September 29, 2020
Budgies
What happens if a female budgie lays a clutch of eggs more than 2 times in a year?Will it affect life of a budgie?Is it very much necessary to remove nest box?
Question:
Answer:
Hello,
A wild budgie will only have one clutch per year, because the weather will change and food will not be as abundant. At this time, the nest is abandoned and they do not use a nest again until the next year when it is breeding season again. In captivity, budgies and other captive birds will breed year round unless you take steps to limit them. Ideally, you should only allow one clutch per year because this is all they are intended to have. But if rested in between clutches, they seem to be able to handle two clutches per year without it affecting their health. It is your responsibility to keep your birds healthy and prevent them from doing anything that can cause them harm. This means that yes, it is absolutely necessary to remove or block entry to the nest box after each clutch, whether the eggs hatch or not. Forming and then laying each egg is a drain on the female’s health. She needs time to rest and renew her resources before she lays eggs again. If you don’t remove the box, she will keep laying eggs, and eventually this will kill her. It may take a few years, but it will certainly cut her life span in half at the very least. Birds do not need a nest or a nest box except during breeding season. A nest is not a home or a bed – it is a tool they need for holding their eggs and chicks. In the wild it is abandoned after the chicks are weaned and the birds will build a new nest the following year. There are a few species that return to a nest each breeding season, such as some eagles. But your birds have no need or use for a nest box other than when they are breeding.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
