My parakeets are trying to kill each other

[hsm5grls]

I have had my two parakeets for 4 years. They have always lived together. One is a girl and one is a boy. Recently they started mating so I am thinking Oh good they love each other how sweet etc. well in the last 2 they started fighting and I mean really fighting. Rolling around on the bottom of the cage, clutched in each other claws and biting. Feathers flying everywhere. I literally have to pry them apart. Why would they just start fighting like that. I am afraid one of them is really going to get hurt. Anyone have parakeets or know why all of a sudden they would want to kill each other.
They have always been fine together I am stumped.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I bread budgies for quite some time in the late 60's early 70's, I had mostly English. As I remember it sexing budgies is not soley with color of the nose, but with the size of the nostrils and the head conformation, unless budgies have suddenly changed over the past 40 yrs., once they are mature it is easy to see the difference. A high squarish forehead is a male, a rounded head is a female. Most pronounced in the English Budgie. The smaller American Budgie can be more difficult. I have noticed at pet stores budgies of pure quality. (Yes, I know I am a budgie snob, I never showed my birds, but others have. I never had the time.)
A good breeding cage 40 years ago was 18"x12"x 16" with a nest box on the out side. I never had toys in a mating pairs cages. Feeding and grooming each other is not always mating behavior. If they are fighting one minute then friends the next it is because one of them (99% the female) is ready yet. Males can get very aggressive and they have killed the female if she really doesn't like him, it is very rare. They do not like a lot of disturbances, such as daily cleaning when getting amorous. Once the do mate, do not clean their cage often, I cleaned every 2 weeks. To keep commotion down I had a clean staurolite cage pan ready to replace the dirty one, switching as quitly as Possable. I would check brood box once a day at most when feeding and fresh water. Once the eggs hatch, be every careful not to stress them. They will kill their chicks if overly stressed. Check to see that the chicks gullet has food in it. Sometimes if one is weak it will not be feed, or their could be one of the chicks is feed more then the others.
Of course their is a lot lot more.... Books on it. I have over simplified it. And it has been a long time. It was very rewarding, but I had to give it up, we moved to a different state and motherhood.

You do know this thread is 5 years old?

 

[helmstead]

Ah...hormones.

How big is your cage? Does she have somewhere to go for some peace? How many nests do you have in there? How many activites?

 

[hsm5grls]

yes they have a big cage with a nest box and a lot of toys. She has her favorite swing that she loves. I just don't get it. Now they are sitting together on their perch like nothing happened. Like hey I am sorry I just tried to kill you. I can't figure them out. Here's the really weird thing though he goes in the nest box and hardly ever lets her in. Should I get another nest box? I never thought of that.

 

[helmstead]

Yup - you need another nest ASAP - that is your problem! Easy fix. They will squabble from time to time...but having two nests will help!

 

[hsm5grls]

Great I am glad I posted I am going to go get a new nest box today before they hurt each other. I just assumed he would be a gentleman and give the nest to her.

 

[picklespickles]

i had to do taht with my dogs. as soon as they both had beds, then they would sleep together. lol.

 

[helmstead]

Be sure to offer her nesting material, too - available at the pet store. Now that she's sexually mature, she'll want to primp and prep that nest to her liking. He might help, too. You're going to be getting eggs, LOL! Make sure too that there are lots of toys and treats available to keep them busy doing things beside fighting.

 

[hsm5grls]

Thank you helmstead I was assuming that they were just never going to mate they are 4 yrs. old and I was told they were past the baby making age. YEAH Babies, must be the water around here everything is making babies LOL Guess I need to google parakeet's to learn about what to do when they eggs are laid.

 

[picklespickles]

that's amazing you had them for so long. you never know with nature.