How to breed parrots at home. Breeding budgerigars at home

Parrots are cheerful flocking birds that people love to keep at home. Budgerigars with bright colors are popular. If you decide to buy birds for yourself, then it is advisable to take several individuals at once, because parrots in nature live in large flocks, they will be quite bored alone, and this can affect not only the mood of a feathered friend, but also his health.

If you have been keeping such birds for a long time, then sooner or later you will have to think about how to breed budgerigars. In the article, we will answer all the questions that a bird owner may have, starting with creating comfortable conditions for the reproduction of offspring and ending with proper nutrition during the breeding season. This question is not easy, so you need to prepare in advance.

How to determine the sex of a parrot

Before you start breeding budgerigars, you need to pick up individuals of different sexes. The difference between male and female is clearly visible in the wax. This is the skin located at the base of the beak. In males, the wax has a bright blue color, while in females it can be either white or brown. From the young, it is impossible to understand the gender, since the skin on their beak is not yet pigmented, you can make a mistake when buying. This is important to know, as unscrupulous sellers are trying to sell the goods, so they can slip two males to an inexperienced breeder. However, the sex of birds cannot be determined before 3-4 months.

When breeding budgerigars at home, it is very important to select a pair that is not related. The offspring of such birds is unlikely to be viable, they usually have congenital defects and soon die. It is better to buy birds for breeding from experienced sellers or in different places. Pet stores often employ amateurs who do not know where live goods come from, so they have no idea about family ties.

How to match a parrot

If you have one parrot, and you decide to buy a pair for him, then it is not recommended to plant them in one cage right away. About a month you need to hold them in different cages, but placed close to one another. The birds will get to know each other better, but will not have the opportunity to fight. After uniting the couple, you need to observe whether they liked each other or not. It is very important. Relations in a couple are visible to the naked eye. If a good relationship has developed, then the birds will sit side by side, clean each other's feathers, the male will treat the female with food. It is interesting to watch how the birds caress with their beaks, as if they are kissing, the female closes her eyes in pleasure. Aggressive behavior or complete indifference will also be immediately clear to the observer. In this case, you are unlikely to wait for offspring.

Another important point, which you need to know before breeding budgerigars, the male must either be the same age as the girlfriend, or be older than her. To the young, the female may show aggression and not accept his courtship. Unlike other birds, it is very important for budgerigars to have mutual sympathy between male and female. Then the established couple spends many years together, jointly caring for offspring.

Budgerigar Breeding Age

Birds of this species become sexually mature already from 5-7 months, but this does not mean that at home at this age one can hope for offspring. Birds are ready for breeding by 12-15 months. At an earlier age, the female may die when laying eggs. The best period for fertilization is 2-4 years of life. Only healthy birds can be bred. This is evident in their behavior. The male should be active, mobile, well-fed, but in moderation. If the parrot is sick and weak, then the female lays either completely empty, unfertilized eggs, or the chick dies while still inside the shell.

If the parrot is exhausted, then the eggs hatch poorly, and they do not feed the hatched chicks, which often leads to the death of the young. If the birds are healthy, mating takes place on time, then the ability to breed remains up to 8-9 years. It is advisable not to overload the female, giving her a break. It is enough if birds breed 1 or 2 times a year.

Creation of favorable conditions

Before breeding budgerigars, you need to strengthen their diet. Approximately 2 weeks before the mating process, they give a mixture of eggs, semolina, carrots, add more vegetables and fruits to the diet. Be sure to first saturate the parrot's body with calcium, which is necessary for the formation of eggshells. To do this, a container with chalk is placed in the cage or a chalk is bought for hanging on the cage. Good to give pounded eggshell in a plate. Some experienced breeders, when creating conditions for breeding budgerigars, add a couple of drops of fish oil, for example, pouring them over millet.

