Bonded Budgies Courting?

[Spacey'sMom]

Hello All,

I have a pair of budgies who we guess are about a year old now. We got one a bit over 6months ago and the second 2 months ago. I'm guessing that now the days are growing longer and they have bonded a bit they have decided conditions are favorable for a baby. We don't want any keet babies thanks lol.

To my knowledge there isn't any viable nesting area. Every toy and perch I have for them is open and either branches or flat surfaces with no sides. They definitely get the best food I can give them. Their dry mix is ground pellets a tiny bit of seed, Hay, dried herbs, and some freezedried fruits. I serve this on a fresh green of some kind. Generally a slaw chop mix. Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, Lettuce, and carrot.

The Lighting/bed time is the most difficult I'd say. We try to keep our tiny flying chickens as free range as possible and while I shut the curtains and turn off lights in the room until I actually put them to bed they are generally still up and active. I also worry about using a fabric that's too thick to cover them up. I use a lightweight silk scarf. Should I use something heavier? Could that cut off ventilation too much or is it fine?

Thanks!!

Ps I was thinking of using black foam board all around the back and sides to help cut out the light some?? Thoughts??

PPS Lots of talking, head bobbing, jumping, and regurgitation/simulated feeding, from the male. Today was the first day he seemed to try mounting her. It was unsuccessful and I clapped and he stopped. Usually she runs him off when he's annoying her but let's just say there was more reciprocating behaviors today. I brought him upstairs with me and they'll call now and again but not super distressed. Door is open so they can fly to each other if they want but they're just hanging out for now. Should I do more of this separate time?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Hello All,

I have a pair of budgies who we guess are about a year old now. We got one a bit over 6months ago and the second 2 months ago. I'm guessing that now the days are growing longer and they have bonded a bit they have decided conditions are favorable for a baby. We don't want any keet babies thanks lol.

To my knowledge there isn't any viable nesting area. Every toy and perch I have for them is open and either branches or flat surfaces with no sides. They definitely get the best food I can give them. Their dry mix is ground pellets a tiny bit of seed, Hay, dried herbs, and some freezedried fruits. I serve this on a fresh green of some kind. Generally a slaw chop mix. Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, Lettuce, and carrot.

The Lighting/bed time is the most difficult I'd say. We try to keep our tiny flying chickens as free range as possible and while I shut the curtains and turn off lights in the room until I actually put them to bed they are generally still up and active. I also worry about using a fabric that's too thick to cover them up. I use a lightweight silk scarf. Should I use something heavier? Could that cut off ventilation too much or is it fine?

Thanks!!

Ps I was thinking of using black foam board all around the back and sides to help cut out the light some?? Thoughts??

PPS Lots of talking, head bobbing, jumping, and regurgitation/simulated feeding, from the male. Today was the first day he seemed to try mounting her. It was unsuccessful and I clapped and he stopped. Usually she runs him off when he's annoying her but let's just say there was more reciprocating behaviors today. I brought him upstairs with me and they'll call now and again but not super distressed. Door is open so they can fly to each other if they want but they're just hanging out for now. Should I do more of this separate time?

It's very hard to stop a pair of budgies from breeding in captivity. They breed in the wild when food and water are plentiful which is hopefully how we all keep our birds. Mine bred in Maine in November and we go to bed early so seasons don't seem to matter to them. Unless you are willing to keep them in separate cages don't be surprised if she lays an egg in her food dish!

 

[Spacey'sMom]

If that's the case then is there anything I should know health wise?

I work from home so they are only caged for bed time. Pardon my not knowing but if budgies are ovulating are they like chickens who lay unfertilized eggs? We don't want any more budgies at the moment. If she does lay an egg what the heck do we do?

They were too young to really identify their sex when choosing but she is significantly smaller than him. I know that birds don't cary baby's to term like mammals but that could affect egg size right? Im super worried now.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

If that's the case then is there anything I should know health wise?

I work from home so they are only caged for bed time. Pardon my not knowing but if budgies are ovulating are they like chickens who lay unfertilized eggs? We don't want any more budgies at the moment. If she does lay an egg what the heck do we do?

They were too young to really identify their sex when choosing but she is significantly smaller than him. I know that birds don't cary baby's to term like mammals but that could affect egg size right? Im super worried now.

Assuming you are CERTAIN you have a male and a female (post pictures. It would help), the size difference between the two doesn't matter. Budgies eggs are approximately the same size regardless of the size of the parents or whether or not they're fertile.
Females often lay unfertilized eggs and will lay them in her food dish or on the floor of her cage if she doesn't have a nest box. Don't give them a nest box because that will just encourage them. Avoid having anything in the cage that is nest-box like, such as a snuggle tent. If she lays fertile eggs you can remove them and hard boil them right away so they don't develop and give put them back (cooled) where you found them so she can sit on them until she gets bored. If you just remove them she's likely to lay more to replace them. She should stop laying them when she sees she has five or six, maybe fewer.
Make sure she gets lots of calcium in her diet from a cuttlebone, leafy green vegetables, and a mineral block. It's good to have a liquid calcium vitamin D3 supplement on hand such as Calcivet in case she becomes egg bound from calcium deficiency. A vet can recommend one if you can't find Calcivet (Walmart sells it online).

