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What will happen? Okay so my two bubbas are all of a sudden all over eachother and male is trying to jump on females back. What kind of chicks should

Sparkles99

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Are you breeding your budgies?
 

Ripshod

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If you're nog deliberately breeding them they need not produce any chicks. Discourage them from nesting and deal with any eggs that may arrive.
If you do want them to produce chicks then get them vetted, start the shopping, start the learning, and find yourself a mentor.
@Zara has a list of stuff you should buy.
 

mimsmeenak

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I'm not deliberately breeding them I've noticed they've been floating quote a bit all of a sudden and wondered what sort of chick's they'd produce if they did mate. If I was planning on breeding them I would certainly have to plan it out and they're far too young in any case.
 

flyzipper

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If I was planning on breeding them I would certainly have to plan
Based on the behaviour you're describing, if you're not planning on breeding them, you also need a plan.
 

Zara

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For budgie breeding genetics, I have no idea sorry, but I´m sure others will know :)

@Zara has a list of stuff you should buy.
I have an old post bookmarked I seem to be posting it a lot...;
-Hand rearing formula
-Feeding utensil - I use syringes but always recommend feeding spoons to a novice
-Candy thermometer to check formula temperature
-brooder
-heating pad if your brooder is not a professional one
-Aspen shavings - Course pine is ok if you can´t get aspen. Never fine pine, and never ever cedar.
-Thermometer (digital) for monitoring brooder temperature
-Hygrometer for monitoring humidity inside the brooder
-Weighing scales - you can use a gram scale, or as your birds are budgies, a 0.01 scale
-Pedialyte, or natural unflavoured coconut water
-Papaya
-Nursery cage with plenty of perches (to move the birds into after they fledge)
Mimi, your title isn´t very clear, it sound like you are unsure?
I just want to say, that if you have a male and female bird, it´s probably they will mate (male on the females back). And that´s great, all fine, they can mate and preen each other and play and be happy.
Breeding is something else, and you don´t have to allow breeding just because the birds are mating and enjoying a full sex life. You can remove any eggs laid and not breed without splitting the birds up. You would only have to separate them if fighting was occuring.

If breeding is something you want to persue, as Linden said, a mentor is invaluable, learning to hand feed (in person by a pro) is a must, and start your reasearch now, absorb lots of info, as questions and discover answers. You will also want to vet the birds to be sure they are in good breeding condition, as well as have them on a varied diet including veggies and pellets.
 

mimsmeenak

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Based on the behaviour you're describing, if you're not planning on breeding them, you also need a plan.
There's no nesting equipment and my budgie bubbas only go in their cage to eat as they have play areas all over my house. Im not planning to breed them my oldest is only 6 months old and my youngest is 2 months I have 2 pairs. I've noticed a lot of people just use birds as breeding stock and that upsets me, my budgie bubbas have a good quality of life lots of fun and cuddles they have a varied diet of greens veg seeds mix and some fruit. I was just curious about the colours as they're quite rare variations my lilac clearwing (Moonlight) and yellow fallow (Sunrise).
 

mimsmeenak

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For budgie breeding genetics, I have no idea sorry, but I´m sure others will know :)


I have an old post bookmarked I seem to be posting it a lot...;


Mimi, your title isn´t very clear, it sound like you are unsure?
I just want to say, that if you have a male and female bird, it´s probably they will mate (male on the females back). And that´s great, all fine, they can mate and preen each other and play and be happy.
Breeding is something else, and you don´t have to allow breeding just because the birds are mating and enjoying a full sex life. You can remove any eggs laid and not breed without splitting the birds up. You would only have to separate them if fighting was occuring.

If breeding is something you want to persue, as Linden said, a mentor is invaluable, learning to hand feed (in person by a pro) is a must, and start your reasearch now, absorb lots of info, as questions and discover answers. You will also want to vet the birds to be sure they are in good breeding condition, as well as have them on a varied diet including veggies and pellets.
Thank you for all the advise and if I ever do plan to breed I will ensure I know everything before going ahead, for now I just want to enjoy watching my.budgie bubbas enjoy their lives
 

Ripshod

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If be no hope but PoukieBear would likely get them from closer more detailed photos.
 

Destiny

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I am not that great at visual mutation identification, especially with dilutes. There are quite a few different dilute mutations, like fallow, greywing, clearwing, etc. And it is possible for a budgie to have additional color mutations that are either not visible or masked by other visible mutations.

Since most color mutations are recessive, mixing different mutations tends to lead you back to wild-type normal green budgies. If you want to keep the mutations visible, typically both parents must have at least one copy of the same mutated gene. Breeding two birds with different color mutations will create visually normal birds that are "split" (one normal gene and one mutated gene) for both color mutations.

