Breeding Budgerigars

[Moe O'C]

When I was in high-school in the late 1960s, I had 3 budgerigars (A male and 2 females) that I got at a local petshop. When they were about 2 years old or so, the cock bred with one of the hens, and they raised 5 beautiful, healthy chicks.

In 1977, when I was in the Army, I moved offpost, and bought ayoung pair of budgies from a local bird-breeder. I took them home with me, and in 1979 they bred, and raised 4 nice, healthy chicks. I had them, and the chicks, for many years afterwards, but they never bred again.

Two years ago (Feb 2018), I got the urge to try raising parrakeets again. I went to the local petshop, and purchased 2 young birds. One is a Skyblue Opaline (and had a bright blue cere), which has turned out to be a cock. The other bird is Pied Yellow & Green. It had a pale whitish blue cere, and it turned out to be a hen. They seemed to be affectionate with each other, the cock especially, although the hen is a bit nervous and flighty. In the summer of 2019, I set them up in a large flight cage, with a nestbox. They paid no attention to the nestbox all summer, and while they preened with each other, they showed no interest at all in mating. The cock made advances sometimes, but the hen would get nervous and fly away.

I felt that maybe the 2 birds just weren't compatible with each other. And so, in October 2019, I purchased a new young parrakeet, a Yellowface Teel Pastel color. It had a light blue cere with some white. I placed it in the flightcage with my 2 older birds. I thought it might be afraid of them, and watched to see what would happen. Exactly the opposite of what I'd expected. The 2 older birds seemed afraid of the new young bird, and wouldn't go near it. (They hadn't seen another budgie in almost 2 years). The young bird seemed to make friendly advances toward them, but they'd fly away. I wasn't sure of the young bird's sex. But I felt that, when it got older, it might bond with one of the older birds.

Eventually, though, the cock became friendly toward the new bird, and they'd preen each other, and maybe feed each other. The older hen remained skittish around it, and continued to fly away when the young bird approached. This behaviour continued all winter. I wasn't fully sure of the new bird's sex. In the Spring, I put in a second nestbox. In April 2020, I noticed the new bird "presenting itself" to the cock. He tried to mount, but then they got nervous, and both flew away. I noticed them several more times during the Spring attempting to mate, but they were never successful. I think they were too nervous, and didn't quite know what to do. Neither of them ever went inside either of the nestboxes. After awhile, they seemed to give up, and now they show no interest in mating at all, though once in awhile they preen each other affectionately. The new bird's cere has darkened, so I think it's a hen, and it acts like a hen. The cock also is occasionally affectionate with the original YellowGreen Pied hen. Whenever the new young Yellowface Pastel hen sees them being affectionate, she flies over and interrupts them. But she doesn't do anything aggressive.

It's now late August, and summer is almost over, so I doubt they'll breed this year. I'm not sure what to do next. All 3 birds are healthy, and get along well, although neither of the hens go near each other. I feed them a good-quality commercial seedmix. During last winter I tried giving them pellets as well, mixed with the seed, but they wouldn't touch the pellets, so for now I've discontinued them. I put vitamin drops in their water every second day. They have a cuttlebone and a mineral-block in their cage for calcium, and I also have a little dish of grit in their cage. I give them dandelion-greens and plantain from the yard in the summer, which they love. In the winter, I give them inchplant, which they also love. Once in awhile I give them some fruit (a bit of apple, or banana, or a little cooked squash or sweet-potato), but they won't touch those, so I don't do it very often.

I think that their failure to breed is probably due to being separated from other budgerigars at a young age, and they don't know what to do. When they seemed to be trying to mate in the Spring, I thought that maybe they'd improve with practice, but instead, they just seemed to give up. I'm not sure what to do next. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do to encourage them to breed ? I'm patient, but it would be nice if they'd be inclined to breed next year.

 

[Bookwyrm]

From what I've read, you shouldn't be breeding budgies. (I also wouldn't recommend it in general, as budgies are overbred, and there are always hundreds looking for homes, or in homes that are neglecting them).
First: no grit. Parrots don't need grit. They can digest good perfectly well on their own. The grit can actually grind up their insides, basically, and... Yeah, just get rid of that.
Second: don't breed, or even think of breeding, if your birds are not on a good diet. You may have been successful in the past, but all sorts of issues can arise from this. They need to be on a well balanced pellet, with fresh fruits and veggies (mostly veggies, but some fruit is good too) every day. (Some people do every other day, which is fine too, as long as they're also eating pellets).
Third: do you have the proper supplies? Do you have formula, in case the parents decide to not take care of the chicks? Do you know how to hand feed? Do you have proper nesting material in the nest box?

