Breeding Budgerigars

Phil Proctor

There are two methods of breeding programmes for budgerigars, controlled and uncontrolled breeding. Uncontrolled breeding is also called colony breeding. Controlled breeding is the method used by all breeders of exhibition budgerigars. Controlled breeding, as the term suggests, is the bringing together of the cock and the hen of the breeder's choice, and allocating a specific breeding cage (i.e., one pair to a cage). The breeding referred to in this article is based on the controlled system.

The feature which stands out first and foremost in successful breeding is the perfect breeding condition of your stock. Without this, infertile eggs, weak and unhealthy chicks are likely to be produced. Never pair up your birds before they are quite ready, and remember it is not necessary to put all pairs up at the same time, but as they come into condition.

The indication of perfect breeding condition in the cock is his cere (the little smooth patch above the beak, in which the nostril holes are situated). This should be a shiny blue; his attitude vigorous and sprightly. Hens' ceres, when in full condition, are a deep brown with a rough look. The pairs selected should be in very good condition, as referred to above. This is most important, as many would-be breeders are disillusioned on making a bad start.

The best and safest time for a beginner to start breeding is at the end of February or early March, introducing the cock to the cage at least two days before the hen. If the pair are in breeding condition, the first egg usually appears after about ten days and budgerigars start to incubate from the first egg. Others are laid on alternate days, the incubation period being eighteen days, as a rule. It will be seen from this that there will be a difference in the age of the youngest, according to how many eggs are laid. The hen takes as much care of her last chick as she does the others. It is advisable to inspect the nest box on a regular basis to see how things are progressing and to ring the youngsters.

The young become fully fledged ready to leave the nest, by which time they are four to five weeks old. They should be left with their parents for as long as possible. Young birds are naturally more nervous than their parents, so it is unwise tomove them late in the day, the ideal time being in the morning. This gives them a long time of daylight to find their bearings and get fully accustomed to their new quarters. It is always advisable to keep the young by themselves, or at least do not turn odd adult hens in with them, for they are mostly very spiteful. Cocks, on the other hand, are usually quite safe.

Sexing the young is a difficult problem to most beginners. I have always found the best time to do so with the smallest margins of error, is soon after leaving the nest box. If you leave it too long before sexing, they all look very much alike for a long time. At an early age, the cere nostrils of the hen are white, the cock being pink.

I strongly advise breeders to ring their chicks with closed metal rings. These are put on the chicks when they are between five and ten days old. The method used by most is to slip the ring over the three long toes, then slip the ring up the leg and over the little toe and pull it through with a sharpened matchstick.

All who are interested in budgerigars should join the Budgerigar Society. all members of the Society are given a special ring number for their own private use, and birds ringed with Budgerigar Society rings are always traceable to their original breeder.

Editor's Note: This article is part of a booklet Welcome to Caring For and Breeding Clearwing Budgerigars used as a welcome to new members of the CBBA and is reprinted by kind permission of that Association.

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