Or rather not breeding!

[Biggles]

We had a pair who raised 3 chicks last September, and the hen went broody very quickly afterwards. I moved her to the main cage (inside) and she laid an egg on the floor, but showed no interest in it.
She's not shown signs of being broody again until this last few weeks. And she's desperately trying to find somewhere to lay, including the feeding bowls and even trying to make a little nest at the bottom of the cage. So I've moved her into another cage and given her a fake egg, which she is very pleased with and is sitting on it. Should I more eggs in one by one or will one be enough?
I would let her have a second brood, but we haven't currently got space. We're hoping to get an outside aviary at some point, and then she can have another brood if she still fancies it, but currently we have 3 cages and 8 birds and that is plenty!

[Hezz]

I wouldn’t give her any more unless she lays more. I’m not sure that having one egg is a good thing as I’d be trying to stress her out of even thinking about another clutch. Not toys, no nesting material, even the newspaper off the floor of the cage, nothing but things to chew and then immediately remove the shavings. If she doesn’t have things to chew she might turn to chewing on herself and that’s a much harder habit to break. If you can remove her to another room away from her mate, I’d do that as well. If you usually have perches running one way in the cage, find some to do the opposite with. If you usually have her water up high, put it down low, or the other way round, same with seed pots. If she insists on trying to use the food pots, put seed and her fresh veg on a plate on the floor of the cage.

[Biggles]

Thank you!

She really pines without her mate. She can't fly very well (not sure why, she lost all her flight feathers aged about 6 months and although she's grown them now she can't fly upwards very well.

What happens if she's been developing eggs and doesn't lay them? Do they reabsorb them or do they just stay there undeveloped and waiting?

We got some chewing toys for them for Christmas (they've got shredded paper inside) and they've already destroyed one! We'll give them another to go at.

It would be nice for them to have more chicks at some point, but we're at the maximum I think inside with 8 budgies, but we're hoping to get an outside aviary this year. I don't think she will be able to go into it because of her lack of flight though. My son has great plans for this aviary. Currently I think we'll have to pinch the neighbours garden too to fit it in. He's convinced they will love that.

[Hezz]

How old is your hen? Budgie hens have a very short window for optimum breeding. Not under 12 months and not over three years. After that time the risks to your hen become much more real.

[Biggles]

She's between 2 and 3yo. We got her end of 2019 when she was about 6 months. Dad is similar age (a month younger, I think) but no parents in common. I have her exact date somewhere, but she would only be doing one more breeding if any.

[Hezz]

👍

[Biggles]

I thought I'd give you a bit of a funny update.

She settled in the new cage, and I mixed things up and changed them round and seemed okay. Nothing she could make a nest in anyway. She did a couple of big droppings at the beginning, so I did keep an eye on her, but then I didn't see any more.

In the evenings I let them all out. She's never been as keen on coming out as the others, but sometimes comes out and flutters down to the ground as she can't fly very well. Normally only comes out for 20 minutes or so. She's got her favourite places to hang out, one being the corner of the sofa where she runs in and out of the tassels.
Anyway a couple of days ago she disappeared into there-and came out with an egg stuck to her front. Took some time to catch her and get it off, it was cracked and stuck tight to her.
So I had a look and there were three more eggs underneath the sofa. So I felt mean just taking them, she looked so proud. So I've found someone I know locally who keeps budgies and wants to expand their aviary and will take the chicks when they're old enough.
She's since laid 2 more eggs and at least two of the original ones look like they're developing.

I'm feeding her up on spinach!

[Hezz]

Oh dear. Make sure she has extra calcium as well. Put her in the sun if you can as well, as she will need the Vit D to help convert that calcium into something useful to the body. Good luck! I guess the sofa is out of bounds for humans for the time being, or have you moved the eggs?

[Biggles]

Jan 19, 2022 1:09:34 GMT Hezz said:

Oh dear. Make sure she has extra calcium as well. Put her in the sun if you can as well, as she will need the Vit D to help convert that calcium into something useful to the body. Good luck! I guess the sofa is out of bounds for humans for the time being, or have you moved the eggs?

I've moved the eggs (and her and partner) into the breeding cage and given her calcium etc, as otherwise some one will sit on her (literally) and I don't want to leave her totally loose all the time which I'd need to.
She's laid one more egg, but she got one stuck to her front this morning, and I had to get it off her! I'm not sure whether it will have damaged the egg as she was fluttering up and down.

[Biggles]

We have one baby budgie, and one egg left that I don't think is going to produce anything. The other eggs didn't look fertilised. I have left the other egg there for now, but will remove it in a couple of days unless it looks more hopeful.

It's going to be one spoilt baby!

[Biggles]

This is the one chick. Interestingly it doesn't beep much at all. I was wondering whether because it's on its own it doesn't need to ask for food-it's certainly well stuffed!