Laying eggs under tree in soil

[milllieb5]

Hi, 

A little while ago I had a female budgie of mine dig underneath a tree in the soil and lay her eggs there, despite multiple breeding boxes being available to her. She has done this multiple times since. She has however successfully had 2 babies survive overall. Anyhow other female birds in our aviary are now copying this and digging little nests in the ground even though theres plenty of nesting boxes available. I have tried to research this and found nothing similar in other budgies. Does anyone know why they might be doing this and whether it is a normal behaviour or not? 


Thank you,
Amelia 

[helenmat]

Welcome. I'm sorry I haven't got a clue Hezz, Marianne Marlow, samwiseg, clt80 might know something? Do you just have budgies or are there other birds in there that they could have learnt this from say a quail?
Where are you in the world?

[Marianne Marlow]

Is your budgie in a cage? Just wonder how she has access to soil and a tree.

[jellybean]

They are in an aviary Marianne.

[Marianne Marlow]

Do people put trees in aviaries?
Maybe that sounds like a silly question?!

[ladybird]

I was wondering if the Avery was maybe built around a tree?

[samwiseg]

First thing that came to mind was is it to do with temperature?

Or - As as we know they lay eggs in shallow dips or bowls is that what they are trying to emulate?

So silly question are there bowls in the nest boxes?

[clt80]

I'm not quite sure but in the wild they would have their nests in holes in trees, so maybe it's some primal instinct? Once one's done it they'd copy. I think budgies would lay eggs anywhere they can, I once had Agatha lay an egg in a seed pot which she sat on until it hatched but sadly died.

Are you breeding in the colony? I've no experience of this, I brought the parents inside to a cage with a nest box. I'd be wary of fighting (hens get very jealous if another lays an egg) and also how will the chick's cope when they fledge? Will they be able to protect themselves etc? I found the mother hen wanted a second clutch and started attacking the eldest chick. Chicks went in separate cage with dad until they could eat and fly by themselves then went in the aviary.

Not sure if this is helpful or not but I've no experience in colony breeding.

[Hezz]

It is not something I have heard of. Perhaps it was the hen's way of getting away from the other hens in the aviary. Do you have more nest boxes than you have hens? Colony breeding is fraught with problems.