Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 10/27/2007

Question
Hey,
I have 3 baby budgies (2 of them are coming out of box and are pretty much independen - eating seed etc:) and the 3rd baby is still in the box and is 6 days younger than the other 2 babies (hope this makes sense) today i noticed the parents mating and got worried since Indi (female) still needs to look after 3rd baby. Should i seperate the male into a deperate cage or take the box out (though i still feel the 3rd baby needs the box) im worried cause i dont wont Indi to lay eggs any time soon as i dont want her body to get stressed etc:
Please Help!!
Georgia

Answer
Hi, Georgia,

Your female is going to nest again.  If they have already mated, chances are very good more eggs are on the way.  Do not remove the male...he cares for the offspring once they leave the nest.  If you do not want any more babies, I recommend you remove the nesting box right away, keep both parents in the cage with their offspring, put the 3d baby in the cage with the rest, and the female and male should still care for this baby, as well as the others.  You may have to turn up the heat in this room a bit...you must ensure the babies are kept warm enough.  You didn't say how old the babies are, especially the 3d baby...this information would help.  Removing the box may keep the female from laying eggs, although she may lay on the cage bottom.  If she lays on the cage bottom, let her lay her clutch (make sure you have cuttlebone available so she can replace calcium if necessary) and as soon as the clutch is laid, you can remove and boil the eggs for a few minutes (like you would hard boil a chicken egg), let them cool, and put them back under her.  You don't want to remove eggs as they are laid because she will just keep laying and laying and laying to make up for the eggs you remove.  You want to remove them and boil them after she's done to keep her from continuous laying, but boiling them will allow her to abandon them when she's ready to (she'll know they won't hatch and abandon them eventually).  

Birds are different and some situations need to be handled differently depending on the bird, so we may need to keep in touch depending on what happens.

You will need to keep a close eye on the situation in the cage so you can take quick action if you need to.  Watch the 3d baby closely, and the other 2 babies, too, to ensure they are warm enough and are getting fed well.  You may need to step in and help by handfeeding the offspring if necessary to supplement the parents' feeding.  

All-seed diet is a terrible diet for a bird.  I recommend you gradually try to get your birds eating a variety of foods.  More information is on my website:  www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Chrys