6+ YO Budgie Has First Clutch, Male Just Died - Basic Advice Needed

[HappyBirdSongs]

Greetings!

We've had our 2 budgies since 2008. They were hand-me-downs from a relative so true age is unknown. Back in 2009 they seemed to be getting cozy so we bought a nesting box that has been attached to their cage this whole time. The intent wasn't to breed them intentionally, but to provide them a place in case that's what they had in mind. They would visit the box, but there have been no eggs for all these years. Male died yesterday (06/05). Female was staying in the nesting box - I figured she was mourning. This morning, she came out, so I checked. Two little eggs in there - Fleur's very first clutch!

I love the idea that our male, Lee, might live on through the chicks. But I have no idea what I'm doing! Hopefully, Fleur does.

Googling provides lots of info, but it's almost too much to process. I'm quite sure she needs a special high-calcium diet, but I can't find much on what that should be or if there is anything available commercially. Also, I've read that the male assists the female by feeding her while she's incubating (or is that just in the wild?). But with Lee having just passed, that's not possible. Is there anything special I should do for Fleur?

It should be noted that she won't let me near her. Lee would perch on my finger. But even after years of trying, Fleur still flies to the top corner of the cage to escape me. When cornered, she bites. Which doesn't bother me (she's safe and well cared for, so I don't feel slighted by not having a cuddle buddy). But it will hamper anything I can do for her when it comes to helping with this new development.

Are there any Budgies for Dummies instructions for a newbie with an accidental clutch being raised by a single mother?

 

[willygog]

lol well as a breeder of budgies for years i can tell you that it will be fine,, easy really... first off leave her to her thing, as far as gritt goes crshed oystershells are just fine, along with budgie gritt, one of the things i did with breeders was to supply them with a rich diet side dish,

But the only thing you can do now is keep food available for her, as she will sit those eggs hard, at first they eat a "milk"produced by the parents, you female will do so too ,, but dont put anything in the box to help.. she will come out and eat enough to live, and still hatch those eggs,, (she could abandon) or even lay another egg.. and it could still be fertile if its been a few days, but till the chicks are hatched and going a few days when you see seed bits in there crop you can add what is a breeding mash, it is the rich side dish i mentioned earlier.
You make it with powdered baby food like oat or wheat pablum gerber dry baby food,, .. hard boiled egg, germenated oats, throw some budgie seed in a jar with a wet sponge, wait a few days.. pullem out an rinse them off,,and powerder vitamins if you wish.. blend it into a paste,, and serve to mom, if she has chicks hatch,, she will feed them with that mix.. you can even add a small drop of coke..and a drop or two of water to make it quite damp.. not runny,, and you'll have babies, it takes an overage of 20days to hatch and 30days there outta that box.. and eating and doing there thing..

So if they go to babies thats what to do.. if not sorry you lost.. its all up to the girl, some sit like there a statue some run around, there supposed to spell off but yours can't do that..

If you have more questions ask away

Oh and one more thing, that mash is to be refrigerated if you have more than what they will eat in a day.. If you leave it in there and they eat it the egg can go rancid and poison them,, slim chance but if you feed it remove it at night and toss it.. new batch from fridge can last about 7 days.
I made mine more like crumbled egg with powderd coating and they do love it once they discover it..

 

[HappyBirdSongs]

Thank you so very much for the advice! Now I know what do to for Fleur and I'm all ready for the next step. It's going to be a long 20 days! Fingers crossed that the eggs (we're up to 3) will produce live chicks. I'll probably panic again if it comes to that, but I can only leave Fleur to do what comes naturally and hope for the best.

 

[willygog]

ya she should do just fine, and likely one if not two of those eggs or possibly all three.. i wouldnt hope for a 4th to be fertile, even if she lays them.. in a week you can go in and candle them for fertility, just shine a light thru the egg,, if there is red in there its fertile, and if you have a good light and its been long enough, you can even see the heart beating, its the second thing that grows right after the veins start going around the egg.. its pretty cool really... after they grow enough the egg is just dark and no light goes thru..

Your big concern would be here abandoning them,, but there perky little birds.. nature has a way

in a constant breeding scenario they dont lay well after three or 4 yrs.. but i have a buddy that is breeding english show bugies right now that are 6 yrs old .. remember the life span of a wild budgie is 22 years.. in the wild they breed all thru there lives.

 

[HappyBirdSongs]

Update: we wound up with 4 eggs, but I know the fourth could not be fertile. Fleur faithfully sits day and night. I haven't candled the eggs because if I go anywhere near the cage when she's out of the box, she immediately goes right back in and gives me the evil eye. I'm afraid if I disturb the nest she'll abandon them.

At this point, my concern is that she's doing all this for nothing. She laid the first one 06/03 or 06/04 and the last on 06/09 or 06/10. Up until the last egg, she didn't care much if I peeked into the box and was spending more time out and about than on the nest. She didn't disappear into the box (only coming out for a bite of food) until a day or two after that 4th egg was laid. So she's been sitting non-stop on those eggs for about 3 weeks now.

She sings to them, a low trilling little song that she and Lee used to sing to each other when they thought we weren't watching (what we called Happy Bird Songs).

I've discovered that I can see into the box if I stand "just so" behind the cage and shine a flashlight through the entrance. Even that gets her dander up, but I only need a second to see that there are 4 eggs in there - and no chicks. I don't do that often because I can only do it when she comes out to eat and I don't want to condition her to think that eating = danger for her eggs. And if I continue to disturb her meals by obsessively checking on those eggs she won't get the nutrition she needs to continue brooding.

And don't think she doesn't know how many eggs she has! When I dared to get too close one time she rushed to the box and I could see her touching each egg to "count" it. When she knew all were accounted for, she settled down.

So, I'll continue to check every day or two for chicks and, fingers crossed, I'll have some grandkeets soon.

 

[HappyBirdSongs]

Further update: Fleur abandoned the nest this morning. Walked out this morning and never looked back. I candled the eggs and the darn things weren't even fertile. Sigh. Thanks for the assist. Sorry it didn't work out.