with your bird to raise a clutch of babies? Many bird owners find that for them, the answer is a resounding NO.


Can You Accommodate a Breeding Operation?
Another issue to ponder is whether or not you have the space to accommodate a breeding operation. Supplies you will need include nest boxes, extra cages, an incubator, and a brooder, just to name a few. If you don't have the room to house these items, breeding is pretty much out of the question.


Take Valuable Advice From Experts
While just these points may seem overwhelming, the truth is that we haven't even scratched the surface of everything that it takes to be a good bird breeder. For this reason, most bird owners decide that it's best to leave breeding to the professionals and just enjoy their pet's companionship.


However, if you think you have what it takes to be a breeder, and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices, the best thing to do is talk your decision over with your avian vet before beginning the process. He or she will be able to offer valuable advice and will make sure that your birds are in proper breeding condition.

Are you ready to breed?

So you want to breed. I get it, trust me. Baby birds are adorable, you get to see the circle of life and provide your friends with beautiful birds. Plus it seems like you could make some money. I’m not writing this to dissuade you from breeding, I’m writing this so that you can know for sure whether or not you are ready to breed. Let’s go over the basics:

1. Obviously, you are going to need two birds, one male and one female, of the same species. These birds need to be unrelated and in the right age range. They also have to be bonded strongly.
   1. Do you know for sure that you have one male and one female? Most birds cannot be sexed visually. For these you should get a DNA test or surgical sexing done. You cannot be sure of their sex by how they act. Obviously, if a bird lays an egg it is a female, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the other bird is male, unless the egg is fertile.
   2. While it may be impossible to know for sure, you should do some research to make sure that the birds are not related.
   3. The prime age range for breeding depends on the species. I cannot think of any parrots that should ever be bred before 1 year old.
   4. Bonded birds eat together, sleep together and preen each other. There are plenty of birds that like each other but are not bonded. If that’s the case, they won’t breed well.
   5. With some species you have to be sure that the mutations are a good pair. For example, graywing linnies should not be bred together.
   6. Have the parents been tested for avian diseases or examined by a vet?
2. Cages, cages, cages.
   1. The breeding cage does not have to be large if the birds will only be there for the breeding season. If they are there year-round, then the cage should be pretty large.
   2. You should have a cage ready for the babies when they get older. You cannot keep them with the parents as this may cause jealousy and incest.
   3. Some birds find it difficult to stop breeding once started and must be separated. In this case you need at least 1 flight cage for the males and 1 for the females.
   4. The breeding cage must be easy to clean and have a nestbox hole. The nestbox hole should be at the top of the cage. If it does not have a hole you may have to cut one for them. It must be easy to clean because birds that sit on eggs or chicks only come out twice a day to stretch and poop, and these poops are massive and stinky.
3. Food
   1. Most species of breeding birds should be on a high-quality pellet diet year-round. Some breeders switch to a high energy breeder-pellet during breeding season, but others don’t. Birds who do not eat pellets will need supplements, especially calcium. The number one cause of egg-binding is poor nutrition.
   2. High-quality vegetables along with some fruit should be fed daily.
   3. Fresh, clean water should be available always. Depending on where you live, tap water may or may not be acceptable.
   4. If you plan on hand-feeding you must have formula on hand.
4. Clean environment. Baby birds have almost no immune system, so everything from the parent’s cage to the hand-feeding equipment should be kept extremely clean. This will involve the use of a disinfectant. F10 is the best, but there are some others on the market.
5. Other breeding gear
   1. Nest boxes. The kind you want depends on the bird. Make sure the box is a good fit for the species. Nest boxes work best when they attach outside the cage. I always get 1 extra box so I can swap them when the first one gets too gross. Do not plan on re-using wooden nest boxes.
   2. Bedding. Use dust-free aspen shavings. Buy more than you think you will need.
   3. Incubator. This is optional, only if you plan on incubating eggs. I do not own one.
   4. Brooder. You can make your own with an aquarium and a heating pad, but it will not suffice for very young chicks, who require constant temperatures in the high 90s. In that case you will need a professional brooder which starts at around $250.
   5. Disinfectant. You are going to use a ton of disinfectant, because chicks have almost no immune system. F10 is the best.
   6. Syringes/spoon/pipettes. However you choose to feed, you should have extra ready. I use syringes for older birds and pipettes for very young birds.
   7. Instant thermometer for formula. Formula should ideally be around 101 degrees F, no more then 105 degrees F.
   8. First-aid kit. It should have stypic powder, vet wrap, gauze, and electrolyte solution.
6. KNOWLEDGE. This is the most important and most overlooked step of them all. You are dealing with living organisms here, do your research. Not on facebook. Not on random untrustworthy websites. I don’t even know why you’re reading this right now. Honestly, if you can’t be bothered to read a few books, you shouldn’t be breeding. Some of these books can be found used or downloaded as e-books. Here are some suggestions (remember, not all breeders agree on everything and older information should be taken with a grain of salt):
   1. Hand-Rearing Birds-Second Edition by Laurie J. Gage DVM and Rebecca Duerr DVM.
   2. Parrots: Hand Feeding & Nursery Management by Howard Voren and Rick Jacobs
   3. The Parrot Breeder’s Answer Book by Gayle A. Soucek.
   4. The Parrot University Website: The Parrot University, llc It has great articles and I recommend you read all of them.
   5. The HARI youtube channel: Hagen Avicultural Research Institute Yes, they are promoting Tropican brand products, but these videos also contain a wealth of practical knowledge from one of the premier parrot research and breeding facilities in the world.
7. Decisions to make before breeding. Have a firm answer to each one of these questions before you breed.
   1. Do you plan on allowing the birds to sit on the eggs, or will you pull them and incubate them artificially? If you choose to do so, you will need a high-quality incubator with humidity control. Most incubators are meant for poultry and can break parrot eggs with their automatic turning. Artificial incubation is NOT for beginners.
   2. If you allow the parents to sit on the eggs, will you also allow them to feed the chicks, or will you hand-feed the chicks? If so, at what age will you pull them for hand-feeding?
   3. If the parents do not feed the chicks or even kill them, are you willing to pull day 1 chicks and handfeed every 90 minutes around the clock? Or will you let nature take its course? If you choose to pull, you should have all the hand-feeding gear on hand regardless of whether you plan to let the parents rear or not.
   4. Are you able and willing to take birds (breeders and chicks) to the vet if there is an emergency? Is there a limit to how much you can spend?
   5. What are you going to do with the chicks? Pet store? Online ads? Friends and family? You can’t keep them all.
   6. Are you ok with making very little or no money once you factor in all the costs (especially surprise vet bills)? You may even lose money. This is not a guarantee, but neither is making money.
8. Don’t plan on just breeding your birds once, just to see what it’s like. Birds who have bred and are bonded will want to keep breeding as long as they can if conditions are sufficient. Plus, pets who breed change. They won’t be your sweet baby, at least not while they’re on eggs or chicks. And even afterwards they won’t be as interested in you.
9. Time. Breeding is hard work. It’s a lot of cleaning and preparing food and then not feeding it fast enough so the food gets cold so you have to remake it. Many, myself included, find it rewarding and worth it but you must have the time. If babies need to be fed every three hours, are you able to do that seven days a week? If not, who will feed them? Feeding babies is not intuitive so don’t expect random friends or family members to do it.
10. Many people believe that you should have a mentor who is a breeder so that you can see and practice these things firsthand, handfeeding especially. This is very valuable and is preferable. I personally wouldn’t despair if you can’t find someone, though.

