Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 6/21/2006

Question
Hi Chrys,

I have a problem right now, my male budgie suddenly died while the hen is incubating the eggs. Will it be advisable to introduce a new male in the breeding cage or just leave the hen alone? Will the eggs still hatch? Will the hen still feed the chicks by herself once they are hatched?

Need your advice.

Thanks,
Juan

Answer
Hi, Juan.  Thanks for posting.

I'm so sorry to hear your male budgie died.  Hopefully, what he died from won't affect your female and/or the babies.

Do not introduce a new male.  The female has to be pair-bonded to the male for things to work out right.  Your hen might still be OK without her mate, depending on the individual bird.  However, she will have to feed herself while incubating the eggs and raising the babies once they hatch.  This will be a great big chore for her, so keep a close eye on her.  Make sure she is eating and drinking enough and you will most likely have to pull any babies for handfeeding as soon as they are big enough to feed and/or you'll need to help the hen feed the babies, depending on how many babies hatch, because it just might be too much for her to handle.  I've seen single females tend to their babies just fine, but I've also seen them succumb to the stress without a male present.

The female incubates the eggs by herself.  As long as she doesn't have to be off the eggs too long when she's eating/drinking, they should still be OK, as long as they are viable to begin with.  

All depends on the individual bird you have...they are not all alike.

My website has information on handfeeding if you are not familiar:

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Chrys