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Assuming you are CERTAIN you have a male and a female (post pictures. It would help), the size difference between the two doesn't matter. Budgies eggs are approximately the same size regardless of the size of the parents or whether or not they're fertile.
Females often lay unfertilized eggs and will lay them in her food dish or on the floor of her cage if she doesn't have a nest box. Don't give them a nest box because that will just encourage them. Avoid having anything in the cage that is nest-box like, such as a snuggle tent. If she lays fertile eggs you can remove them and hard boil them right away so they don't develop and give put them back (cooled) where you found them so she can sit on them until she gets bored. If you just remove them she's likely to lay more to replace them. She should stop laying them when she sees she has five or six, maybe fewer.
Make sure she gets lots of calcium in her diet from a cuttlebone, leafy green vegetables, and a mineral block. It's good to have a liquid calcium vitamin D3 supplement on hand such as Calcivet in case she becomes egg bound from calcium deficiency. A vet can recommend one if you can't find Calcivet (Walmart sells it online).

If you notice that her poops are getting very large and wet that means egg laying is coming soon, within a week, so watch her droppings. I'd love to see photos of them to confirm their sexes. The male cere in some color varieties isn't bright blue like most males and you can usually tell if the female is in breeding condition by the color and texture of her cere.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Hello All,

I have a pair of budgies who we guess are about a year old now. We got one a bit over 6months ago and the second 2 months ago. I'm guessing that now the days are growing longer and they have bonded a bit they have decided conditions are favorable for a baby. We don't want any keet babies thanks lol.

To my knowledge there isn't any viable nesting area. Every toy and perch I have for them is open and either branches or flat surfaces with no sides. They definitely get the best food I can give them. Their dry mix is ground pellets a tiny bit of seed, Hay, dried herbs, and some freezedried fruits. I serve this on a fresh green of some kind. Generally a slaw chop mix. Broccoli, Kale, Cabbage, Lettuce, and carrot.

The Lighting/bed time is the most difficult I'd say. We try to keep our tiny flying chickens as free range as possible and while I shut the curtains and turn off lights in the room until I actually put them to bed they are generally still up and active. I also worry about using a fabric that's too thick to cover them up. I use a lightweight silk scarf. Should I use something heavier? Could that cut off ventilation too much or is it fine?

Thanks!!

Ps I was thinking of using black foam board all around the back and sides to help cut out the light some?? Thoughts??

PPS Lots of talking, head bobbing, jumping, and regurgitation/simulated feeding, from the male. Today was the first day he seemed to try mounting her. It was unsuccessful and I clapped and he stopped. Usually she runs him off when he's annoying her but let's just say there was more reciprocating behaviors today. I brought him upstairs with me and they'll call now and again but not super distressed. Door is open so they can fly to each other if they want but they're just hanging out for now. Should I do more of this separate time?

Don't black out their cage. They won't be able to find their way around in the dark and can panic and injure themselves. All the need to sleep is dim darkness and quiet. If you and your family stay up past 9pm you should put their cage in a quiet room at about 8pm if you want them to sleep. Unfortunately budgies breed more based on having a comparable mate and having plenty of food and water available and less based on photoperiod, so enforcing a strict bedtime probably won't be very effective budgie birth control.
Are they "mating" inside or outside their cage?
If they only mate while inside their cage, and you house them in separate cages, you may be able to prevent the eggs (if any) from being fertilized but she may just lay sterile eggs inside her cage or in a cozy hadden place somewhere around your house. If they are mating while outside the cage it will be tough to prevent fertile eggs unless you don't let them out together which seems like an unfortunate solution since they free fly together most of the day.

 

[Spacey'sMom]

We've just been interrupting them when we see more courting type behavior. Today they actually seemed content to hang out and preen each other. As far as I can tell and based on what others have said we have a male and female. See pics below. First was in the middle of prepping my dry blend and then some close ups of some floofy feathers and dirty beaks lol.

 

[Keet_Krazy]

Have you tried changing up their environment?
Re-arranging the cage or changing their location can help a lot. One of my girlies is pretty insistent on being nesty, so every few days I am moving her to a different room. Just for the day, then I move her back. Been a few weeks of this and still no eggs

 

[DonnaBudgie]

We've just been interrupting them when we see more courting type behavior. Today they actually seemed content to hang out and preen each other. As far as I can tell and based on what others have said we have a male and female. See pics below. First was in the middle of prepping my dry blend and then some close ups of some floofy feathers and dirty beaks lol.


View attachment 48422

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I think you may lucky to have two males! The yellow one appears to be a recessive pied adult male (pinkish purple cere as an adult male) and the normal green adult one has a blue cere and is likely also a male, though if either of them is female it's the green one because the cere is kinda light for a male. If it's a female it's NOT in breeding condition or it's cere would be distinctly tan-brown. Do you have any more pictures of the green one?
Which one do you think is a male? Other readers comments?

 

[Spacey'sMom]

I think you may lucky to have two males! The yellow one appears to be a recessive pied adult male (pinkish purple cere as an adult male) and the normal green adult one has a blue cere and is likely also a male, though if either of them is female it's the green one because the cere is kinda light for a male. If it's a female it's NOT in breeding condition or it's cere would be distinctly tan-brown. Do you have any more pictures of the green one?
Which one do you think is a male? Other readers comments?

This is Terri again today. It turned that bright blue about 2 months after we got them and stayed that way a while but now back to that brown ish tan. Las couple of days with more strict bed times there's been less courting behavior luckily.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

View attachment 48516
This is Terri again today. It turned that bright blue about 2 months after we got them and stayed that way a while but now back to that brown ish tan. Las couple of days with more strict bed times there's been less courting behavior luckily.

Definite female then.