My suggestion is that if you do not have everything on the checklist, or cannot sufficiently answer the questions, you should take a breath and consider waiting to breed. I know that you have good intentions, but good intentions alone don’t keep baby birds alive. Hard work, dedication, quality supplies, knowledge, access to vet care and sometimes money keep baby birds alive.

tl;dr: no. Go back and read everything.

 

[Bunchobird]

Hmm, Of course I considered funds, but not how much I have to spend on one clutch if something goes wrong... I was thinking $500-700 USD ( some people aren't in the US lol). Do I need to plan for more? Is Pedialyte a good electrolyte solution? I forgot to ask how often to change the bedding? I have technically 3 cages, I have a 3 story EX- ferret cage (lol) and can separate easily by blocking the stairs and tying down, for separation is this a good idea? I have a separate flight cage too, in the attic.. which i will prep when it gets time to breed.

OBVIOUSLY, i don't have the knowledge part down Thats why i'm here!

Please tag any other breeders (ethical and responsible ofc) you know of if u can!

 

[Kiwi's Dad]

@BrianB @Matto @Laurie are all breeders

 

[BrianB]

I don't breed budgies personally, but we do breed them at the store. Let me see if I can catch as much of this as possible.

Diet - additional protein and calcium are great during the breeding season and the boost in protein will encourage breeding. Egg food, which is basically dried scrambled eggs is great for them. You can feed them scrambled eggs yourself and if you crush the shells up very fine and add them to it they will get both protein and calcium. Don't fry them in butter. Use the microwave or a stainless steel skillet to cook them. Don't use pre-packaged scrambled egg products. Who knows what may have been added for stability and preservation? Any fresh dark leafy green veggie is good for them as well. Kale, broccoli, spinach, arugula, and such are all great. I have no use for kale myself, but my birds love it. You can try mustard and turnip greens, but they don't seem to last long when you buy them prepackaged and a day or two after opening them they get slimy and smell bad. Fresh is always best.

