New Member need help with budgies nesting

[nightphreak]

Hello all, hoping someone can help with this, i've got two budgies and they have mated, and she has laid a few eggs, just bought a new nesting box, it's a plastic one (vision nesting box) and placed it in the cage as mine doesn't support it being attached on the outside, the catches on the side of the nesting box are too wide for the cage, she started things by continuously clearing out the feeding bowl, at first i refilled it a few times, putting less and less in it until gradually i just started putting the food in a lid at the bottom of the cage, she laid two eggs in the food bowl and tries her hardest to fit in it and sit on the eggs, now i've read that it may take them a little while to get used to the nesting box, but also read that i should move the eggs, and as well if the hen doesn't know where the eggs are she will consider them gone? i think that's basically what i've learned, we didn't origionally plan for them to breed so soon, but since she is laying eggs and they are mating (still fairly young, so even if the eggs aren't viable wanting to use this as a learning experience for her for future egg laying if possible, not sure if this is something that i should do though... ) but i've had a lot of trouble trying to get the budgies to not be afraid of me, i have a young boy that likes to come up and yell at them whenever i try to work with them which scares them... after we first got them he grabbed them and plucked some feathers from the tails of each of them... i imagine it was very traumatic for both of them, and i believe this to be the primary cause they are afraid of us, I tried placing the eggs in the nesting box with the side of it open so she could see they were in there, but she wouldn't touch it, so i moved the eggs back to the feed bowl and she is back to tending to them, my question is when should i move the eggs into the nesting box? and any advice on getting them to trust humans again?

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you! You need to find a way to deal with your son tormenting them!

 

[itzjbean]

Hello there! We'd love pictures of your little budgies!

First things first, just because they laid eggs does not mean you have to immediately put in a nest box and let them nest. As you said they are young (how young do you mean?) generally anything less than a year old and they are too young to be breeding or even thinking of having babies as they are still babies themselves.

Second, you should stop your young boy from yelling at the birds and better yet keep him away from them at all times, they should be on a stand so he can't get to them, and he should be given something else to do while you are working with them -- puzzle, toy, snack? and you need to reinforce the behavior that you do NOT yell or terrorize the birds! He should never have been able to grab at them and pull their feathers, where were you when this happened?? He coulv'e seriously injured them and you don't seem to think it was a big deal?

I think you should remove the eggs, remove the nest box and let them be birds, no need to give them a nest box, they do not need to reproduce to be happy birds. Any eggs laid by female can be boiled/frozen and tossed or you can give her dummy eggs and throw the other ones away. You need tons of equipment if you want to take on breeding, such as a brooder, hand feeding formula, after all, you need to be prepared should the eggs hatch and the parents abandon the babies or mutilate them (its happened to me and many other breeders!) so just be prepared when things don't go perfectly right, you must step in and possibly may need to start hand feeding babies around the clock until they are weaned...hope you don't work or don't have any traveling plans for the near future because they 'll need you around all the time to feed them.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and your budgies!

I'd respectfully suggest reading this thoughtful thread before breeding. Very well written by one of our senior members: http://www.parrotforums.com/breeding-raising-parrots/54987-before-i-start-breed.html

 

[Casper223]

Nightphreak, I'm speechless. Welcome to the forum, and there is so much to read and learn here. I do believe breeding at any level need not be a thought. Flboy and itzjbean pretty much transmit my thoughts.

I will say this, I had two English bulldogs up until I lost one 2 weeks ago. Both are Kennel Trained. Some folks call that mean.... I know during thunderstorms or in time of stress and anxiety, both go directly to their kennels for safety and comfort. I also have three Grandchildren, two age 4, and one that's 2 years old. I love them to death.... When they are visiting, my daughters call me before their arrival, and both my Bullies are caged. They are not submitted to any abuse what so ever. It's also to easy for a child to drop a piece of chocolate on the floor, and one of my crumb grabbers snatch it up in observance of the 5 second rule. For their safety, and because I love the Grand Children so much, and I love my bullies so much, I don't allow them to play together. Kids will be kids, but I feel irresponsible to mix children who have no understanding to my bullies who don't know any better. One day my Grands will be old enough to understand, and yet appreciate an animals love. Right now isn't that time, as I'm positive you understand. What has been done cannot be undone, It is going to take a lot of time and effort to regain their trust, if it can ever be done. At the same time, your child could have just as easily given your budgies a piece of food that was forbidden, that could have killed them, one or both. A lot of times as parents, we want our children to grow up and appreciate the love of animals, Their are animals for this, and an age to which to mix the two. We as parents have to place a lot of time, though and patience in making this decision. My heart goes out to you and your budgies, I realize your here attempting to rectify the wrong. Honestly, and bluntly put....Breeding birds aren't to be taken lightly, and from just what you've described, I don't think is the proper environment either. That said, and I did say it because sugar coating isn't something I do well, I'd rather folks tell me the way it is, and I like to do the same. I think you have an extraordinary amount of work ahead of you, which will be disappointing, and you may even terminate your goals later, because this isn't going to be easy. I think I can speak for the majority of folks here in saying we have an abundant amount of love for our birds, and we seek to transmit our knowledge into you, which results in what's best for your bird, care and enrichment. I'm totally torn in reading your post, my heart goes out to the parakeets, and I hope and pray you put forth the effort in regaining a trust and bond with them. I will suggest it's easier to build a bond with one bird at a time, rather than two. Suggesting, separate them into two different cages at this point, spend equal amounts of time with both, building trust and a bond. That would be my initial starting point, and please read Flboy well, he made an excellent point, The birds and your young man aren't at the point of mixing, not until your young man matures to the point of understanding. My heart really goes out to you, because I realize this wasn't your initial intent, but how you deal with it from this point foreword will either plant you in success or failure. I wish you the very best of luck in your endeavor.

 

[nightphreak]

hoping this shows okay, these are the budgies
thank you for the link regarding "before i start to breed"

regarding the comments about my son and the birds , thank you for your concern my son stays away from the birds 99.9% of the time, and i do try to keep him occupied when attempting to do anything with them, but he is a child and he is curious and I do try to ensure that he is not cruel or loud around them, this does not always work as he is a child.. being the only one in the home with him for most of the day it is difficult sometimes. The budgies are at least a year old i believe.