I have a large cage with two pairs of parakeets. One pair has bonded and are now breeding. They have not laid yet. I’m wondering if I should remove the other pair and leave the mating pair alone. There has been a few minor scuffles at times but at other times they all seem fine perched together.
Hi RB,
If you plan to provide a nest box, then you need to remove the other pair. Parakeets can be colony bred, but you need a walk in type aviary. If you don’t want to breed them, then do not give them a nest box and remove anything they try to use as a nest. If the female happens to start laying eggs on the cage floor, then to be safe you should remove the other pair. Generally, sparring will occur even if all the birds are the same sex. But once there are eggs in the mix, the parents are likely to become very aggressive towards the other pair and can seriously injure or even kill the other birds.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