The best time for the first mating, it is summer or early autumn. Firstly, during this period there are a lot of seasonal vegetables and fruits, parrots receive a complete fortified food. Secondly, the average favorable air temperature in the room with the cage should be from 20 to 30 degrees. Thirdly, reproduction requires a long daylight hours, at least 16 hours.

nesting house

The cage for breeding budgerigars is not suitable. In order for the female to accept the courtship of the male, it is necessary to put up a house like a birdhouse. There are plastic products on sale, but it is best if the nest fits in a wooden house. It may be plywood. Its location does not matter, it can be vertical or horizontal. The only thing the breeder needs to remember is that the birdhouse should be hung on the opposite side from the door, otherwise the female may not want to equip the masonry site due to anxiety, deciding that the place is unsafe. Sometimes the owners adapt rounded clay pots as a house. They are made of natural material, so birds also nest there with pleasure. If the bird laid eggs directly on the floor of the cage, then this must be stopped by moving the masonry and the parrot to the house. Other females may break other people's eggs.

DIY nest box

Before you start breeding budgerigars at home, you can design a house for parrots yourself. The horizontal box is considered the most convenient, it has more space for growing chicks, the female calmly enters and exits, not being afraid to crush the unhatched offspring. Product dimensions are shown below.

• The bottom is rectangular with sides - 15 cm and 25 cm. They make it from a thick board so that it is possible to make a small rounded depression in the center with a depth of 1 or 2 cm.

• Height - 15 cm. For a round inlet, the so-called notch, the diameter is 4.5 cm.
• The perch is necessary for the male to sit down while feeding the female. A round stick should peek out 10 cm from the box, and a wide step 10 cm wide and 3 cm high is attached inside. The female stands on it before entering the masonry territory.

Be sure to remove the top cover to inspect the nest, clean it or, if necessary, disinfect it. Masters recommend making nests from dried boards, they last much longer than plywood, do not dry out, forming cracks.

How to understand that courtship has begun

In the male, the wax is painted in a dazzling blue color, outwardly it becomes mobile, quickly flies from place to place, however, like the female. A loud lekking of the male is heard, which calls the female to mate. Flying up to the chosen friend, the male touches her beak, brings her food. If she accepts his courtship, then this is the first sign of consent. Another clear sign that nesting begins when the female flies into the house and takes out sawdust in her beak.

Mating occurs as follows: the female crouches low, and the male sits on her back, pressing his wings against her body. At this point, fertilization occurs.

Nest development

How to breed budgerigars at home? This question worries many bird owners. The main work has already been done. The time was chosen correctly, the birds got to know each other and liked each other, the food was chosen rationally, with calcium supplements and fortified food. The house is installed, and the female begins to settle down in a new place. First, she will climb into the building, look around. And in the event that she likes the nesting place, she begins to accept the courtship of the male.

When the time comes, the female lays eggs inside the house. You can understand the moment of laying the clutch by the movements of the tail in the rhythm of the female's breathing, the litter before the clutch itself becomes more frequent and is located, as if in a transparent bag. The process of laying occurs gradually, one egg every two days. The laying can last two weeks, more than eight eggs do not happen in budgerigars.

When the last one is demolished, hatching begins. Only the female sits on the eggs, and the male carefully brings her food in his beak, burping what he has eaten. During this period, future parents should not be disturbed; do not look into the cage unnecessarily.

The appearance of offspring

After the start of incubation, the chicks are born after 16 or 19 days, in the same order in which the eggs appeared, that is, one chick hatches every two days. They hatch completely helpless, there are no feathers, the body is covered with pink skin, the eyes are blind. The female feeds them on her own, the food is processed with enzymes from a special gland so that it is easy for the chicks to swallow it.

The chicks grow quickly, the size shows who was born before the others. If you are familiar with the rules of how to breed budgerigars at home, then do not forget, after all the chicks have hatched, and this is immediately clear from the quiet squeak from the house, pour more food on the bottom of the cage. Also, the chicks need cleanliness, so inspect the house, remove garbage and waste from it. If a chick has died, then it must be immediately removed from the nest.

