Budgie Breeding First Time

[naseer]

i am breeding my budgies first time . i usually have about 9 hrs of lighting and 12 hours of darkness. i have bought a bigger cage for my budgies. in the smaller cage the male budgie would try to jump onto the females back while she was eating. the female budgie didnt like it and she moved away . The male did this 2-4 times with the same result . Could u tell me why this was happening and also tell me more info for breeding my budgies. What nesting material shall i put in the nesting box. The female goes in the nesting box and comes back out. My budgies also preen each other and feed each other. My budgies are coming into breeding season / summer.

[Mindy]

I use unscented pine shavings in the nest box. It cushions the babies pretty well and makes it easy to clean out the box. They usually sell them in the hamster/small animal section in pet stores.

It could be the hen is not quite ready to start a clutch. What color is her cere? When she's in breeding condition it will be a dark brown color. Also, how affectionate is she toward the male? Does she let him preen her?