How to Grow Baby Budgies

The term ̶0;budgies̶1; refers to budgerigar parakeets, or a species of small parrot featuring a long tail and small build. There are two main breeds of budgies, American and European. The European version is larger and more expensive. For the owner breeding show birds, the European version is often chosen, as the breed has been cultivated for show quality for generations. When choosing to cultivate either breed, care should be taken to ensure each chick̵7;s survival, as cultivating budgies begins before the eggs are even hatched.

Things You'll Need

  • Electric heating pad
  • Shoebox or small wood box
  • Cloth rags or pine shavings
  • Formula for baby birds
  • Vitamin supplements
  • "Egg" food
  • Small plastic syringe
  • Bird cage (or two)
  • Vegetables and fruit
  • Millet sprays
  • Cuttlebone
  • Spray bottle
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Instructions

  1. Raising Budgies with Mother and Father

    • 1

      Feed the male and female pair soft foods, consisting of soaked oats and vitamins. Also feed them an ̶0;egg̶1; food, or a supplement that pet stores carry, which ensures healthy offspring.

    • 2

      Place a nest box into the cage and allow the female budgie time to investigate it. You can place pine shavings or strips of cloth in the box, but these are not necessary.

    • 3

      Avoid making loud noises near the birds once the female begins to lay eggs. Disturbing the nest may cause her to abandon the eggs.

    • 4

      Keep the bird room comfortable and keep the humidity down to about 60 percent.

    • 5

      Allow the mother to lay three to five eggs (the standard litter size) over the course of one to two days.

    • 6

      Check the eggs after the 18th day to ensure they are beginning to hatch. Budgie eggs tend to hatch in the order in which they were laid.

    • 7

      Allow the mother to rest on her hatchlings for the first few days after birth to keep them warm.

    • 8

      Transfer the baby budgies to a larger cage after seven to 14 days once they begin to leave their nest box and eat seed off the cage floor.

    • 9
      A cuttlebone allows the budgie to get calcium in its diet.

      Give the babies fresh seed and water. Supplement them with fresh fruit and vegetables daily, as well as cuttlebones and millet sprays on occasion.

    • 10

      Mist birds with a spray bottle of warm water on occasion for bathing purposes.

    Raising Budgies by Hand

    • 11

      Place your nest box containing rags or pine shavings on top of a heating pad. Keep the pad on its highest setting, or 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep it in a room free of drafts and out of direct sunlight.

    • 12

      Feed the baby budgies baby bird formula, which can be purchased at a pet supply store, from a plastic syringe. Allow them to eat until they are full. The birds should eat every two hours at 1 week old and every four hours at 3 weeks old.

    • 13

      Wipe off excess formula from their beaks and feet, as a hardening of formula on these parts can be crippling during a growth spurt.

    • 14

      Wean the baby budgies off formula at 6 weeks by giving them standard bird seed, along with vegetables and fruit.

    • 15

      Transfer the baby budgies to a larger cage once they begin to leave their nest box and eat seed off the cage floor, which will be when they are about 7 to 14 days old.

    • 16
      Millet sprays are a healthy snack for budgies.

      Give the babies fresh seed and water. Supplement these with fresh fruit and vegetables daily, as well as cuttlebones and millet sprays on occasion.

    • 17

      Mist birds with a spray bottle of warm water on occasion for bathing purposes.