Chick development

You already know how to properly breed budgerigars. Let's see how the chicks look and develop after birth. On the first day they are naked and blind, dark spots are visible instead of eyes. The body is covered with a yellowish fluff in some places. The head and legs are large, after a week the eyes begin to open. And already on the 8-10th day, short rudiments of feathers appear, first on the head and back. From day 11, the body is completely covered with down, at the same time, sprouts of flight and tail feathers begin to appear. By downy feathers, you can already determine the future color of the baby. If they are gray, then the budgerigar has the usual color, if white, then the young have turned out to be light or with an opal pattern.

The next stage of development is the growth of upper cover feathers on the wings and tail feathers. When the chicks are 3 weeks old, the feathers are released from the covers, and the birds already look almost like adults.

Conclusion

Keeping and breeding budgerigars is an exciting, but also responsible business. If you want to have healthy chicks and not overwork the female, then nesting can be arranged no more than 2 times a year. Even if the female has already laid new eggs before the departure of the chicks, they must be removed along with the house. You cannot prevent fertilization, but in the future the female will be able to rest. Happy breeding!

Before you make your first attempt to breed budgerigars at home, you need to understand that you can’t get off with just buying a pair of birds! These birds are flocking creatures, therefore, when there are only two of them, offspring from them can be expected for years. In fact, this breed has a very acute issue with the choice of a partner. Agree, it's one thing when you like a partner, and quite another when you have to endure it. For this reason, I advise you to start your attempts to breed these birds with the acquisition of at least three boys and three girls. It is possible that in this case some birds will be left without a couple, but that's what natural selection is for, in order to choose the best partner for themselves to get healthy and viable offspring.

No matter how ridiculous it may sound, but first you need to make sure that your couple is a boy and a girl, and nothing else). You need to understand that buying chicks that have not reached the age of 4-5 months is not worth it. In young parrots that have not reached the recommended age, there are still no signs by which their sex can be reliably determined. To understand who is who, you should pay attention to the wax (skin over the beak). If the bird is a boy, it will be bright blue, and if a girl, it will be brownish or white. It is also necessary to check with the seller whether it is from one brood of birds. If they turn out to be close relatives, then there can be no question of any mating.

To bring a couple together, you should place their cages in the neighborhood for 20-30 days. Only after this is it allowed to move the male into the cage of the female. If a friend does not show aggression towards the male, and they can sit quietly next to him, then she liked the gentleman. Before mating at home, budgerigars must be emotionally calm. To do this, they need at least 16 hours of daylight and an air temperature of 25-30 degrees. It is also very important to purchase a house for the female to hatch masonry. If several couples have formed, then it is necessary to purchase houses in such a way that one remains free. Otherwise, discord and squabbles between feathered families cannot be avoided. These houses are outwardly very similar to birdhouses, only their roof is removable.

After the birds have mated, more boiled eggs, semolina, grated carrots, vegetables and herbs should be included in the female's diet. It is also necessary to have a separate feeder nearby with a mixture of crushed shells and chalk powder. A few days before laying, the female will pluck the feathers around the cloaca to line the bottom of the nest - this is a sure sign that your noisy family will soon be replenished with small parrots. After 17-20 days after the start of hatching, chicks will begin to hatch, which at first will look like anything, but not like parrots))). However, after a couple of days they will begin to resemble squeaking downy lumps.

Breeding parrots is not an easy task, but it is quite doable if you approach this process responsibly.

Increasingly, as pets, people choose not dogs and cats, but budgerigars. These birds have earned immense popularity and love of millions of people around the world. Budgerigars in nature keep in large flocks, but in captivity it is better to keep no more than two birds. They gained their popularity due to the numerous variations of plumage colors. In order to keep a budgerigar, you do not need to be an ornithologist or a veterinarian, it is enough to follow simple rules. Thanks to this, many breed parrots and create entire bird flocks. The budgerigar, whose reproduction is not difficult, is gaining more and more fans. If earlier only breeders were engaged in breeding, now there are many lovers of these wonderful birds.

