Budgie Babies and why you shouldn’t breed

It is common for bird lovers to breed their pet birds at home. Many times, people prefer to bring a pair of little birds home in the hope of breeding them in the future to get a cute little Budgie babies Budgie owners are no exception. It is quite rewarding to breed these cute little creatures.

You can consider experimenting with a variety of colors. But there are situations when you should not consider breeding your Budgies. You need to know about these instances before you begin with the breeding process.

Let us explore these reasons for not breeding your Budgie in detail here:

Related pair

When you are planning to breed your Budgies, you need to determine their relationship. If you brought them home from the same pet shop, there are high chances of them being siblings. A closely related pair is a strict ‘NO’ for Budgie breeding. There have been several instances of genetic mutations while breeding a related Budgie pair. So, if your Budgies are close relatives and you try to breed them, the chances of deformed or stillborn chicks are quite high. The risk reduces with a gap of at least two generations. However, it is best to breed completely unrelated Budgies to entirely avoid the risk.

Tip: To determine the relation of your Budgies, you must get your birds tested by an experienced vet. This would help you know whether to go ahead with the breeding process of your Budgies or not.

Sexual immaturity

Sexual immaturity is the most common reason for not breeding your Budgies. It is inappropriate to breed your Budgies that are below the age of sexual maturity. The minimum age of one year is suitable for beginning the Budgie breeding process. However, it is best to wait until your Budgies reach 18 months of age. The upper age limit for females is 3 years while that for the males is 6 years.

Tip: If you have a Budgie pair and are unaware of their age, you shall consider taking your vet’s help. He can determine their exact ages and give you an indication of your birds’ sexual maturity.

Saturated breeding

Another situation deterring further breeding is an already saturated level of breeding. A pair already having laid at least two clutches in a season is enough of depleted essential nutrients and minerals. More breeding could be fatal for the pair, especially the hen. The cock also fears the risk of experiencing an imbalanced nutrient profile in his body. Additionally, the rearing of chicks after hatching strains the pair a lot to face it all over again shortly. You may lose your hatched budgie babies.

Tip: Always feed the pair a balanced diet before the breeding period until late after the chicks have hatched. Do not breed budgies for a third clutch in a season.

Unbonded pair – No Budgie babies

A poor bond or absence of bond is one of the reasons why you should not breed Budgies. You might fail in your venture in such a case. You will have to wait till your Budgies start bonding well. But, there are cases when two Budgies do not go along well even after months of effort. Continuous bickering between them would give you an indication of them being unbonded.

Tip: You can consider bringing a Budgie pair that is already bonded. If two birds have spent time in the same aviary and go along well, there are high chances of them turning into mates.

Calcium deficient

Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals in our bodies. Every living being needs it for stronger bones. But birds need them more for laying eggs without compromising on their health. Low calcium reserves would mean that the birds should not be bred. The reason being that it would not only result in low-quality thin-shelled eggs but also cause multiple health complications for the bird.

The budgie gets greatly exposed to the risk of egg-binding that could be fatal for the bird. Calcium regulates smooth nerve functioning and lack of it results in nervous disorders, especially self-mutilation, fear, and aggression. More often than not, a depressed or aggressive bird ends up eating his own eggs/chicks, thereby making breeding a failure.

Tip: Many people including breeders think that cuttlebone is enough to fill up budgie’s calcium reserves. But these types of calcium supplements have calcium in a form that is difficult for the bird’s body to absorb. It is always preferred to provide calcium through a natural diet instead of supplements.

Unfit for breeding

A budgie unfit for breeding wouldn’t prove successful at it. The reproduction process works just like us humans. If we are unfit for conceiving, the eggs either do not fertilize or the complications arise later. Similarly, some budgies might be unfit for breeding and poor and imbalanced diet accounts as the major reason. Budgie babies need healthy parents.

A routine diet of a budgie mostly comprises carbohydrates and fat, hence, the imbalance. For breeding successfully, proteins are a must apart from other Vitamins like A, K, D, etc. Lack of any of these while breeding would put the bird’s health at risk. Hence, the budgies should not be bred in such a case.

Tip: One of the best ways to know if your budgie has an optimum nutrition profile, you must get the bird tested to know about his breeding abilities. This would help you from putting stress on your bird’s health. Additionally, it will also be a great way to know that your bird needs care, irrespective of breeding issues.

Final Thoughts

There are a variety of reasons for not breeding your Budgies but your love for the birds is beyond these limitations. If you consider making changes to all the situations mentioned above and provide a suitable breeding environment for your little pets, you will be successful in the Budgie breeding process. This will be a magical journey for all the Budgie parents and enrich their lives with beautiful experiences. Don’t forget to prioritize the health of your Budgies. Healthy Budgie parents you get healthy budgie babies.