Removal of Nesting Box

[RockDesk]

Hi,

I'm Claire I'm brand new here and was hoping someone could help me. My budgie so far has laid 3 batches of eggs, all have been unsuccessful in relation to hatching. Is it ok to remove the nesting box from them? Or would this be cruel?

Thanks very much

Claire.

[Sarah]

You should absolutely remove the nest box and take away any further eggs. The bodily toll of one clutch is enough on a hen. Two is dangerous and three is extreme. For her health and well being, take the box away for atleast six months if not a year. Creating the eggs in her body drains a tremendous amount of nutrients. Then, sitting tight on the eggs means the only thing she gets to eat is brought to her by the male. Both male and female lose body mass in this time, as she cannot eat as much as she would like, and he has to give up a lot of what he has eaten to her.

Both of their bodies will now be depleted. You will have to change their diet to insure their good health and their ability to raise chicks in the future. You need to start a high protein, high healthy fat diet. Feed them hard boiled egg yolks, peanut butter, sugary fruits like mango and strawberry, and fattier seed like millet. Add pedialite to their water for a boost in nutrition and hydration. You should also add some fresh herb greens into their diet. Mint, parsley and cilantro are all great options. Watch them carefully for signs of weakness, being underweight or low activity. These are all danger signs for their drained state. You should keep up this changed diet for at least a month, and see to it that they are getting plenty of exercise.

[RockDesk]

Thanks so much for your helpful advice. I have removed the nesting box and have bought some strawberries. I'll try them with the egg later and see if they like it. They're so fussy!

Again, thank you for your reply, I really appreciate it and the assurance I got from it.

Claire.

[Sarah]

I'm just glad that I could be helpful! Let me know how their new diet is going.

[sguerra85]

You should absolutely remove the nest box and take away any further eggs. The bodily toll of one clutch is enough on a hen. Two is dangerous and three is extreme. For her health and well being, take the box away for atleast six months if not a year. Creating the eggs in her body drains a tremendous amount of nutrients. Then, sitting tight on the eggs means the only thing she gets to eat is brought to her by the male. Both male and female lose body mass in this time, as she cannot eat as much as she would like, and he has to give up a lot of what he has eaten to her.

Both of their bodies will now be depleted. You will have to change their diet to insure their good health and their ability to raise chicks in the future. You need to start a high protein, high healthy fat diet. Feed them hard boiled egg yolks, peanut butter, sugary fruits like mango and strawberry, and fattier seed like millet. Add pedialite to their water for a boost in nutrition and hydration. You should also add some fresh herb greens into their diet. Mint, parsley and cilantro are all great options. Watch them carefully for signs of weakness, being underweight or low activity. These are all danger signs for their drained state. You should keep up this changed diet for at least a month, and see to it that they are getting plenty of exercise.

this would make sense but I went to birds unlimited, a really good store in New Orleans. The lady there has bred parakeets for over 20 years. she says you can breed them back to back as long as they have enough calcium via cuttlebone, mineral block, and egg food/hard boiled eggs. She said egg binding could happen at any time (even the first time having a clutch ever) and it's the lack of calcium that causes it not how many clutches she had. I was skeptical but she was pretty adamant about it. Thought? I am so confused. Different people say different things regarding budgie care.

[Sarah]

This is called "double clutching." It is common practice, and it USUALLY is okay for proven pairs. However, it is not as safe as only doing a single nesting. Every time that a budgie raises a clutch there are risks, but it gets worse with each back to back laying. It DOES take a toll on their body. I have no knowledge about the correlation between multiple clutches and egg binding: I have never had a hen suffer from this. My worry is about the toll on their bodies. Any mother gives resources from their own bodies to create their young, humans and budgies included. Sometimes, hens can die of malnutrition and exhaustion from bearing too many clutches. Males can become sick from the stress of having to vomit up the majority of their meals each day to their partners.

 So long as they are provided with everything that they need, they can make it through this "double clutching" process okay, and recover the lost weight and nutrients after the second clutch. I don't endorse this because it has been proven to effect their longevity. Ideally, people should breed their budgies once a year only. Unfortunately, most breeders have to think about buisness as well as the care of their birds, and will double clutch. In fact, I have found more breeders that double clutch than those that do not.

If my own birds laid a second clutch before I could remove the nestbox, I would allow them to keep it. However, a third time, I would take the eggs from them. Their safety and health comes first, and three is just way too many. A fourth clutch might have been the end of this poor little hen.

[sguerra85]

If my own birds laid a second clutch before I could remove the nestbox, I would allow them to keep it. However, a third time, I would take the eggs from them. Their safety and health comes first, and three is just way too many. A fourth clutch might have been the end of this poor little hen.

>It DOES take a toll on their body.

That makes sense. I think they only breed once a year in the wild anyway.

>Unfortunately, most breeders have to think about buisness as well as the care of their birds, and will double clutch. In fact, >I have found more breeders that double clutch than those that do not.

This is pretty sad. I breed for the bird and the love of it, not the money. I care about the birds health first and foremost. The money always comes second.

I was just wondering because the lady at the bird store told me this and wanted to see other people's perspectives on it.

[Kathy M]

Most exhibition budgerigar breeders take two rounds off their pairs each breeding season. If your hen has laid two rounds, and raised no chicks, then there is not too much stress on either the cock or the hen.

I would always advocate taking the nest box away after two rounds of eggs.

A quality bird seed, multi vitamins & minerals added to their drinking water, and access to cuttlebone, grit, and seeding grasses or greens should be more than plenty to keep your birds fit and healthy.

[Sarah]

In general, most of us here at the budgie place do not endorse mineral and vitiamin powders in the water. Many of us have had complications, and it is always  better to have a healthy diet instead of supplements.