Features of breeding budgerigars

The budgerigar, whose reproduction is possible in captivity, requires the creation of certain conditions for the successful incubation of eggs and feeding of chicks. The sexually mature age of the bird occurs by 1 year in males and by 1.5 years in females. It is undesirable to allow parrots younger than one year to breed, as the body is weak and not ready for such a load. Only healthy birds can be allowed to lay. Pets should receive a varied diet containing many vitamins. Breeding budgerigars at home does not require the construction of large cages and special structures, a small house is enough for laying eggs. It is also necessary to put sawdust and straw on the bottom of the house. In addition, it is worth reducing daylight hours. The diet should include egg shells in small form and chalk. However, the latter should be in the cage not only during the laying period, it is necessary for the health of the birds. After that, the parrots begin to explore the house, gradually staying inside for longer and longer periods. As a rule, after a week they begin to actively mate and after 8-10 days the first egg appears. As soon as laying begins, the female begins to incubate and lay the rest of the eggs, about one every two days. Usually the female carries from 8 to 13 eggs for the entire period. The best time for breeding is autumn and spring. These are the most favorable periods for birds.

Budgerigar: breeding and nutrition

During the breeding season, the diet of budgerigars should be as balanced as possible and contain many vitamins. The diet should contain greens - dandelion leaves, plantain and others. Vegetables and fruits are also good, but it is better not to abuse the latter, they cause increased activity of the bird's stomach, which is undesirable for the female during this period.

Selection of a pair for breeding

There are lovers who purposefully acquire parrots for breeding. To do this, you need to pay attention to several points when buying:

• how much does a budgerigar cost - a young, healthy bird cannot be cheap;
• conditions of detention - cells must be clean;
• the state of the bird - it must be active.

These tips will help you avoid buying a sick bird that will be unsuitable for breeding. You should not buy both birds in the same store, as they can be from the same litter, even if the seller claims otherwise. It is important to determine the sex and age of parrots when buying, individuals up to 5-6 years old are suitable for masonry, so it is better to purchase young birds - 3-4 months old. Subject to all conditions, a budgerigar, the reproduction of which is possible at home, will give healthy offspring.

The cherished desire of the owners budgerigars is to get offspring from them. In the future, you can consider their breeding as a business. By doing this at home, it is quite possible to achieve effective results. Undoubtedly, in order to start breeding parrots at home, you need to properly prepare.

For this you need:

1. Choose the right pair (parrots for a girl and a boy), based on the following criteria:

• birds must be healthy;
• the age factor is important;
• the couple must not be related;
• psychologically match each other.

2. Provide suitable conditions for the birds:

• daylight hours;
• sufficient air humidity;
• optimal temperature of the content;
• comfortable cage and place for a nest;
• feeding.

If you are considering breeding budgerigars as a business, then you need to take the choice of a pair seriously (this also applies to lovebirds and cockatiels). It is necessary to make sure that the boy and girl are not related to each other, have different parents. The offspring as a result of inbreeding are in most cases not tenants. Other selection criteria are also important - the age of the future parents and their state of health. It is impossible to get strong, viable offspring from birds with poor health or those that are no longer young.

It is important that between the couple there is affection for each other, attraction. If there is sympathy between a male and a female, then they will live together in unison. An unusual sense of loyalty is present in the relationship of lovebirds. The fact that they are psychologically suitable for each other is evidenced by their tender relationship with each other, which is manifested in courtship, cleaning plumage. For parrot breeding as a business to be successful, you should simultaneously breed several varieties of birds.

