Beginning Breeding Budgerigars

Abstract

TYPESEITER ERROR-page four
was inadvertently omitted from the
original text when the following
article was typeset. 1be following text
has been corrected and includes the
omitted page which should have been
inserted on page 10 of the Oct/ Nov '93
issue of "Watch bird."
PART1
Since it is unlikely that all Budgie
hens will be in breeding condition
when the majority of cocks are, it is a
good rule of thumb to have extra
females on hand. The likelihood that
only a few hens will be suitable for
breeding at any given time can delay
your breeding plans unless you overcome
the contingency by obtaining
more hens than cocks in your foundation
stock. This plan can be used
advantageously if you have an exceptional
male which you wish to use
with several quality hens, either fostering
out the offspring to foster pairs
set up for that purpose, or allowing
the cock to remain with his last mate
of the season to rear his own chicks.
Although many beginners prefer to
start with the less expensive "American"
pet stock variety from which to
learn from their mistakes, it can be an
advantage to retain a few of the larger
"English" or exhibition size birds.
Such birds when crossed together can 

produce a wonderful, larger-size
pet bird, informally known as the
"English-American cross."
Nor should one mistake such
crosses as hybrids since they are
all (e.g. "English;' "American;' or
"crosses") of the same species, Melopsittacus
undulatus. The size difference,
or color and feather mutations
in Budgerigars for that matter, are not
hybrids but simply different varieties
of the same species. Nor should such
birds be labelled as "splits:' The latter
term "split;' or heterozygous, refers to
genes in a hidden, recessive state, and
does not apply when referring to a
cross between a large exhibition bird
(e.g. "English") and a smaller pet
stock bird (e.g. "American").
If choosing to eventually breed for
exhibition, it is wise to contact the
specialty societies for breeders who
can supply you with their culls, or
"non-keepers;' which they sell. Such
birds may be quite suitable for beginners
to breed and are often from good
quality stock. For example, the culls
from a Champion or Intermediate ABS
(American Budgerigar Society) exhibitor
may be superior quality to any
stock you may find elsewhere.
Purchasers may check the birds' legbands
as registered with ABS, which
contain the following information: the
Society initials "ABS;' the year (e.g.
1993), the number bird bred that year
(e.g. "105"), and the breeder's individual
registered code (usually one or
two numbers plus a letter, e.g. my
code was "33R"). Usually the serious
breeder of exhibition or line-bred
birds will purchase traceable, seamless,
closed legbands from the
national society and such breeders
may be traced back by their band
code. Beginners now also have the
option of purchasing bands either
through the Society of Parrot Breeders
and Exhibitors, or the American Federation
of Aviculture, which may be
good options when first trying one's 

hand at producing babies, or before
banding for more serious competition
at future Budgie specialty shows.
PART2
Colony vs. Cage Breeding
Whichever method one chooses to
breed Budgies, whether colony breeding
or individual cage breeding one
pair to a pen, it must be realized that
Budgies, in their natural habitat, are
by nature colony breeders. That is,
they will generally not go to nest
unless they are stimulated to breed
through the sight and sound of other
Budgies around them. Therefore, it is
generally recommended that one
starts out with at least a minimum of
six birds, or three pairs, placed in such
a manner so that they may all see and
hear one another, or else additional
birds may be required.
Colony breeding may be suitable if
one is only interested in producing a
quantity of Budgies, as opposed to
concentrating on the quality of offspring
produced. Special attention
must be given to providing enough
space for the flock so as to prevent frequent
outbursts of aggression or fighting,
and may, in fact, require close
monitoring of behavior to catch trouble
before a tragedy occurs.
It is best to set up an even number
of pairs and remove any unmated
birds by the start of egg laying, so that
harmony in the colony can be maintained.
Approximately one third extra
nestboxes, to the number of pairs
housed, should be provided to offer a
choice to the occupants, and cut
down on the number of arguments or
territorial fighting by pairs who opt for
the same nesting site. Otherwise, hens
may fight to the death over specific
nestboxes. In the colony breeding system,
a careful monitoring of breeding
activities is necessary and boxes must
be taken down before pairs begin a 

third clutch, otherwise breeding will
go on endlessly, with chicks hatching
approximately every 12 weeks, and
pairs becoming quickly ill and
exhausted.