What triggers the mating process?

[Cindy]

Hi, I have two pairs of budgies and I would like to know how you go about getting them to mate. I have put them in their own cages with a nesting box each. one pair seem to be quite happy together, the male is the father of my first bubs, who have fledged now , and are happpily flitting arournd with Mum in the aviary, , ( she is having a rest as she is an older bird)
but havent seem them mate yet, and the other have only been together a few days, both of then dont seem to be very interested in each other yet , so what do I need to do in order for them to mate?
With my first lot of babies, it seemed to happen quite quickly. Thanks

[graham]

Hi
nothing u can do really, try rearing and condition eggfood.
graham

[Cindy]

Thanks Graham, am doing all that, with the egg food etc, so I suppose it'll be a waiting game, then.

[Diane]

You might be better off taking the nest boxe out until both budgies are ready to mate - as sometimes the female will go into the nest box and stay there, just to get away from the male, if he's in the mood and she's not!

Then when you see the male feeding the female and they are obviously preening each other, put the nest box back in, but cover the hole with cardboard - the hen will then work at the cardboard to make a hole in it, so she can get into the nest box to lay. This will ensure that the hormones are in full throttle and you are more likely to get fertile eggs.

[Ryan]

It is indeed a waiting game. Continue to feed them the greens and veggies.

[ian]

i find if you add sawdust to the nest boxes this seems to help

[Sydney]

for about a year now my budgies have been paired but through the year she didnt let her mate mate with her nor did she groom him she was very fussy then just a few weeks ago she started to groom him and let him mate with her and now i have i loving pair and 6 eggs. though he still tries to mate with her and she doesnt allow him lol what a typical male he is dont u think

p.s she also decided to make her nesting box the way she wanted it by ripping the soft wood to pieces and made the concave deeper.

[Cindy]

Thanks for all the help. Will try to put in place some of the ideas and see how we go. I must have got lucky with the first lot , all seemed to go ok, with the hen and cock pairing up straight away, and she is a really good Mum, so, will wait and see. Cheers, Cindy

[Ryan]

Little Miss also likes to try to make the concave deeper as well, she is indeed a chewer, not only of wood, but of my poor fingers!

[Sydney]

lol yeh my female bites really hard specially when it comes to trimming her nails

[Ryan]

Yeah most Hens will bite harder when they are in breeding condition. After about a week of the Nest box being gone, she returns to her hand tamed self.

[Sydney]

my girl aint tame lol but she is a beautiful colour thats why i anted to breed her for the experience and to pass her colours on oh and her entertainment lol she loves to do little tricks

[Shalamar]

My budgies are very young but they are feeding each other and staying near each other. I have only gotten them about a week ago. Is this just because they are protecting each other, or are they becoming close and maybe in the future will breed easier?

[Barrie Shutt]

WHAT TRIGGERS THE MATING PROCESS?
light triggers of the birds to breed with a minimum ten hours of light a day birds will breed if they are mature,have nesting facilities,have had a richer diet for the few weeks prior to breeding and are left to get on with it.

[ian]

to bring them into mating season try
candle light a romantic meal ,a bit of barry white playing in the back ground.soft lighting in the nest box and a soft bed of wood shavings...and if that fails..............3 cans of larger and a curry:D

[nikali]

i have four budgies i have two blue ones and one brown and the other a deep cho-cho color my cage is very large and in the day i leave the door open for them to fly free. i also do have the breeding box in the cage. and have had them for over a year and half but they are not doing anything. is there something im doing wrong......?

[Neil]

WHAT TRIGGERS THE MATING PROCESS?
light triggers of the birds to breed with a minimum ten hours of light a day birds will breed if they are mature,have nesting facilities,have had a richer diet for the few weeks prior to breeding and are left to get on with it.

Barrie, when you say richer diet, i give them eggfood, mineral block, cuttlefish and grated carrot, do i need to give them anything else ?

[Barrie Shutt]

Barrie, when you say richer diet, i give them eggfood, mineral block, cuttlefish and grated carrot, do i need to give them anything else ?

millet sprays,groats,brocolli.

[Lynne Sargent]

i have four budgies i have two blue ones and one brown and the other a deep cho-cho color

You have a brown budgie??? :confused:.... or do you mean the colour of their ceres? Must be.