The most suitable age for breeding offspring in parrots is 1.5 years. When a bird reaches the age of 2-4 years, it is at its most productive. An important feature of budgerigars is that they, like lovebirds, are considered flocking birds and prefer to breed at the same time as other birds in the flock. The presence of several pairs instead of one gives a high probability of getting chicks in a short time. This property of birds should be remembered if the breeding of parrots at home is supposed to be turned into a business.

Under what conditions should parrots be kept

The chances of getting chicks from budgerigars (also lovebirds and cockatiels) in cramped cages are almost zero. For birds, you need to choose a convenient place to keep them. It should be spacious, preferably rectangular, elongated in length. For all birds, except cockatiels, a cage with a length of 60 cm or more, a height of 40 cm or more is suitable. To keep Corella parrots, you will need housing wider and freer.

If the birds are kept for the purpose of their further sale and this occupation is a business, then it is preferable to place them in an aviary. For example, keep necklace parrots in a cell is not possible at all. In the interests of business, one should remember and apply the property of synchronous reproduction in budgerigars and lovebirds.

Thus, it will be possible to achieve offspring from many pairs of birds, while getting chicks with plumage of different colors, this will only spur and benefit from the business. It is most effective to engage in the withdrawal of offspring in the summer, when daylight hours are the longest. The second favorable argument in favor of summer is the large presence of various vitamins and essential macronutrients. And this is important when keeping and breeding budgerigars is carried out at home. Difficulties of incubation and feeding of chicks are much more easily tolerated by birds in the summer.

seasonality

Of great importance for business is the possibility of obtaining offspring throughout the year. In this case, some effort is required. It is required to provide daylight hours of 14-16 hours. V winter period this is done artificially, with a consistent increase in the day by half an hour - an hour. The optimum temperature should be at around 20-24 degrees, and air humidity - from 60 to 70%. To keep abreast of these indicators at home, you should buy a thermometer and a hydrometer. In order for the parrot breeding business to flourish and be successful, it is necessary to observe the most suitable conditions for birds, then they will be lively, lively, capable of breeding. And healthy, active parents have strong, tenacious chicks.

Feeding

The diet during the breeding season should be as vitamin and complete as possible. Most of all, young branches of apple trees, lindens, birches, mountain ash, and dandelion greens will be needed. In addition, the diet should include a lot of different foods: vegetables, fruits, cottage cheese, germinated grains, an egg (you need to give it several times a week). To prevent vitamin D deficiency, a drop of fish oil should be added to the feed. Also, with growth, the body will need calcium and phosphorus. To do this, you need to finely crumble the egg shell and chalk, and gradually add this powder to the feed.

Nest selection

The choice of a nest site should also be taken seriously. Properly chosen nesting site favors the reproduction of both budgerigars and lovebirds. Nests are of different types:

• vertical;
• horizontal;
• combined (compromise).

A compromise nest combines all the best borrowed from other types of nesting. In such a place, it is spacious enough for the chicks and it is reliable in terms of safety. The main disadvantage of compromise nesting is that it requires a lot of space. Your choice should be stopped on wooden nesting houses.

Lovebirds will need a larger nesting area than budgerigars. In the nesting house, disinfection should be carried out using special preparations or a hot soda solution. In order for the lovebirds to build a nest, the birds must be provided building material. Budgerigars in this case use sawdust. The layer should be about 2-3 cm thick.

In order to disinfect, you need to add a small amount of dried pharmaceutical chamomile, about 1-2 teaspoons. Nesting is best placed outside the cage, higher. Install the nest at the second entrance, if there is none, you can unscrew a few bars of the cage. Lovebirds and budgerigars need a nesting box with a roof that can be removed for easy cleaning. All actions should be carried out when there is no female.

