any tips for me?

[bmsweb]

I REALLY recommend you buy a few books on breeding Budgies. You really need to be informed in every aspect of breeding. Most books will pretty much cover the good and the bad.

If you want to breed you need information from breeders and you haven't received any information from a breeder yet. This is where books are going to be so handy, firstly for you to learn from and secondly as a source of reference you can turn to when needed.

As far as selling the babies go, most breeders sell directly to public and what they can't get rid of, they send to pet stores. This seems to be the norm for most breeders . . well the conure ones I've looked at.

[budgiebuddy]

What do you mean by selling to the public do you mean like online or outside of a petstore every weekend with a table and baby birds in cages????

[bmsweb]

No that's not what I mean.

The better breeders allow you to reserve or put your name down for a bird. When babies are born you pay your deposit to them and when the bird is old enough you can pick up and pay for your bird. Its worth understanding that you will be breeding purely for the love of it and nothing more. The reason I say this, is if you work out the hours of time and money that goes into it, you're not going to be making money out of it (Unless you go large scale). If you have to hand raise the birds yourself, with conures it means feeding them every 2 hours at least for the first week! and I mean 2 hours around the clock.

Like I said, invest some money in books and you will learn a lot.

[Michael]

Would you stop encouraging him? Do you realize that he's a 12 year old school boy who needs to focus on school and taking care of his budgie right now?

[bmsweb]

Would you stop encouraging him? Do you realize that he's a 12 year old school boy who needs to focus on school and taking care of his budgie right now?

I don't think like you Michael and I believe if you give people the right information they will come to the correct decision for their individual circumstance on their own. I'm guessing because you are a young man you're probably too young to understand that. You probably haven't worked out that saying NO to kids doesn't really work most of the time

Making informed decisions is what life is all about! Looks like I keep upsetting you

[budgiebuddy]

WOW!!!!!! I can easily focus on school,my budgie,and focus on something like this. I have tons of extra time every day and I was going to breed during the summer. I can tell you that I will probably breed even if you tell me it is not a good idea. That doesn't it is absolute but it is my desicion and you should respect it. I am starting to think you underestimate people. I really really believe that I can do this.

[Natacha]

I have tons of extra time every day and I was going to breed during the summer.

This. This is the proof that you are not ready to be breeding birds.
Don't kid yourself, you are not going to be the one deciding when these birds will mate, they will. Deciding it will happen in the summer because it's convenient for you? Maybe they won't want to, maybe it's just not their breeding season. Maybe you should read about optimal breeding conditions about these birds and if there is any "normal" breeding season before you set your mind to it. You are not ready.
And I love that you think that just putting two birds together will work...cause trust me, it takes more than that to be able to successfully breed birds.
Out of curiosity, would you wait for them to be a certain age before you try and if so, how can you know the exact age of two birds being bought in pet stores???

I can tell you that I will probably breed even if you tell me it is not a good idea.

Yeah what a brilliant idea to bring more budgies in this world, when they are already overly present on the market. Yup, we definitively need even more budgies, just because you feel like breeding them. And selling them to pet stores? Yup that's great because the other thing we need is more birds being sold by pet stores.

That doesn't it is absolute but it is my desicion and you should respect it.

No, actually we don't. Yes you are free to make whatever decision you want but we don't need to respect it, not in the slightest bit. I choose to respect the birds actually and value their lives, and by just putting two of them together because you want to breed, well that is not respecting the birds.

I am starting to think you underestimate people. I really really believe that I can do this.

You think you are the first who thought this?
I have been on forums for many years, have seen this kind of thing happen, overly confident kids/teenagers and even adults thinking they can do this and failing. Or they manage to successfully breed their pair but decide on hand raising the clutch and having most of them die because they didn't do it properly.

Yes you are free to do whatever you want, but I refuse to help you along. You are NOT ready, you need to research this way more than you have at this point and maybe, once you've actually read up on breeding birds and what it takes, you'll decide not to on your own...it involves more responsibilities than you are aware of right now.

[budgiebuddy]

I would wait till they are a certain age and I was thinking that usaully in petstores the budgies are all about the same age since they usually come from the same breeder.Now I know that breeding is alot harder than it seems and I will stop considering it. Thankyou for giving me this information I will wait till I am much older (24,25,26) and know what i am doing, and by then it might be better to breed lovebirds or something.?.?.?.?

[notscaredtodance]

I realize you already have said you realize breeding is a terrible idea, but here are some of my thoughts/stories

I'm a first hand account of the preteen thinking they can breed. I had two budgies when I was younger, a male and female, and the male started regurgitating for the female and trying to mount her, so my mom and I did minimal research, put a cardboard box up in the corner of the room near the cage, ontop of a curtain rod, taped to the wall,with a hole in it basically, and let the birds do their thing. The eggs never got fertilized, and after that, my female, who had been really sweet and affectionate to me, wanted nothing to do to me.

Breeding should be about a few things.

It is still a business, so all the money that is put into it (incubator @ $200, brooder @ $100, miscellaneous supplies @ $100-$500 etc) and the money that you make out of it (< $5 per bird (i work at a petstore and it's laughable to think we'd buy a bird for 5 dollars when we sell it for 12)).

It should be for the love of the species. Many people breed because they adore an animal and want to make it more available to others because it would make a great pet.

It should be to better the species. Throwing two of your pet budgies together that you got from pet store no doubt, is just increasing the number of inbred birds with health issues. I cannot stress how important geneology is with breeding ANY animal.

All those things said, the only people I feel are good for breeders are stay at home moms/dads with a very steady, very strong source of income. Because when caring for new born animals becomes your job, you cant really have a second job.

[budgiebuddy]

Yeah. I have to agree with what you said!!I was thinking I would be able to do this but apparently I did not due enough research.You guys talked me out of it. Sorry I was trying to do something way out of my league.I guess I will have to try later in life!I am just wansering since you guys are saying that budgies are really populiar. What types of birds aren't highly numbered species but are populiar in the united states???