Let me ask you this: why do you want to breed budgies?
I myself have considered it, but won't for years, if I ever do. The only way I'd do it, would be if I would keep the chicks, every single one. If I ever do that, I would also take in budgies that popped up on Craigslist or Facebook. But I would never, unless I was unable to care for them, give up any bird I took in. There is no reason to add to the problem of people over breeding small birds like budgies, or taking them in only to neglect them or re-home them.

Could I tell you how to make a proper breeding setup? Yes. How to encourage your birds to breed? Yes. But if you yourself are not willing to read up on that before attempting to breed, you should not be breeding. If you are giving your birds grit for goodness sake, you should not be breeding.

I'm not trying to offend you. I'm just trying to make sure the decision you make is made with the knowledge you need, for the welfare of your birds and potential young birds in the future.

(Also, if two of your birds are obviously bonded, I'd get another so the lone one could have a buddy. Especially if the other two are attempting to breed. Just make sure they get along before adding them into the same cage).

 

[Shezbug]

I’d actually also be a little concerned about them being related. Most pet stores seem to get their budgies off one or two breeders.

 

[sunnysmom]

I don't know anything about breeding budgies but wanted to say welcome to the forum!

 

[Moe O'C]

Thanks for all of the previous posts.

I did previously check with a bird veterinarian about whether or not to feed grit, and she said it was a judgement-call. Some vets recommend against it, because since budgies hull their seed, it isn't needed for grinding, and ingesting too much may injure their internal organs. Other vets recommend it in moderation because it evidently contains trace-minerals, especially the oyster-shell in it, that may be beneficial for their health. The vet I checked with recommended offering small amounts of it in moderation. I keep it in a small container on the side of the cage. I've never seen the cock pay any attention to it. Both of the hens do occasionally look into it and sift through it. They don't consume much ot it, though. I think that in the future, I may discontinue the grit, and just add cagebird-vitamins to their feed.

I tried for 3 months last winter to get my birds to eat pellets, but they wouldn't touch them at all. First, I tried feeding them the pellets early in the morning when they were hungriest, but they still wouldn't touch them. Then I tried mixing them with the seedmix. (I reduced the amount of seed, and replaced it with pellets, because I didn't want them to fill up with seed). Still, they ate only the seed, and left the pellets behind. This went on for 3 months. Finally, I discontinued the pellets, because they were just being wasted. However, one of the seedmixes that I feed does have added ingredients as well as the seed (little bits of biscuit, dried fruit, etc.) which may supply some added nutrition. Eventually, I may try them again with pellets. If they ever do breed, I plan to start the young birds on pellets, or a mix of pellets and seed, right from the get-go, so that they'll be used to it.

They do get greens (dandelion, plantain, various other garden greens, etc.) regularly. I offer them fruit sometimes (apple, banana, strawberries, grapes, etc.) but they will never touch it. I have a crumbled-clay substrate in the bottom of the nestboxes, but I've never seen any of the 3 birds entering the nestboxes. They pay no attention to them.

I'd love to take in extra budgies from Craigslist, but I don't have proper quarantine facilities, and don't want to take the risk of exposing the birds I have to any diseases. However, I am considering getting one more new bird, that may bond more successfully to one of the birds that I already have, but I haven't yet fully decided. I'm still hoping that my birds will bond more closely to each other. But if they don't, I may look into getting one more new bird.

 

[PoukieBear]

I'm going to copy and paste a reply that I use all the time for another forum I'm on that is completely riddled with people who are looking to breed...and I think it works well here too!

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 “sh*t 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!

 

[Lady Jane]

Thanks @PoukieBear for posting this. It really should be a sticky!

 

[JLcribber]

I'm going to copy and paste a reply that I use all the time for another forum I'm on that is completely riddled with people who are looking to breed...and I think it works well here too!

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 “sh*t 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!

What a great post. Stealing this of course.

 

[Ripshod]

It really should be a sticky!

I agree whole-heartedly!

 

[tka]

Keeping two hens and one cock in the same cage sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I really think you need to really carefully examine your motivations for breeding.