The appearance of offspring

If the pair is chosen successfully, suitable conditions for breeding at home are created, the birds will begin to produce offspring. After 8-10 days, the female parrot will lay the first egg, then new eggs will appear at intervals of a day. They are oval, with a thin shell, the weight of each is about 2 g, the length is 19 mm, and the girth is 15.5 mm.
In wavy birds, you can initially find out: an egg with a fruit or an empty one; in cockatiels and lovebirds, it is not possible to see this. The matte-white egg makes it clear that the chicks will hatch in the near future. Often the laying of eggs has 6-8 pieces, but sometimes 10-12. The female sits on the eggs, the same happens with lovebirds. During incubation, the male is engaged in feeding his girlfriend, while accompanying him with beautiful chirping.

When 17-18 days pass, the first-born chick will appear, the next parrots will hatch at an interval of one day. After 7 days, the chicks open their eyes. By the 10th day of life, plumage stumps will appear on the back and head, 3 days after that, the young growth will be completely covered with downy plumage. At the age of one month, the chick is completely covered with feathers. At 35 - 40 days of life, parrots fly well, feed themselves, so they need to be transplanted into another cage.

Business performance

During the year, 2-3 egg layings can be expected from parrots, which are the norm for birds and will not lead to a weakening of their health. When breeding budgerigars, it must be borne in mind that birds need to rest. Successful engagement in this type of activity can be gradually turned from a hobby into a profitable business and make a good profit. At the same time, it should be remembered that the success of the event depends on the provision of suitable conditions for keeping the birds, quality care for them and a sense of affection for the wards.

Due to the fact that these species have been kept in artificial conditions for decades, they are not as demanding on the conditions necessary for reproduction as other types of parrots, especially those that began to breed in captivity relatively recently. The fact that the process of domestication in the above species is progressing can be judged by the large number of color variants and mutations currently known. Despite this, there are several absolutely necessary conditions, without which it is not necessary to count on success in breeding even these species of parrots. These conditions should also be observed when breeding other types of parrots, introducing certain changes depending on the problem of reproduction of a particular species in artificial conditions. For budgerigars of these species, lovebirds and cockatiels, three basic conditions must be met, which are necessary for successful breeding, - a sufficient length of daylight hours, the presence of suitable cages and a nesting house, and proper feeding. However, these conditions apply only to a pair of birds that have reached a certain age necessary for the reproduction of offspring. They should not be created for birds that have not reached puberty or, conversely, that have lost the ability to reproduce due to age. For these species, the most suitable age for reproduction is from one year to 8-9 years. Birds younger and older than the specified age should not be allowed to breed, because their offspring may be weakened or defective. Preparation of birds for breeding in artificial conditions should begin with lengthening daylight hours.

Cell size is also important. Naturally, the larger the cage, the better it feels. feathered friend. But not all people have the ability to keep birds in suitable apartments: there is not enough space in the apartment, there is not enough money to buy a large cage, etc. Many people buy a small cage, citing the fact that they will let their pets fly around the apartment more often. Any situation can be understood, but in this case, you should not even think about breeding a couple. Parrots in "little families" breed extremely rarely! The couple's cage must be at least 60 cm long and 40 cm wide and high, preferably rectangular. Having acquired a good cage and in full readiness to overcome all obstacles, you can proceed to the most important thing.
The process of breeding parrots can be divided into several stages:
-Pair selection.
- Making and hanging a nest.
-Trembling expectation of the first testicles.
- Care of the nest and pair during incubation and feeding of chicks.
- Removal of young parrots.
Pair selection. If you want to get a good strong offspring, the parents must be appropriate. The sex of parrots is determined by the color of the wax - the skin at the base of the beak. In females, it is brown or white, in males it is bright blue. You can most accurately determine the sex at 3-4 months, in younger birds the cere is just beginning to color, and even experienced breeders can make mistakes. Some owners immediately purchase a pair of parrots. In this case, you need to make sure that they are from different parents. Brother and sister cannot be bred, as there is a high probability of the appearance of hereditary diseases and anomalies in the offspring. Therefore, for breeding, it is better to purchase birds from a breeder than from a pet store, since in the latter case you will not know anything about the origin of the birds. As a last resort, you can buy parrots in different pet stores. Other owners do not immediately come to the decision to get offspring, but buy a pair for the parrot they already have. This option is a little more difficult than the first one. Firstly, it is advisable to keep a new bird in quarantine for a month. This is necessary to prevent possible infectious diseases, in addition, the bird must survive the stress after transportation and adapt to new conditions. When planting a new parrot in a cage, it is advisable to exercise some caution. In most cases, parrots are very friendly to a new neighbor, but there are cases of fights and even fatalities. Therefore, at first it is better to put two cells at a short distance. After a few days, the birds begin to show interest in each other and you can try to pair up. It is better to do this on the weekend so that for several days you have the opportunity to observe the outcome of events. Brawlers are usually seen immediately, and they need to be removed immediately. The younger the age of the parrots, the better they adapt to each other. In addition, for breeding, it is desirable that the pair be of the same age, or the male is 1-4 months older than the female. Females are often more aggressive and some individuals may slaughter young males.