It helps a lot if you know what their parents looked like, since that will narrow down possible splits and reveal more information about potential offspring that would not be apparent from only looking at the birds themselves

Anyways, these two look like a yellow dilute and a blue/purple dilute to me. If they are both carrying the same dilution gene, then all their offspring will be dilute. If not, then the offspring will be split to both mutations but visually normal.

One bird is yellow (green-series) and the other a pale purple (blue-series). Green is dominant, so the offspring will likely all be yellow or green, spilt to blue.

I would expect to get mostly yellow dilute babies, but other outcomes are possible.

...

Did you get them from the same place at the same time? If so, they might be from the same clutch and closely related. Just something to consider before allowing them to sit on any eggs, since they were bought as pets.
 

mimsmeenak

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I am not that great at visual mutation identification, especially with dilutes. There are quite a few different dilute mutations, like fallow, greywing, clearwing, etc. And it is possible for a budgie to have additional color mutations that are either not visible or masked by other visible mutations.

Since most color mutations are recessive, mixing different mutations tends to lead you back to wild-type normal green budgies. If you want to keep the mutations visible, typically both parents must have at least one copy of the same mutated gene. Breeding two birds with different color mutations will create visually normal birds that are "split" (one normal gene and one mutated gene) for both color mutations.

It helps a lot if you know what their parents looked like, since that will narrow down possible splits and reveal more information about potential offspring that would not be apparent from only looking at the birds themselves

Anyways, these two look like a yellow dilute and a blue/purple dilute to me. If they are both carrying the same dilution gene, then all their offspring will be dilute. If not, then the offspring will be split to both mutations but visually normal.

One bird is yellow (green-series) and the other a pale purple (blue-series). Green is dominant, so the offspring will likely all be yellow or green, spilt to blue.

I would expect to get mostly yellow dilute babies, but other outcomes are possible.

...

Did you get them from the same place at the same time? If so, they might be from the same clutch and closely related. Just something to consider before allowing them to sit on any eggs, since they were bought as pets.
Thanks for the information. I didn't get them from same place and as I've said I do not intend to breed them I was just wondering what their chick's would look like.
 

Destiny

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Oh sorry. I missed that. Figured you were asking because you were planning to let them hatch some eggs.
 

PoukieBear

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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!
 

PoukieBear

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How to prevent breeding and egg laying.

  • Reduce Daylight Hours.
  • Cover the cage so your bird(s) only gets 8 hours of daylight per day.
  • Why? Budgies naturally breed in the summertime when days are longer. This allows them more time to forage for food to feed their growing clutch of chicks. By reducing daylight hours, you will also reduce hormones that trigger a bird wanting to breed.

  • Do not Overfeed.
  • Do not completely fill up your bird(s) food dish, or feed high fat/high protein foods.
  • Why? Budgies naturally breed when food is plentiful and easy to find. Budgies only need 1.5 teaspoons of seed per day. The rest of their diet should be vegetables and pellets.

  • Re-arrange the cage frequently.
  • Move perches, rotate toys, rearrange ladders and swings, move food and water dishes. You can even move the entire cage to a new location in your house if you have the space to do so.
  • Why? Budgies will only want to breed when they feel safe and comfortable and have a stable environment. By changing things up frequently, you can reduce the chances of breeding behaviour.

  • Remove any potential nesting spots.
  • Make sure there are no nest box, coconut shells, happy huts, grass baskets, pottery bowls, or anything else that is not meant for a budgie’s cage that could be mistaken for a nesting spot.
  • Why? Budgies can be opportunistic breeders and may use items that you think are unlikely nesting spots.

  • Do not stroke or pet your budgie’s back, wings, rump.
  • If you want to touch your budgie, give it some loving scritches at the head and neck area. You need to avoid stroking your budgie’s back.
  • Why? Stroking a budgie’s back is like molesting your bird. It’s part of the mating process and should be avoided at all costs.

  • Separate Male and Female birds.
  • Place your male and female birds in their own respective cages, or use a cage divider to separate them.
  • Why? If they can’t mate, they can’t breed.


  • What happens if my bird accidentally lays an egg?
  • Don’t panic. Simply remove the egg from the cage and throw it out. You do not need to replace it with a fake egg! An average clutch for a budgie is 4-6 eggs, and she will not continue to lay eggs if you keep removing them. Budgies can’t count, and her body is not capable of producing an unlimited number of eggs.
 

PoukieBear

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Now that's I've got the above posts out the way (I know they are long, but PLEASE READ THEM!)

On to your original question. Can you please post better pics of both of your birds? Closeups in natural light would be great, front and back.

On first glance, your male does not appear to be a Fallow. (I'll confirm with better pics though) He looks like a Greywing.
Your female also appears to be greywing, with a violet factor.
Greywing will naturally dilute the birds colour up to 50%, so there is no actual Dilute mutation here.

My preliminary answer is that these two would produce all Green series greywings.
Given that we don't know what these birds are split for, there could be a few surprises in the chicks.
 
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