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Keeping Two Female Budgies?

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Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby Trick or 'Tiel » Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:07 pm

Alright, I'm waiting until after we get back from vacation (I'm going Saturday and will be there for about a week) before getting Bluebell a friend for her own benefit. I read in a different post that you can't keep 2 females together, but that was pertaining to lovebirds. So my question is, can I keep 2 female budgies together, or do I have to get a male for my budgie? I'm reluctant about getting a male because I don't want her to start laying eggs and potentially becoming eggbound or being a chronic egg layer. I know they can lay eggs without a mate, but getting one would mean they would mate with each other and she would lay eggs. I also don't want to deal with babies if the eggs are fertile. So please help me, should I get a male or female budgie for Bluebell? :budgie2: :budgie:
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby Navre » Tue Jul 11, 2017 5:27 pm

We had a quartet of female budgies, and then three, all living together peacefully. I don't know if a pair would react differently than a larger group.

You can swap fertile eggs out with fake eggs if you don't want babies.
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African Grey
 
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby Pajarita » Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:23 am

I've heard you can't keep three budgies together but I don't remember ever hearing that you cannot keep two hens together so I think it's OK. Only thing is, as long as you have one single female, the danger of chronic laying and eggbinding is the same as having two because it's the conditions under which they are kept that cause a bird to become a chronic layer or eggbound. And, in my mind, if I am not avoiding a risk, I would go with what is best for the bird which is a real mate and not just a companion. People obsess over chronic laying and eggbinding in females when, in reality, it's entirely up to them to avoid it and very easy to do. I've taken in chronic layers but they all became seasonal once their endocrine system was back 'on track' and I've never had a single hen become eggbound -not one in almost 50 years of keeping birds (and we are talking hundreds of them!).

If it was my bird, I would get her a male, give her the right environmental conditions and diet for them to go into breeding condition only during the spring and, when they do, I would give them a nest and check for eggs every morning so I can switch the freshly laid one with a fake one. Budgies are actually much easier than other parrot species when it comes to this because they are the only species I know of that is a determinate layer so hens don't become chronic layers like the other species do - they just lay clutch after clutch but not one egg after the other.
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby Navre » Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:25 am

We kept 3 english budgies together, in a cage smaller than would be ideal, for several months. (Until I figured out to just put them in with the little budgies and then everyone was happier)
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby Trick or 'Tiel » Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:39 pm

She's never laid an egg before so I doubt she'll become a chronic layer or get eggbound, but just to be safe I think I'll go with a second female. Maybe a male would be better, but better safe than sorry and Bluebell will still get the companionship she craves. The whole breeding season thing seems a little complicated for now; maybe I will eventually give both Bluebell and her new companion real mates. Right now, I'm just focused on getting my new GCC, which I will get after vacation, and letting it settle in before searching for a companion for Bluebell. I don't even know where I'm going to get the new budgie from yet, maybe a rescue, maybe a breeder, I just want to make sure the whole thing will work out. I am not willing, though, to get a bird that won't get along with Bluebell and get another separate cage. :gcc: :pied: :budgie2: :budgie:
Trick or 'Tiel
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby liz » Thu Jul 13, 2017 6:00 am

I had Sweetie and Charlene together. I was told that Charlene was a Charley. They were friends but never bonded to the point of preening each other.
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby Pajarita » Thu Jul 13, 2017 9:43 am

B
Trick or 'Tiel wrote:She's never laid an egg before so I doubt she'll become a chronic layer or get eggbound, but just to be safe I think I'll go with a second female. Maybe a male would be better, but better safe than sorry and Bluebell will still get the companionship she craves. The whole breeding season thing seems a little complicated for now; maybe I will eventually give both Bluebell and her new companion real mates. Right now, I'm just focused on getting my new GCC, which I will get after vacation, and letting it settle in before searching for a companion for Bluebell. I don't even know where I'm going to get the new budgie from yet, maybe a rescue, maybe a breeder, I just want to make sure the whole thing will work out. I am not willing, though, to get a bird that won't get along with Bluebell and get another separate cage. :gcc: :pied: :budgie2: :budgie:


There is no danger of them not getting along. Budgies and tiels always like other budgies and tiels. It's the way nature made them. But remember that you still have to follow the entire protocol of solar schedule, exposure to twilight and change in diet even if you don't get her a male because two females can lay just the same as one female with a male!
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby Trick or 'Tiel » Thu Jul 13, 2017 12:22 pm

Are two females more likely to lay eggs than one female alone? Because I really don't want her to lay eggs. It just puts a lot of unnecessary stress on her body, and I would like to avoid that as much as possible.
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby Navre » Thu Jul 13, 2017 12:49 pm

I think the biggest stressor for a budgie is being alone.
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Re: Keeping Two Female Budgies?

Postby liz » Fri Jul 14, 2017 6:55 am

I was given a lone female with no info on her. She laid 12 eggs in one month which was really my fault. I was taking the eggs out. Each bird decides how many eggs they want to hatch. You could replace the birds eggs with fakes as she lays them. When she has enough she will incubate them to hatch out at the same time. If they don't hatch she will abandoned her nest.

The best of the best thing to do is prevent hormones from raging by controlling their food and light.
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

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