How Many Times Do Budgies Breed In A Year?
Budgies are small colorful and friendly birds belonging to the parrot family. Also known as parakeets among bird breeders, Budgies make great pets! If you already own a budgie, I am sure you would love to breed them further.
When the question comes to budgie breeding, you might ask how many times do budgies breed in a year? During the mating seasons, budgerigars or budgies breed at least two to three times a year provided if all necessary conditions are ideal. In the wild, these parakeet birds usually breed twice and lay 2-3 eggs in a clutch.
Being such beautiful pets, budgies have high demands in the pet markets. Bird breeders thus sometimes try to pair and force breed them. The process certainly falls under animal cruelty. However, budgies are smarter than we think!
These beautiful species of birds are monogamous and thus only breeds with partners they bond with. In this article, we will understand all about budgie breeding in detail.
I encourage you to have a thorough read of the article below to understand your pet budgies better.
How Many Times do Female Budgie Birds Give Birth In A Year?
Budgies are usually perceived as shy birds. However, it is not the same when it comes to breeding. They are very selective in choosing the right partner before mating. These birds love to mate only along with the one with whom they share great bonds.
A healthy budgie bird in the wild can give birth twice a year. However, the ones in captivity can stretch from three to five clutches under proper care and a healthy environment.
These beautiful birds get ready to breed as soon as they turn six months old. However, this is not the ideal time to allow breeding. Females are still too weak to lay eggs and care for the babies.
Budgie breeding should be allowed only after the females hit at least eight to ten months of age. Females can breed and care for chicks till they turn four years old. Thus, it is important to not hurry or force-breed young female birds. Young females also sometimes fail to become good parents and provide the right care for their chicks.
Male budgies are eligible for mating till they turn seven years old. In the case of a female, their breeding age drops to four years. As budgie parents, you have to be careful about these little details about your beloved pets before you proceed with their mating.
However, other than these basic physical details, there are various crucial contributing factors when it comes to budgie breeding. We have discussed some of the important budgie breeding contributors in the paragraphs below.
How To Breed Budgies?
As responsible pet budgie parents, bird breeders, or budgie lovers, you have to put effort. Finding the right budgie mates, right bonding, proper environment, care, and nest building play very crucial roles in the entire budgie breeding process.
Yes, breeding your pet budgies is not as easy as it may sound. There is more research, knowledge, and understanding of the biological backgrounds of these beautiful animals. Keeping a male budgie along with a female will not do all the work for you. [Source: SPBE, Massachusetts]
Here is a guide simplified to help you understand all about the process of breeding the all colorful and sweet parakeets.
- Selecting the pair
If you are planning to adopt budgies or choosing a mate for your beloved pet budgie make sure that the partners are not related. Birds who are in close relation with each other or belong to the same family tree should not be paired to breed and give birth to babies.
Budgies from the same family when breeding often births deformed babies or dead ones. The chances of genetic mutation are always high when it comes to these beautiful parakeets. Also, both the female and the male should be at least one year of age before they get into the breeding process.
However, getting a male budgie for your female will still not do the work. Mating is only possible if both of them grow a beautiful bond. Buddies are monogamous and love to mate with only one partner at a time. Thus bonding plays a very crucial role in the breeding of these beautiful birds from the parrot family.
Breeding two parakeets of different colors will also require proper research. There is ample research available online about the same. It is better to seek help from a licensed bird breeder before trying to mate two birds with varied genetics.
- Signs that your budgies are ready to breed
If you already own a pet budgie or are an experienced bird breeder, you will know the signals from a female and a male when they are ready to breed.
Female budgies go through hormonal changes. The cere right above their beak changes its color to brown. Males also get flirtatious with the females, singing songs and changing colors to brighter shades.
Most pet parents have never witnessed their beloved budgie pairs breed. It is important to give your birds ample time and privacy to breed accordingly. However, you will know if the breeding is done!
- Breeding space and nest building
Breeding is a fragile and private process between two animals. Especially when we are talking about shy birds like budgies who also have monogamous relationships. Breeding space plays a crucial role before the ultimate mating.
It is important to keep the budgie pair separated from other cage mates or other potential male cocks. This will allow the female and the male to bond with each other and enjoy privacy. It makes the female more comfortable with her male counterpart.
At this stage, preening and mutual feeding are signs that budgie parents look forward to.
A big cage sizing 24 inches by 16 inches along with a roof height of at least 18 inches does well for our little parakeets to have a comfortable enclosure. Once you have arranged an appropriate birdcage, it is time to further accessorize it.
Budgies love to keep it minimal while nesting. Adding a simple wooden nest box with bird holes, and cozy bedding enables the female to lay her eggs safely. She can also spend a good birthtime sitting on the eggs providing all the necessary warmth. You can choose a nesting box of any shape and size that your birds may enjoy.