One of the conditions for the successful breeding of parrots is the correct feeding of birds in the period preceding the nesting season. Birds that are obese, moulting or showing signs of disease should not be allowed to breed. In the case of obesity, which can be caused by keeping in a cramped room or improper feeding of birds, you must first bring them to a normal state, and then allow them to breed. When preparing birds for the reproductive period, the feed ration should be as diverse as possible and include all the necessary components, especially minerals and vitamins. Therefore, during the preparatory period, the birds need to increase the amount of vitamin feed: fruits, herbs and soaked or sprouted grains. These feeds contain a sufficient amount of vitamin E, which is necessary for the body during reproduction. Feeding with sprouted grain, together with an increase in the length of daylight hours, has a beneficial effect on the body of parrots and stimulates the start of reproduction. For the normal process of oviposition, the body of birds needs an increased content of mineral salts, especially Ca and P, a significant part of which goes to the formation of the egg shell. The lack of mineral salts during this period can lead to the so-called difficult oviposition, that is, the bird cannot lay an egg or lays it without a shell, in a soft leathery shell. Sometimes such a violation of oviposition can cause the death of a bird. In addition to feeding vitamin and mineral feed in the pre-breeding period, the rate of soft egg feed should be increased. However, it is not necessary to give it daily, it is better to give it 2-3 times a week in small portions. From the moment when the female sits down to incubate the clutch, and until the hatching of the chicks, this food should be completely excluded, since it contributes to the laying of a large number of eggs, which can lead to exhaustion of the female, and most of the eggs in such a clutch will be unfertilized.

Hanging a nest for parrots is a signal for reproduction, and nothing will work without it. Although there are curious cases when females rush without a nest, and sometimes, even if it hangs, they lay eggs in another, less suitable place, but they are quite rare and are more often observed in other species of parrots. One owner told how two females of Karella alternately laid eggs on the bottom of the cage. They seem to be very good together! Budgerigars in nature are hollow-nesting. In a cage, they hang out a nesting place like a "birdhouse". It must have certain dimensions. You can buy a ready-made nest at a pet store if it meets all the requirements, or you can make your own from plywood or a thin board. The internal dimensions of the nest are 16×16 cm, height is 25 cm. The notch has a diameter of 4-4.5 cm and is located 3 cm from the upper edge of the nest at the same distance. Under the entrance there is a perch 10 cm long and about 1.5 cm in diameter. A round cavity 10-12 cm deep is hollowed out at the bottom and 2 cm deep in the center, in this case the bottom is made of a thick board. In some cases, you can do without a cavity, but it does not allow the eggs to roll around the nest. Before hanging, the nest is disinfected with a hot soda solution (Glutex, Bio G preparations can be used) and a layer of large sawdust about 2 cm is poured onto the bottom. It is undesirable to use sawdust from conifers trees, as they contain a lot of resinous substances. So that the nest does not take up much space in the cage, it is easier to hang it outside. Some cages have a special hole for a bathing suit, which is also suitable for a nest. Birds immediately react to the presence of the nest and engage in intensive research. If everything goes well, then the first egg may appear as early as 2-3 weeks after the nest is posted. Many hobbyists who breed birds in small numbers have to wait longer, sometimes 2-3, or even 6 months. The female lays eggs every other day. She begins to incubate them after laying 2-3 eggs. In total, there are from 3 to 12 eggs in a clutch, usually 5-6.


