Budgies are beautiful genres of parrots. It is relatively easy to breed them due to their friendly behavior and easy care. There are several steps you need to know about the breeding of budgies.
1 Choosing a pair of Budgies for Breeding
There is much color variation in Budgies. Getting a specific colored budgie is possible by considering the genetic study of their color variations. However, due to large influencing factors this study not always meet your demands. The other thing that you should consider is their relatives. Pairing two close relative birds may cause genetic mutation in the young ones. Age of the pair is also very important for breeding point of view. Usually, budgies with age of more than 10 months are recommended by veterinarians and pet store owners. The most important thing that you should notice during a pair selection is the bond of the pair. It is recommended to choose a pair that is already bonded because developing a bond in a new pair is time-consuming.
2 Setup of Brooding Environment in the Cage
Budgies normally breed in the wet and late summer season. The temperature of the cage should be about 65F° to 78F°; a small amount of humidity is also very important for embryo development in eggs. For a single pair of budgies, you should arrange a cage of at least 24”l, 16”w, and 18”. Use perches at different levels in the cage, so that they may enjoy a natural environment.
As hens (female partner) have to lay eggs, so, you should arrange a small nest for it. There are numerous types of nests are present in the market, using a woody one with the concave floor is a better option, because, it reduces the danger of splayed legs in chicks. Add some soft material like straws in it, so that the temperature of the nest may remain constant.
3 Diet during Brooding & Breeding time
Don’t withdraw the normal diet in breeding time. Along with the normal diet, add some extra protein in the food. You can use egg, meat or some market product in this regard. Don’t forget to add a mineral block and softwood in the cage.
4 Care of Young Ones
After 7 to 10 days of mating, females start laying eggs one daily basis for consecutive three to seven days or even more. The number of eggs depends upon various internal and external factors. Female starts hatching its eggs after the laying of the first or second egg. Avoid touching their eggs because human hands can have bacteria that can damage the embryo of the female.
Chicks come out from eggs after 18th day of the start of hatching that may exceed in some situations. Mother fed its young ones continually for two to three weeks, after that they are ready for weaning. After this particular time add some fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet of young ones that may continue for 6th week. To learn more about a healthy budgie diet, read Budgies diet and everything you need to know
After the age of 6 weeks, you can handle the young ones and examine their normal body conditions. Keep them in the same nest and also allow them to roam outside the nest, it’ll help them in their normal growth. After the age of two months, you can keep them with other older birds. It’ll help them in exploring their instincts.
