AboutErika Expertise I can answer questions about parakeets and their taming, housing, breeding, hand-feeding/raising, food, toys, and other general questions. I can not answer questions concerning medical issues and if your bird is injured take it to an avian veterinarian immediately!
Experience I have raised parakeets for almost ten years. I've had success breeding and raising budgies. I also have some experience in hand-feeding/raising parakeet chicks.
Education/Credentials I have succesfully bred and raised budgies for ten years.
Question Hi! I have two budgies that are very well bonded and are sexually mature. I am going to breed them and I have attached a plastic breeding box on their cage. I filled it with shredded paper and the female removed it all. She is also keeping it this way. Will this cause any problems to the chicks i.e splayed legs, etc. The past few days, she has been in the nest box and the male is poking his head in and it looks like he is feeding the female. I don't know if they have mated yet. In the cage, I have a swing and a short perch that trims their nails. If they mate, won't it be difficult for them? How can I tell if the female is pregnant? Sometimes, when the male pokes his head in, she starts fighting with him. Why is this? Someone else said that it could be play fighting. Please answer soon!
Answer Hi Ustat!
I currently have four budgies of my own breeding, so I understand your situation, it was almost the same as mine the first time my budgies bred! First of all, you have a plastic breeding box. I recommend changing to a wooden breeding box, but for now leave the female alone. If or when she lays eggs, there is a process you can use. If she doesn't lay any eggs within a week I would try this process. If she does lay an egg/s let her sit on it/them for 18 days after the last eggs was layed. After this time introduce a nesting box inside or outside the cage, along with the plastic. If she chooses the wooden then remove the plastic, but if she chooses to stay in the plastic let her be. As for material in the nesting box, I use pine wood shaving and my females don't mind and I have never had a problem using it. If she refuses this too, then try drawer liner. It is fairly inexpensive and the female may actually like it better than have bare plastic beneath her. One of my current females is extremely gentle and will let you pick her up off her nest and take out her 3 chicks, but the other female wants you no where near her nesting box and some times even attacks her mate. Your female may just be moody and telling the male she doesn't want fed. My female and male are fine like this. The male just sits there until she calms down and tries to feed her again, if she attacks him once more he goes away and comes back later. It depends on what kind of dad your male is. My other male is Mr. Mom and helps feed the chicks and sit on them, this is rare, but not unheard of. Your male might be a dad who wants nothing to do with the chicks until after they have left the nesting box.
For now I would suggest, if your female permits it, picking up your female twice a day and looking for a round lump between her legs, if you see one leave her alone for a while and check on her every hour if possible, if she seems to be straining to lay, rub some warm vegetable oil around the vent.