Bedding - I prefer aspen for the nest box. One of my pairs of African Greys will only use the paper pellet bedding that you might use for a rodent. They won't use a nest box with aspen in it. Shredded pine had oils in it that can cause respiratory issues for some birds. However, pine also has a natural anti-bacterial property to it, and is more absorbent and softer, so it can be a balancing act between the two. We've had good luck in the brooder box, but would never use it in a nest box due to the lack of ventilation. Our previous hand feeder changed the bedding in the box 3 times a day, but there were times when she had 20+ babies to deal with, and keeping it as clean as possible was very important. When it comes to shredded aspen make sure you run your hands through it and feel for hard spikes that weren't broken up well. I had a conure bleed out on me because it got punctured by a sharp piece of aspen. Now I run my hands through it to make sure there aren't any hard and sharp pieces. We use aspen for budgies in the brooder the owner might add some pine to it if she feels she needs the anti-bacterial properties.

Continual breeding - budgies seem to be baby-making machines and they will breed non-stop if you let them. One clutch, maybe two if they have sufficient time to rest between them. If the female keeps going at it, then separate the pair and keep her out of sight of the male. Keep the cage away from a window and put her on a set schedule of light and dark. This should help break the egg-laying cycle. If this is their first breeding ever, then it's important to go into it with the right expectations. The first clutch for most parrots is usually a disaster. They don't know what they are doing or their instincts are fully developed. They may lay eggs but not have the motivation to incubate them. They may lay, and incubate, but not understand that they have to feed the baby when it hatches. If the first clutch is a complete failure or they are bad parents, give them a few months of rest and then let them try again. It isn't something you've done. It's just nature. Now, if they are consistently having issues then they may just be bad parents and you shouldn't let them breed. You might try pairing them with different mates and see if that makes a difference.

I wouldn't worry about aggression during normal cage maintenance. They will get used to it and their bites aren't a big deal. Now when it comes to feeding babies, that's a different story. We fondly call them "piranha keets" because a hungry budgie chick will latch on to your skin and not let go. You can stick your hand into a brooder box with 5 babies in it and when you lift your hand you have 5 baby birds attached to your skin and all of them are screaming for food. Even after you've fed them, they will cry for food as if they are starving to death.

I think that's all I've got on this. They aren't my specialty so I know only what I've experienced from the store. Someone tried to sell me a flock of 50 pairs and I just couldn't. You can't really make a profit on budgies unless you're raising fancy English Budgies or breeding at a huge scale and it was just way too much to consider. That doesn't mean it can't make a great hobby to let them breed once or twice a year.

 

[JLcribber]

The world doesn't need any more backyard breeders. Especially for an already extremely over farmed species. For all the bird's sake please reconsider breeding anything. Especially if it's just to make a $buck$.


What are you going to do if these parents have no idea or desire to look after these chicks? Happens all the time with captive bred birds.

What are you going to do with all these offspring? (You can't keep them unless your willing to provide ever expanding separate habitats or they will start to in breed).

 

[Zara]

TLDR; I am not anti breeder, but I don´t think these birds should be allowed to breed. Mainly as it is a saturated pool, these are not in-demand birds. To breed to sell, the risks outweigh the reward, there´s no money to be made. More hassle and responsibility than it´s worth. Maybe you want to study hard and in a year or two allow a couple of chicks to let your birds raise and keep them with you in your home, then ok, you have time to study, find help, and research heavily. But @Bunchobird , please read my whole post.

I see @BrianB left a good post above, as well as some other the quotes people have found from Matto and PoukieBear, but I´ll see if there´s something I can add.....

thumbs up to proceed

Big no no. Those birds are heavily clipped. Clipped birds are more prone to egg laying problems. The risks of egg laying are bad enough as it is for a healthy flighted bird, but to increase their will to nest while clipped is a dangerous game. I would wait until they are fully flighted again, and then another 6-12 months at least for them to recover from the clip.
To breed birds, you need the parents in optimum health.

I have prior hand-feeding experience with finches but it is SO hard!

Softbills and hookbills eat very differently to one another. a finch chick is nothing like a budgie chick, so any experience you have with finches doesn´t mean squat with budgies.
To feed a parrot chick, it is a skill you need to learn from a professional, a vet or a breeder, or someone who has a lot of eperience doing it. (Not by videos or blogs online.)