The chicks hatch approximately 17-19 days after the start of incubation. The chicks that have appeared are more like small worms than future birds. They have an absurdly large head, long neck and legs. They are born blind and begin to see only after a week. By the 9-10th day of life, the first stumps of feathers appear on the back. At 2 weeks old, the chicks are already completely covered with fluff and feathers are already forming on the wings and tail. By the color of the fluff, one can judge the future plumage of the chick. If it is gray, then the parrot will be with a normal color, and with white fluff - with a light one. Every day the chick will have more and more feathers, and by the age of 3 weeks it will already look like an adult. If, 21 days after the last egg was laid, there were still eggs in the house, then they were not fertilized or the embryo died. In this case, empty eggs should be thrown out. I would not advise beginners to check the fertility of eggs, because. the eggs are very fragile and any shaking can cause the egg to die. In addition, in order to be sure of fertility, you still have to wait until the hatching period has passed. You need to check the masonry at least once every two or three days in order to provide timely assistance, if any. A week after the appearance of the first chick, it is necessary to clean the house. To do this, you need to catch the moment when the female leaves the nest and remove it. At the time of cleaning, the chicks must be carefully transferred to the box, remove the old sawdust and pour in new ones, and then return the chicks. It is better to clean the house with gloves, because if the female is wild, then she may not tolerate someone else's smell and will begin to pluck the chicks. During cleaning, you need to carefully examine each chick, paying attention to the paws, as droppings often stick to them, which can interfere with the proper development of the fingers. To clean the paws, they must be soaked in water and dirt removed. Cleaning must be done quickly so as not to make the female nervous for too long and so as not to overcool the eggs. They should be handled with particular care, as the embryos are very fragile and any shaking can lead to their death. The house should be cleaned about once a week. It is ideal to have a spare nesting place for this, in order to simply transplant the chicks into a new house. If the female is wild and, with any intervention (cleaning, touching the eggs and chicks), begins to pluck the chicks or even abandons the clutch, then it is better not to clean the house, but simply sprinkle clean sawdust with chamomile on top. For the first two weeks of life, the mother feeds the chicks with goiter milk, which is formed in the muscular ventricle of the female, gradually transferring them to adult food softened in the goiter. If there are many chicks, the female feeds the older ones first, and then the younger ones, since in the goiter of the female there is grain on top, and goiter milk below. To help the female, it is necessary to give sprouted grain, which contributes to the formation of goiter milk. Later, the male also joins in feeding the chicks. After the chicks leave the nesting house, only the father takes care of them, since the female is usually already engaged in the next clutch. The chicks leave the nesting area 30-35 days after hatching. They differ from adult birds only in size. If the female is not aggressive towards the chicks that have left the house, they can be left in a cage with their parents. However, it is better to transfer the chicks to a separate cage as soon as they learn to eat on their own. Especially if the owner does not have a capacious cage in which the entire brood can fit. If a couple is allowed to make as many clutches as they want, then the female can make 4-5 broods. But this should not be allowed, since more than 1-2 clutches in a row will greatly deplete the female, and the chicks appear weak and often die. Therefore, immediately after laying, you need to remove the house, even if the female has already laid eggs in it. Place the female in a separate cage, gradually reduce her daylight hours to 9 hours (10 minutes a day) and transfer her to grain feed, without additional feeding. This is necessary to stop laying. It is ideal to allow the female to make either one clutch every six months, or two clutches in a row, but once a year.