New to breeding budgies

[emmydoos]

Ok so I recently lost my first budgie and I was looking to get two more and breed them. I have done some research into breeding budgies and it seems very hard and time consuming but also rewarding when you see them go to lovely new homes I know that the budgies and the babies will need a lot of care and attention and I'm willing to give everything I have to offer them. Anyway I am a beginner budgie owner and I'm only 15 years old. I have some questions:
do you think I should try breeding or not bother in case it all goes wrong? I think it would be a nice hobby to have and I am getting very excited reading up about it.
will it be expensive to get everything and bring them up?
should I just stick to having two budgies and when I'm more experienced try breeding? (If so which gender combination goes well together?)
i am actually home schooled so I don't have to worry about stuff like hand feeding at certain times and checking on them because I will always be at home. Sorry about the long post I am just very curious and want to learn about everything budgie related thanks for any help given!

[Azurei]

Hello, you're totally right, it is hard work, and once all the chicks are fledged it's quite a relief knowing they are more or less in the safety zone and it gets a little easier, and that's with just the few chicks I've had it is so worth it though when you see cuddly tame babies settle so well in their new homes, it's one of the best feelings

Being home schooled will help a lot, also I find researching everything that could possibly go wrong, and having the supplies ready really helps, the only thing I've ever had trouble getting is a crop needle but they can be bought online if one looks hard enough I use it for sick birds, giving medication etc, makes it much less traumatic for the bird and reduces the risk of aspiration dramatically. Most of the hand feeding supplies you will need if things go wrong are readily available online or in pet stores but quite expensive. The only major problem I can see in your plans would be finances, for example a reusable syringe that attaches to a bent spoon is one of the better hand feeding tools, rather than just the spoon or syringe on it's own, it keeps the food warmer longer and the spoon is easy for chicks to feed from, and this can be expensive on it's own(well I think it is for what it is!) but it's well worth having, anything that makes your life easier when things go wrong is a bonus formula can get quite expensive too. I've had budgies almost 2 years and in that time their supplies, cages and vet bills have run up into the thousands I have a lot of birds though I admit

Many people also find budgies are more reluctant to breed without the sound of several other budgies, the noise really helps, some find using a radio works.

If you decide to go ahead I hope you do a journal breeding journals are enjoyable and it's also great to look back and see how the family has progressed, plus it helps you keep a track of the dates your chicks hatched and what they looked like at each stage, it makes a great record!

[phoebe]

When it goes well it's magic. I have only had one clutch so can't really give that much advice. I read everything I could before and still made the mistake of only looking to buy the formula a week or two before they were born. Nobody had any for sale. By the time my avian vet got mine the babies were grown up. Making a video is really worth while and immortalized the experience.
You might recognize little Allie in this video.

She was an impeccable mom and Noah an impeccable father.

[BudgiesBuddy]

You can run into many problems by breeding just one pair, especially as a first time breeder.

So I would suggest that you take it slowly and gradually. Firstly acquire two pairs of budgies, maybe one now and another one a little later. Enjoy time with them and learn about them and their individual characters. And over the period of time, keep collecting things for your breeding, as it costs a lot to get breeding setup, food and supplements, etc.

[lockyevans]

I had an aviary between the ages of 10 and 16. My budgies successfully bred and raised numerous chicks. It took little to no more effort than keeping them. Majority of members will tell you the difficulties; however, for the most part these are people breeding show/exhibition budgies or people selectively breeding for any other purpose. If you desire, you can just give them enough space in a cage, include a breeding box, and let nature occur. My birds raised numerous chicks without me intervening.

Long story short, it's only difficult if that's how you wish to make it. You can breed budgies, or let budgies breed, by simply giving them the adequate housing and resources they will require.