Bedding to use?

Brian already addressed this. Aspen is the best bedding. If you can´t find it, you can use coarse pine, but never fine pine. Stay away from cedar as it is toxic.
As for the pellets Brian mentioned, for his larger parrots I´m sure they work great but for a bird as small as a budgie, I don´t think they would work well.

take the eggs out to candle or not

Candle in place. Use a LED light, a pen style one ideally.

Ways to control aggressive behaviour if changing food and water becomes an issue?

Feeder doors.
To clean the cage, wait til your birds come out for a fly. Remember they won´t stay our for long, so speed clean.

dietary supplements to use (powder or liquid form) to enhance crop milk?

Always consult your vet before using any supplements or vitamins.

When should babies fledge, and if they don't what to do?

They will fledge. If they ¨don´t¨, then just give them more time.

FULL proper diet, which i'm trying to get to a stable place for a good period of time before breeding.

Ideally a good year before.

Is Pedialyte a good electrolyte solution?

Natural unsweetened coconut water is better if needed.

but the closest breeder is a 15 yr old unethical breeder.

Stay away. You can´t learn something like this from a kid. Personally I don´t think they should be breedeing anything at all, but I have already said that in another post. To learn how to breed birds, you need to find someone with experience, years and years of experience.

Any other things that I need to know before I breed and may make me change my mind (other than the fact that it is a big responsibility, and takes time, money, and effort).

Yes a few things.... 1.

please reconsider breeding anything. Especially if it's just to make a $buck$.

This. You will not make money breeding your budgies, it is very likely that you actually lose money. If you are to breed, it will be a hobby. It will take up your time, money, space, and other resources just like any other hobby. So think about if that is actually something you want to do, or do you just want to enjoy your birds as they are, and spend your money on a different hobby.. bird watching... visiting local zoos... helping at local shelters.. crafting.. visiting museums.. the list is endless.

2. If you sell those birds, you would have to really commit to finding them good homes. How would you do that? Is there even demand in your ares for these birds? Can you ensure they will be taken care of, live with people who will make the same sacrifices as us (no teflon, no candles etc). What happens when those folks can´t care for the bird? Will you accept them back? You won´t be able to sell them then, as budgies, they will be difficult to rehome as adults so you will need to house them. I know @tka s breeder for his bird accepted a returned bird and luckily Tka was able to offer a home to that bird, but that is a much rarer species of bird so a very different set of circumstances, but that breeder accepted the bird back, and found a good, loving, solid home for that bird.
Until those birds die, you are responsible for them and their wellbeing.

let nature take it's course

@Zara

@Zara

I really dislike the N word being used in bird husbandry, especially when it comes to breeding.
There is no such thing as ¨nature¨ with captive birds, more so when it is the humans choice to allow breeding, and even encourage it.
Letting nature take it´s course is when there´s a wild bird in the garden, not a caged bird that has been raised in a very different way to it´s native ancestors, that have been encouraged to breed and then left hung out to dry when they don´t have the instincts to raise the clutch well.
You start it, you finish it, not nature.
I feel that people say this phrase as a way to rid the guilt and blame ¨nature¨ for the chicks death, when chicks deteriorate or the parents don´t care for them, the human should own the situation and jump in to save them, or at least give it their best, no matter what it takes, no matter how much it costs, we should do it.
Is it just ¨nature¨ that the chick ultimately died?
No, it´s our fault.
Yes, sometimes a chicks death is ¨unavoidable¨..... but by choosing to breed, we helped bring those chicks to this world, and so if we had chosen not to breed, those chicks would not die.

So I suppose that makes point 3. for the above... If one of the chicks doesn´t make it, even after you tried to save them, are you able to live with that on your conscience? Lot´s of people can´t handle death, and sometimes it does happen despite our efforts to step in. As a novice with no mentor, you have a higher chance of something going wrong.

I hope my post gives you something to think about when making your decisions. Like I said, I´m not anti-breeder, I have answered your questions, but I have to give my opinion also as maybe there´s something you hadn´t thought about, or didn´t know.

 

[Bunchobird]

@Zara I definitely don't think from your perspective. I didn't think about the clipping affecting them. I will take that into consideration, but why after the clip do they need a recovery time? Why are clipped birds more prone to laying issues. Are there any reliable sources other that people on the forum? (not accusing you of lying, but i have no reason to trust a stranger on the internet, with no offense meant to be taken). I have no intention of making money, I aggree with the nature statement.

@JLcribber I intend to keep them if I breed, and if they have a perfect home out there, sure!