- Signs of successful mating
Females love to show their new form with thicker and elongated tails. They will also develop a fuller bosom and round belly and will show off some nesting skills. Mutual preening and feeding in between the budgie pairs is also a sign of successful mating.
They start rearranging their nest boxes making ample and cozy space to rest and lay their eggs. It takes around ten to twelve days after fertilization for the eggs to appear.
Only one egg appears first and gradually the pregnant budgie lays more eggs over time. A mature and healthy female budgie lays four to eight eggs in one clutch.
Most pet parents find it hard to control their excitement during this time. But, it is utterly crucial to not touch the eggs with bare hands as it may cause bacterial transfer and affect healthy babies.
- The right food care during breeding
Pregnancy is a very fragile process that demands extra care, support, and a healthy diet. Proper food consumption during this time is crucial for pregnant budgies to give birth to healthy and cute babies.
Cuttlefish, fresh fruits, mealworms, eggs, and all other protein-rich food must be offered with plain and clean drinking water. Food will be a major source of strength for the female while she is broody and adopting major hormonal changes.
Pet budgie parents may also offer store-bought power pack diets in the form of pellets and small blocks to enable easy eating during pregnancy.
The table below will help you have a sound knowledge about the foods that you may offer to your budgie:
| Nutrition: | Sources: |
|---|---|
| Fruit | Apple, banana, melon, grapes, papaya, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, peach, guava, watermelon, orange, blackberries. |
| Vegetables | Broccoli, kale, celery, brussel sprouts, radish, carrot, beetroot, squash, pumpkin, cucumber, red tomatoes, yams. |
| Protein | Store-bought mixed seeds, mealworms, cooked egg diets. |
Besides offering these nutritious fruits and veggies, make sure to keep the water feeder for your breeding budgies full all the time. Dehydration should not be a reason for their illness during this fragile time.
Now, as you know all about the breeding process of pet budgie birds, it is time for the laying and hatching of eggs.
All About Budgie Laying Eggs And Egg Hatching
Once you have learned how beautiful, adorable, smart company the budgies make, it is obvious that you will want more of them! Learning about Budgie breeding is not complicated and once you understand the breeding requirements, it is time to move further with the egg-laying and hatching process. [Source: Budgie Egg Hatched]
As mentioned earlier, Budgies lay four to six eggs twice every year. Pet parents need to identify the eggs and encourage these little parakeets to take the best egg care possible.
In the point below we will have an in-depth discussion about budgie eggs. Read on!
- Identifying budgie eggs
Budgies are small adorable and super cute birds. The eggs they lay after 10- 12 days of breeding look no different. Small, round, oval, and cute. The length of budgie eggs is around 2-3 cm and 1-2 cm wide. The color of the eggs varies from white, off-white to light grey. However, don’t expect all the eggs in a clutch to be identically round or oval. The eggs may vary in shape, size, and colors even if your budgie bird has to layer them all at once.
- Training your budgie where to lay eggs
Once the breeding is done, the females will show their excitement through various behaviors. Females fluff up and look fuller and round and also start making the nest to lay their eggs. If their nest floor is lined with proper bedding, the females rearrange everything to find a safe corner for egg-laying.
However, anyhow if the pet parent is unable to provide proper nesting, the budgies will lay eggs inside toys, food plates, or any other safe corners. If your pet budgie is laying her eggs in inappropriate places, shift her egg carefully inside the nest box. This will help her understand where she could be laying her eggs next time.
Little effort accompanied by proper care for your budgie birds will help the breeding process and egg-laying much easier for these little pet babies.
- Understand why birds lay unfertilized eggs:
It is totally common and natural for any bird to lay unfertilized eggs. Do not make the mistake of separating the budgie during this time, as it may discourage her to lay further eggs. You may also find an unfertilized egg with other fertilized eggs and it is wise to throw out an egg if that egg does not hatch even after a proper incubation process.
No one can tell how many eggs will produce babies. It may take twenty-three days or sometimes more to incubate an egg. However, if a baby doesn’t hatch out of an egg after 24-25 days, it is better to consider the egg unfertilized.
There are various reasons why an egg remains unfertilized:
- When the mother starts neglecting the egg and does not properly incubate the egg, chances are it will not hatch.
- Few eggs or at least one particular egg may not get fertilized during the selected budgie’s mating process.
- There may be any reproductive drawback in anyone from the Budgie pair.
Breeding in Budgies can be a stressful process for first-time bird breeders. However, understanding the physical and biological needs of these beautiful bird pets can help us assist them during the pregnancy.
Ample efforts in providing nutritious food, finding the right match for your birdy babies, helping them with a big yet simple cage, and right breeding circumstances will surely bring more junior budgies to us.
I hope this write-up has helped you in understanding all about breeding budgies. Happy Budgie Breeding!