Something you must check before bringing new budgies into the world is how many budgies are up for rehoming in your area - either in rescues or on gumtree/craigslist/facebook marketplace or similar. There are lots of little budgies being kept in tiny crappy cages and being sold for pocket change when someone gets bored of them. How will you ensure that any babies you breed don't become part of this problem?

In addition to @PoukieBear's set of excellent detailed questions and things to consider, these are things that I would look for in a breeder. 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". How do you choose your breeding stock, select pairs etc?
• a rigorous approach to choosing birds for a breeding programme; you need to know the birds' background and whether their parents/grandparents are healthy and/or have any temperament issues. Petshop budgies' backgrounds are totally unknown.
• 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.

 

[tka]

Another thought: if there are lots of unwanted birds on craigslist, I really would look into whether you can somehow set up a quarantine space somehow. It would be enormously fulfilling to give these birds a soft place to land, where they never again have to experience the stress of being bounced around between homes.

 

[Moe O'C]

Thanks again for all the previous responses. Actually, one of my goals in joining this forum is to become acquainted with a network of budgerigar-breeders, to exchange information, and possibly swap young birds with them. Long ago (1970s and 1980s), there used to be a cagebird club in my locality, but it's now long gone, and there are no longer any breeders in the local area. The only means of communication now seems to be online.

I'd dearly love to take in some more budgerigars, but I just don't have a suitable place to quarantine them. I keep my own birds in a large flight-cage in my bedroom, in front of a window. It's about 3 ft. long by 3 ft. wide, and a bit over 3 ft. high. It's a small bedroom, and there isn't room for another cage. I don't want to overcrowd the cage, and if my own birds ever do become inclined to breed, there needs to be space for the young ones too. And I'm always leery about accidentally introducing some disease with a new bird. I think that I may possibly get one more bird (preferably another cock) in the future, but I'm not in a hurry. I need to make sure that it's healthy, and hopefully compatible with the three that I now have.

I do look through the pet- listings on Craigslist pretty regularly. It's only few and far between that I've ever seen any budgies offered. I was surprised at how high the re-homing fees were, that were being requested, sometimes up to $100 or so (although often that includes a cage as well). I know that the owner is probably hoping to ensure that by requesting a large fee, their bird goes to a good home, and that's understandable. However, I think that they'd be better off, rather than requesting so large a fee, to just get to know the prospective owner first, and stay in touch with them afterward, to ensure that all's going well with their bird.

I do keep a close eye on my birds to make sure that all three are getting along well with each other, and particularly the two hens. They aren't friendly or affectionate with each other, but they aren't unfriendly or aggressive, either. The original Yellow/Green Pied hen has always been a rather timid, flighty bird, but she can sometimes be assertive at times, especially when the cock becomes affectionate with her. She will peck at him, or fly away. But she's not at all unfriendly, and often she herself initiates the affection. She just seems to want things to be on her own terms, and she appears hesitant to let it go past a certain point, and that's probably why there's never been any mating activity. The younger Yellowface Pastel bird I just got last October, and its cere just recently darkened up, so that I believe it's a hen. This bird, even when it was younger, seems to be quite a bit more self-confident than the original hen. She frequently initiates affectionate interactions with the cock, and in June I saw her "presenting herself" to him. He got excited, and tried to mount, but then they both seemed to get nervous, didn't know what to do next, and there wasn't any successful mating. I think the cock just wasn't sure what to do next. Parrakeets are flocking birds, and they likely learn how to do things from observing the rest of the flock. And my birds just don't have the benefit of this. I will just have to be patient, and hope that they eventually figure it out.

 

[JLcribber]

Thanks again for all the previous responses. Actually, one of my goals in joining this forum is to become acquainted with a network of budgerigar-breeders, to exchange information, and possibly swap young birds with them. Long ago (1970s and 1980s), there used to be a cagebird club in my locality, but it's now long gone, and there are no longer any breeders in the local area. The only means of communication now seems to be online.

You're in the wrong place for that. Most of us are bird advocates. Not bird brokers.

 

[Budgiebonkers]

i would remove the male for the time being as being with the same ones gets boring and they lose spark i find it easier to breed if hens and cocks are separated u until breeding

 

[Moe O'C]

i would remove the male for the time being as being with the same ones gets boring and they lose spark i find it easier to breed if hens and cocks are separated u until breeding

Thanks for that advice. Right now, I have only the flight-cage in my bedroom to keep my birds in, so I have nowhere to separate the cock from the hens. I do have a spare birdcage in the cellar, but nowhere to set it up. I doubt that they'll be breeding anytime soon anyway, as summer is coming to an end, and the days are becoming shorter. I think you might be right about them "losing their spark", as they seem to have settled into a pattern where they're friendly & affectionate, preening and billing, a little head-bobbing, but no mating activity. I will wait till next year, and see what happens.

