Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 4/13/2008

Question
hey ive had my budgies leaving together for 8 months now and i think they are old enough to breed. my question is ive put a nesting box on the outside of the cage but the hole is inside they are able to go in. i caught my female budgie go in a couple of time for 3-5 mins then come back out. but i have never caught my male in the box. yes 2 or 3 times i found him next to the nesting hole but not inside the box. anyways do you have any idea when you think my female will start laying? yes they eat the mineral bock and cuttle bone i put in and they feed each other.And about taming them do you have a website with free videos on how to taim my budgies? thanks
alvin

Answer
Hi, Alvin,

Your keets need to be at least 12 months old before you allow them to breed.  This is especially important for the female, as egg laying and caring for offspring takes a lot out of the female.  Your birds will not lay eggs until the nesting box, etc., is just the way they want it.  Do not put anything in the bottom of the nesting box...leave it bare.  Males usually prepare the nesting box for the female (before he lets the female in), but they do not stay in it much after that.  Males guard the cage and outside of the nesting box and the female takes over the inside of the box laying eggs and caring for the babies.  Males do not care for the offspring...they feed the female beak-to-beak while she cares for the eggs/offspring.  Males might go in now and again, but only for a minute or so.  Males will often sit on the perch outside the entrance hole peering inside.  

I would have no idea when your female will start laying.  She might be too young if she's only 8 months old.  I have a website with written information about taming/training, but no videos.  Visit it at:  www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

You may not be able to tame your keets.  Usually, you can either have breeder keets or pet keets, but not both.  This is because birds prefer other birds to humans.  If you want a tame bird you can handle, you should only keep 1 bird who will look to you as a companion.  When a bird has another bird, it doesn't need a human for companionship...it has the other bird.  In addition, purchase a just-weaned, handfed, baby bird, for a good, tame companion bird.  

Chrys