Breeding my budgies. Need help please.

[210175]

Hello, i have a mated pair of budgies that are 1 year old and are now in a breeding enclosure. I added a breeder box in and they seemed to be very intrigued by it.
My questions are how long from mating will the lay there first egg?
How do you Know the female is getting ready to lay?
How long till the eggs will hatch?

I have done plenty of research but it is always good to get more and more opinions.

I would love to hear other people breeding budgie stories too.

Thanks

 

[Keah]

Hi,

Sorry it took so long for someone to reply, i hope you still seek answers
I have been breeding budgies for 2 years now and each time I get excited when my new lot of babies arrive!
Your first question is hard to answer as I have never known or seen any of my budgies mate...I simply look in the nest box and Poof an egg is there!
From my experience I usually look at the females vent (bottom) to see if it is enlarged. What I have found out is that it is bigger around the lower belly area on a bird before she lays an egg. also her poo is a tell tale, it will be quite big and very 'soopy' as she is getting ready to lay. If you see this then expect an egg within 1-2 days.
The eggs take 17-20 days to hatch from when she starts incubation. She may start sitting once she lays egg number 3, this is fine. All my budgies start incubation on egg number one. So i keep track of the days from there. Usually the babies hatch on day 18. Do not panic if a baby hasn't hatched after day 20. One of mine didn't hatch till day 25, and is a healthy and happy budgie today! You can also candle the eggs to see how the baby is growing in the egg. This is super easy, you simply get a torch and place it next to the egg and see your baby growing inside! On day 4 of incubation you can see a heart beat.

I hope I have helped and answered any questions you may have wanted answers to either way I'm happy to share my experience!
good luck

 

[Nadine83]

Budgies tend to lay there first egg about 9-10 days after mating. You can tell when she is getting ready to lay, The hen will have an Egg bum. Her lower abdomen will start to swell. She will then lay one egg every other day after the first has been laid. She will continue to lay eggs till she feels she has enough. It could be 2 eggs or you could have 10, every clutch is different. The eggs usually hatch about 20-23 days after the start of incubation. Which some hens don't start incubating till after the 2nd egg has been laid. The eggs will hatch in the order they are laid. Be sure to check the nest box for rotten/broken eggs, and dead chicks. They will need to be removed. (Dont be discouraged if eggs dont hatch, and if some chicks dont survive. Sometimes it does happen.) For the most part you will not have to do anything except inspect the nest and chicks every now and again. (I check every 2 days when they start hatching, then every 4 days once all the chicks have been hatched and all is well. I also, change the bedding in the nest box once a month to keep it clean.) The hen will feed the chicks, and wean them. Once the chicks are weaned they can be moved to another cage. And its best to not allow the hen to start a second clutch of chicks. She needs a break in between broods. Its best to remove the nest box and any other eggs she lays. Be sure to give lots of cuttlebone, mineral chews, and water when she is laying. You dont want to risk her getting egg bound. Good luck with your breeding.