Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 9/9/2007

Question
I had a male and a female parakeet and have the cage and everthing you need for them.  They are over a year old.  I recently bough a nesting box and put it in there cage.  My first question is how long does it take for them to go in the nest and start having eggs? and my second question is I was told to get some millet sprays and put in the box that this would help them go in the box and help during the time the mom is laying on the eggs.  That it is very good for them .  So is this a good idea or not?  I got very good food for them which is Pre,ium Parakeet food .  Is there anything else i should be giving them like any kind of soft foods i could make myself?  I thank you for trying to answer my questions.
Pearl

Answer
Hi, Pear or Pearl ??,

Are your pair of birds pair-bonded?  Pair-bonded is when the male feeds the female beak-to-beak.  If they are not pair-bonded, they are not ready to breed yet.  If they are pair-bonded, well, you just have to wait and see!  They will mate and produce eggs when they are ready.  All birds are different, therefore, I can't answer your question exactly.  It also depends on whether their setup is satisfactory to them.  

If they are pair-bonded and ready to breed, the male will prepare the nesting box the way he wants it, and then the female will go in/out, eventually staying in and laying her eggs.  The male stays outside the nesting box and feeds the female while the female lays the eggs and then incubates them.  

Spray millet is good for them, but don't put it in the nesting box.  They don't usually like stuff in their nesting box.  This might be why they aren't going in if you have anything in the bottom of the box.  Yes, it's OK to put some spray millet in the box after the female starts incubating her eggs, but don't put it in until then.  The female is fed by the male anyhow and might also eat when she comes out of the box to defecate, so it isn't really necessary to feed the female when she is in the box.  

An all-seed diet is not a healthy diet, even if it says "premium" or "fortified."  Your birds need a variety of nutritious, healthy foods.  If you want to switch their diet, you can't breed them and switch their diet at the same time.  Everyone would be better off if you switched their diet over FIRST...any offspring will probably be healthier, easier for the parents to feed their babies, healthier for all concerned.  A diet change has to be made gradully over a period of time.  Visit my website for more information on diet, etc.:  www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Chrys