Unexpected Breeding

[zirallan]

I have four budgies who we originally thought were all female. I got them a large cage and set it up how we were told budgies needed with various kinds of perches, toys, and a nest box. We recently discovered that Suzy is actually male. We have witnessed him breeding with one of the females. That female and one of the others have been extremely interested in the next box. One of them (no clue which one) layed 3 eggs from the highest perch the night before last.

This afternoon, Suzy (the male) came flying across the large cage and attacked one of the females when she tried to enter into the house. He looked like a crazed birdy. When I thumped the side of the cage they all startled and the female was able to enter the house where she stayed for a good half hour. At this point I became afraid for Chompie and got an old (small) cage out of storage and put Suzy (the male) and the female he is currently acting all lovey dovey over into the small cage. It's big enough for the pair of birds but not for raising a brood, I'm afraid. I didn't have a second nesting box so I cut a hole in the side of a small cardboard box.  Suzy spent a couple moments calling to the birds in the other cage but has been since staying very close to Rella as she goes in and out of this box picking at it. I witnessed the breeding between these two birds a couple days ago. I believe it might be Chompie who is laying eggs from the perch.

My problem is that I have (probably) multiple birds about to lay eggs, I wasn't expecting eggs, I didn't want eggs, and I have absolutely no idea what to do about them having eggs. I don't have any money to get a proper box for the pair in the small cage or any supplements or anything until this weekend so now I need to know what I need to give these birds the best chance possible.. And then how to prevent them from doing it all over again (if that's possible with a male and 3 females in the same cage). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Pet budgies don't need nest box in their cage.

The word here is mating, and not breeding.

A budgie lays one egg every 48 hours or so. They can't lay 3 eggs in one day. It must have been laid in the nest box and some other hen has thrown it out over night.

They will still fight even if you give them three nest boxes. It's not about nest boxes, it's about breeding them together in one cage.

IF you want to breed them, give the pair a separate cage with nest box. (Breeding only one pair is not advisable).
IF you don't want to breed, remove the nest box and they will be all happy in the cage together.

[BudgiesBuddy]

By the way, Welcome to forum

[zirallan]

Two of the eggs were layed in the span of about an hour but I didn't see who did it. The other one appeared later that night after I had gone to bed. There were, indeed, three eggs layed in one evening. There had been none in the box, I've looked in there regularly since Suzy began getting frisky with the other birds. I had been debating for days what to do with him and I guess either I noticed what was going on too later or I waited too long, not wanting to cage him by himself, to do anything about his being male in a cage full of females.

If I simply take the nesting box out, what is going to happen to the eggs they're already holding/making/whatever they do to prepare to lay? I have small children. I can't have broken eggs randomly appearing in the bottom of the cage.

The pair is separated currently simply due to the violence displayed by the male towards one of the females.

[zirallan]

There was another egg in the bottom of the cage without the male this morning. So I guess that might explain TWO eggs broken in the bottom of the cage in one night even if not all three. A few days ago he was being extremely lovey to Chompie (the one he attacked yesterday). I guess he's really getting around.

They're all between 1 and 2 years old and they've all been living in this set up for roughly 8 months, including the next box. Why would they decide they want to start now? Nothing has changed.. Aside from old toys being swapped out for new ones, and the occasional rearranging of perches, nothing in their little birdy lives has changed. I think that's the most frustrating part.

[skysmum]

Take the nest box away, if you have anything that resembles a nest box and that includes large dishes ect they will attempt to nest. Just discard the eggs and in time things should settle down.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Jan 16, 2014 7:43:50 GMT zirallan said:

Two of the eggs were layed in the span of about an hour but I didn't see who did it. The other one appeared later that night after I had gone to bed. There were, indeed, three eggs layed in one evening. There had been none in the box, I've looked in there regularly since Suzy began getting frisky with the other birds. I had been debating for days what to do with him and I guess either I noticed what was going on too later or I waited too long, not wanting to cage him by himself, to do anything about his being male in a cage full of females.

If I simply take the nesting box out, what is going to happen to the eggs they're already holding/making/whatever they do to prepare to lay? I have small children. I can't have broken eggs randomly appearing in the bottom of the cage.

The pair is separated currently simply due to the violence displayed by the male towards one of the females.

Then the three eggs must have been laid by all three hens, one each. This is the only way to get three eggs in one night.

Just remove the nest box, and everything would be fine. They will lay the eggs which are in their system on the cage floor.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Jan 16, 2014 15:07:30 GMT zirallan said:

There was another egg in the bottom of the cage without the male this morning. So I guess that might explain TWO eggs broken in the bottom of the cage in one night even if not all three. A few days ago he was being extremely lovey to Chompie (the one he attacked yesterday). I guess he's really getting around.

They're all between 1 and 2 years old and they've all been living in this set up for roughly 8 months, including the next box. Why would they decide they want to start now? Nothing has changed.. Aside from old toys being swapped out for new ones, and the occasional rearranging of perches, nothing in their little birdy lives has changed. I think that's the most frustrating part.

There can be many reasons for that. They maybe young or not in breeding condition and so on.

[ravivadla]

Isn't life so beautiful and crazy... I have a pair mating for more than a month.... they are in separate cage.. they have nestbox... jack mating and feeding her everyday etc... but still no sign of eggs.... and in this thread... there are multiple eggs and not sure which hen laid...

not to harm anyone.. but just having a laugh that how crazy and beautiful life is.. :-)

[Hezz]

The simple law to keeping budgies is: If you do not wish to breed, do not provide a nest box. The nest box is the cause of all the problems ...... as they are all between one and two years of age, and been together about eight months, I agree with BB's reasoning - too young, not settled, nor in breeding condition before this.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Jan 17, 2014 22:26:08 GMT ravivadla said:

Isn't life so beautiful and crazy... I have a pair mating for more than a month.... they are in separate cage.. they have nestbox... jack mating and feeding her everyday etc... but still no sign of eggs.... and in this thread... there are multiple eggs and not sure which hen laid...

not to harm anyone.. but just having a laugh that how crazy and beautiful life is.. :-)

Your case happens to some top breeders sometimes as well.

Glad you are taking it in a light way And giving others a chance to have a laugh too

[kikkinu]

I have had this scenario before. Where my Aerial and My Kiwi just seem to share their boy Sunny and they like the same nest box. Last month they successfully laid 12 eggs in the same nest box out of which 8 hatched and 6 survived.

So I wouldnt be surprised in your case zirallan if you have multiple hens laying eggs. Problem is as others here have pointed out, if your cage is not big enough and you have space to put a million nest boxes for each hen to have her own territory, they're bound to start fighting over the nest box. Especially if they have laid eggs in it.

And it's only normal that the male will defend the female if the other hens are stressing her out. She normally starts making that screeching noise that we all have heard i'm sure. That's like an alarm for the male to come and protect her.