Breeding questions from Evie23

[evie23]

I'm new to budgie owning and forums like this so my apologies if this isn't the right way to ask questions but......

I have had 2 male and 2 female budgies in a cage together for about 6 and a half weeks now. I got them from a lady and i think they had been out of the nest for about a week before we got them. I don't want to breed them but was told and have read that they will only breed if they have a nest box/suitable place to lay. I have not given them this. I have a big cage with perches and branches and the bottom of the cage is a grill. I think both pairs have bonded (the white and blue and the two green). 

Today I saw my green pair mating! I am really worried they will now try and lay? There isn't anywhere I could imagine they would do it but as a new budgie owner I am really nervous that they might. 

As you said you had a pair that would mate but not breed I wondered if you knew if this is normal or possible? I would have thought that if they mated then they would produce fertilised eggs? 

So really i would like to know if budgies can mate without laying eggs? Or do i need to separate the pairs? 

Thanks 

[Hezz]

The photo will not enlarge for me, so it is hard to determine anything about these birds. If they are as young as you say, they are far too young to be reproducing. Budgies certainly can mate without laying eggs, just as they can lay eggs without mating, or even without ever having a mate. At this stage I wouldn't be concerned, but be diligent, stop any mating behaviour if you want, and read up on what to do if they continue to do so. There are ways to discourage hens from laying.

[evie23]

Nov 26, 2017 19:51:42 GMT Hezz said:

The photo will not enlarge for me, so it is hard to determine anything about these birds. If they are as young as you say, they are far too young to be reproducing. Budgies certainly can mate without laying eggs, just as they can lay eggs without mating, or even without ever having a mate. At this stage I wouldn't be concerned, but be diligent, stop any mating behaviour if you want, and read up on what to do if they continue to do so. There are ways to discourage hens from laying.

Thank you. I’ll keep an eye out.
I’ll try to upload a better photo but I’m finding it hard to use this as I’m not used to it yet

[evie23]

Here they are 

[Hezz]

They are all very young; pretty little buds.