@BrianB that was really informational

 

[tka]

I didn't think about the clipping affecting them. I will take that into consideration, but why after the clip do they need a recovery time? Why are clipped birds more prone to laying issues. Are there any reliable sources other that people on the forum? (not accusing you of lying, but i have no reason to trust a stranger on the internet, with no offense meant to be taken). I have no intention of making money, I aggree with the nature statement.

Laying eggs involves contractions of the bird's muscles. If these are weak and unexercised, the bird is more likely to have problems actually squeezing the egg out.
Flight is the only meaningful form of exercise for a bird. If a bird has gone without flight for up to a year or whenever their flight feathers have grown back in, then they are likely unfit. They need time to build back up to physical fitness.

Another question: if you plan to keep the babies, then that means that you're going to have a group of birds having age-related issues at the same time.

You've posted about breeding before and my response is the same: why are you breeding these birds? What's their history? What are your goals as a breeder?

Something to be aware of is identifying your goals as a breeder. In many countries (I don't know whether that's true for you), budgies are cheap and easily obtained. I can get a young bird on gumtree for around £15. Because they are so cheap, people buy them on a whim without properly researching their care and when the bird inevitably needs attention and care, they rehome it. Far too many birds are trapped in a rehoming cycle where they are seen as disposable. The lucky ones end up in a rescue. As a breeder, it is essential to first consider whether it is ethical to bring young budgies when there are already many, many budgies seeking homes. If you do go ahead, you must consider what you can do to keep the birds you breed out of crappy homes and/or being bounced around on gumtree or craigslist.

You need to very carefully consider your breeding goals. As I said, there are usually plenty of perfectly nice, friendly young budgies available on gumtree, craigslist and so on. What is going to set your birds apart from these? You cannot just stick two nice friendly budgies together and expect their babies to sell. As I said, many countries have many, many perfectly nice friendly budgies in rescues or available for a few quid/dollars.

Some people specialise in interesting colour mutations and pair birds up carefully so they can predict what they will get in a clutch. You will need to research these mutations to see what is considered interesting and desirable.

Some people specialise in breeding exhibition budgies for show.

Some people work with very well-established lines and breed for health and lifespan.

Whatever happens, you will need to start with good, carefully selected foundation stock. Joining a budgie society is a good way to network, find mentorship and established breeders may be willing to help out a novice by supplying breeding quality birds that aren't needed in their own breeding programmes.

If I were looking for young budgies, I would want to see:

• a clear set of goals from a breeder: what are they breeding for? why are they breeding? what is the overall aim?
• some kind of systematic approach, not just "oh these birds are pretty, they should have babies"
• a rigorous approach to choosing birds for a breeding programme.
• commitment to breeding for physical and mental health: breeding birds that are resilient enough to cope with the stresses of captive life.
• impeccable husbandry: environment, diet, enrichment, vet care, mentorship.
• commitment to learning: attending talks, being part of a breeding network (to swap birds and keep gene pools fresh), learning about avian health and genetics, keeping up with best practices as they emerge.

In addition to @Zara's very good point, this is a good post from @PoukieBear: Budgie Small Colony Advice

 

[Bunchobird]

is $500-700 a good price range to get all the babies vetted, shots (if needed)? Are budgies born with any parasite or something (like puppies are sometimes born with worms? or they contract them easily?

 

[Mizzely]

is $500-700 a good price range to get all the babies vetted, shots (if needed)? Are budgies born with any parasite or something (like puppies are sometimes born with worms? or they contract them easily?

It depends wildly based on region, and what is wrong. What does your vet usually charge for a wellness exam? Blood work? Gram stain?

I usually pay $300 for one bird for a wellness check with gram stain, blood work, and beak trim.

 

[Bunchobird]

OO! @Mizzely Thx for asking those, looks like i need to call my vet and ask! Should i get my birds beaks and nails trimmed before they breed? My vet charges $75 for a wellness exam.

 

[Mizzely]

No, Ripley has a scissorbeak, so he needs his done occasionally.

 

[Xoetix]

OO! @Mizzely Thx for asking those, looks like i need to call my vet and ask! Should i get my birds beaks and nails trimmed before they breed? My vet charges $75 for a wellness exam.

Make sure your vet is avian certified too - there are a lot of little tidbits of info most exotics vets (vet that specialize in exotic species in general, without being a specific species specialist) don’t have that avian vets do.

I do have to agree that breeding budgies might not be “worth it,” in that there are so, so, so many out there for adoption for very little money. They really are an over saturated market. I know here in VA where I am, Craigslist and PetFinder are both overflowing with budgies.

 

[Bunchobird]

Not a ton of budgies in my area.