 

[Moe O'C]

UPDATE: It's been a little over 6 months since my last post, and there's good and bad news. My Skyblue Opaline cock passed away last November. I believe he had a seizure. I noticed that he had some trouble landing when he flew up to his perch. However, once perched, he seemed okay. His appetite remained good. However, a few days later, he continued to have trouble landing on his perch, and balancing on it. But he continued to eat well. However, a few days later, his balancing became worse, and then he began acting erratically. He'd fly down to the feed-bowl, eat a little, then return to his perch, and he'd do that continuously, over and over. Then, the following morning, I found him quietly sitting in the feed-bowl, and he wasn't able to fly at all. I placed him in a small dish andmoved him into a corner of the cage, with a feed container and a water container alongside him. When I checked on him about an hour later, he'd quietly passed on. It was peaceful, and he didn't seem to be distressed. I'll miss him. He was a beautiful bird. He was only about 3 years old, and he'd been active and vigorous all his life, up until the last week. I suspect it was some sort of seizure, and I'm not sure what brought it on.

The good news is that I'd gotten another young petshop budgie the previous week. It was too young to tell it's sex for sure, but I picked out one with a bluish cere, that I guessed might turn out to be a cock. It's a mostly white budgie, with some very pale gray shading on its wings, and some light blue on its lower breast. It's very active and outgoing, and it has tried to make friends with the 2 hens. The older Yellow/Green Pied hen responds a little, but she's always been a nervous bird, and she quickly flies away. The younger Yellowface Pastel hen will have nothing to do with the new bird, and flies away whenever it approaches her. She was quite affectionate with the old cock that's gone now, maybe she misses him, and doesn't seem responsive to a new mate.

Anyway, the days are getting longer now, there's more sunlight, and breeding-season is approaching. I'd taken the nestboxes down for the winter, because I didn't want the birds to take them for granted. Last week I put them back up. But so far, none of the birds are showing any interest in them, and haven't gone inside them. But on a brighter note, the young white budgie (which I've had for about 5 months now), is continuing to be outgoing, and still tries to be friendly to the older hens. It's cere remains very pale blue. It's acting like a cock, and it bows it head up and down when it approaches the hens, but they continue to mostly ignore it.

I'll just have to wait and see what happens. I'm feeding a commercial seed mixture that has some pellets mixed in, although I'm not sure if my birds are actually eating the pellets. They also get greens, a bit of apple or pear, or a bit of orange occasionally. They eat the greens readily, but it took them a long time to get used to nibbling on the fruit. They also have a mineral-block and cuttlebone, and they get water-soluble cagebird vitamons daily. I haven't given them any grit in over six months, although they seemed to love it when it was available.

 

[Blueberry]

Did your older bird go to the vet? I am very sorry for your loss

 

[Ripshod]

It was too young to tell it's sex for sure, but I picked out one with a bluish cere, that I guessed might turn out to be a cock. It's a mostly white budgie, with some very pale gray shading on its wings, and some light blue on its lower breast

Sounds like you may have picked a female (recessive pied?). A clear photo of it's front and face would confirm.

 

[expressmailtome]

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Moe O'C]

Thanks for the previous replies. I didn't take my budgerigar cock to the vet. I doubt a vet could have helped him, and I let him pass away peacefully at home. He was only disabled for about 5 days. He continued to eat and drink up until the day before he passed, and he didn't appear to be in any pain or suffering. But he had increasing difficulty flying up to his perch and keeping his balance on it. The morning he died, he was unable to fly or perch at all.

I'm still not absolutely sure, but I think my new budgie is a cock, even though its cere is still pale blue, and hasn't brightened up. It's a white budgie, although it has some very pale gray shading on its wings, and some very pale blue shading on its lower breast. I've heard that with some white budgies, the cock's cere never gets really bright blue. It's still a young bird, I'm guessing about 10 months old , so maybe it's cere will turn bluer as it gets older. But it does act like a cock. It's outgoing and friendly, and it bobs its head up and down a lot. It approaches the hens and tries to make friends, but they aren't very receptive. I'm sorry, I'm not very proficient at taking pictures with a cellphone, and I don't know how to post photos. I wish I was more proficient at that.