Breeding Your Budgerigars - A Guide of How to Start Up Your Own Breeding Aviary: With Tips on Aviary Construction, Cages, Birds to Pick, Possible Setbacks, Hatching and any Ailments Your Birds May Pick Up

HOUSING THE BUDGERIGAR

ALMOST too well-known for description to be necessary, the Budgerigar, up to the period of the last war when feeding difficulties became acute, was almost as ubiquitous as the Canary.

Seen caged in countless households where its playful habits, its art of mimicry and its capacity for imitating the human voice made it one of the most engaging of pets, it is bred on a modest scale by many hundreds of enthusiasts and to a greater extent by many others.

As a garden ornament, an aviary filled with many coloured Budgerigars is indeed a striking picture and youngsters indulging in their playful antics are a ceaseless source of entertainment.

A member of the Grass Parakeet family and a native of the grass lands of Australia, the Budgerigar in the wild state feeds on seeding grasses of all kinds and nests in hollows in the Eucalyptus tree where, during the breeding season, they congregate in large numbers.

About 7 1/2in. long, the wild type Budgerigar is of a bright green colour on the breast, head and face yellow with black throat spots and wings with wavy black markings on a yellow ground and a longish dark green tail; many other brilliant colours have been developed from the normal Light Green.

Possessing the usual powerful Parrot-like beak and sturdy legs with four claws, two pointing forward and two backwards, eminently suitable for climbing, the sexes can be distinguished by the wattle or cere, the fleshy, somewhat heart-shaped adornment situated immediately above the beak. In the cock Budgerigar this is blue, whilst in the hen it is whitish to nut brown, but the shades vary according to the condition of the bird; in sickness the cere of both cock and hen pales considerably and in some instances the cere of the hen changes to a pale blue, recovering its normal shade on the return of the bird to a fit condition.

Amenable either to cage or to outdoor aviary, the Budgerigar needs no artificial heat to keep it in condition and its food requirements are simple in the extreme, whilst normally it is a singularly trouble-free bird and, kept under hygienic management, enjoys life to the full, bursting with energy and vitality. It is particularly suitable for the man with limited means and garden space as the cost of upkeep is quite small and elaborate birdrooms are not essential.

Sometimes referred to as a Lovebird, a misnomer, the Budgerigar has no connection with this species, being of an entirely different family and habitat.

The all-important question of providing the very best accommodation for one’s stock is inevitably bound up with the amount of garden space available and the amount one is prepared to lay out on a birdroom and flights. Of course, if a spare room in the house is available as a breeding room and this is light and airy, one only needs to erect outside flights and shelter but whatever type of structure is decided upon, there are certain golden rules which must be observed.

Firstly, Budgerigars, whilst able to withstand any amount of static cold, do not like cold winds, draughts or damp, in fact all these conditions are deleterious to their well-being; therefore, flights should face south or west with, in an exposed situation, protection at the sides from cutting winds.

Secondly, shelter must be provided in order that the birds can obtain shade on hot, sunny days, although they appreciate the beneficial effects of the milder sun during spring and autumn.

Thirdly, all structures should be made vermin proof as rats and mice can do an immense amount of harm once they obtain access and it is easier to build them out than it is to keep them out once they find their way in. Cats, too, must be guarded against as they also can inflict damage and badly scare the inmates of an aviary.

Bearing these important points in mind, attention must next be given to the type of base on which the birdroom and flights will stand. Cement is undoubtedly the best for all purposes but is probably the most expensive. In view of the advantages of such a floor, the outlay is probably worth while. Paving stones make an admirable base, as also do well laid bricks and all such floors are easy to clean and are vermin proof.

If cement is used, provision must be made for disposing of rainwater and this can be done by laying the floor on a slight slope at the bottom of which a channel can be made to carry away the water after heavy showers. The framework of the flight will of course bridge the channel which should not be large enough to permit the entrance of mice. A paving or brick floor requires no provision for carrying away rainwater as this will soak away between the interstices and if well laid on sand or on fine ashes will give no subsequent trouble.

Structural materials can next be considered and here let me say that unwise economy at this stage may lead to rueful expenditure later; therefore make sure that whatever material is used is satisfactory for the job it has to do.

Flight construction presents no difficulties, the easiest method being to first make a series of wooden frames of the required dimensions from 1 1/2in. × 1 1/2in. timber, cover them with 1/2in. mesh wire netting and bolt or screw them together to form the flight, the top of which can be made on a frame of lighter material, e.g. 1 1/2in. × 1in.

Breeding room constructed with asbestos sheets. The windows are placed at the top, thus conserving wall space for breeding pens

Outside flights of neat design arranged in L-shaped formation

This extremely neat birdroom and flight is ideal for the small garden

In contrasting style a range of double-decker breeding compartments

It should be borne in mind that wire netting is sold in regular widths, 1ft., 2ft., 3ft., etc., and the strengthening spars of the aviary frames should be so spaced to avoid wastage of wire netting which should be of good quality and free from blobs of galvanising material. Budgerigars will attempt to pick these off with disastrous results.

As 1/2in. netting is not mouse-proof, it is an advantage to board up the bottom 3ft. of the flights with matchboarding or, if obtainable, sheet iron can be used and painted on the outside and the cost so incurred will be saved on wire netting, but if food is never placed in the flights but always provided in the birdroom, there is little danger from mice. However, it should be stressed here that food contaminated with mouse droppings or wettings can have serious and sometimes fatal effects, therefore everything possible should be done to keep these pests out.

Specimen aviary frame constructed of 1 1/2in. × 1 1/2in. batten. The corner battens are recessed 3/4in.

Section of aviary frame, the bottom half of which is boarded or covered with iron or asbestos sheets

All outside woodwork should be well creosoted and left to dry for a day or so before the birds come into contact with it, and one most important point to remember in connection with wire netting is never under any circumstances allow jagged ends to be exposed. Cover them with narrow battens such as trellis laths and so avoid the possibility of a bird being caught by its leg ring with the certain prospect of serious injury or death. It is better to fix the netting on the outside of the aviary frames although there are certain circumstances where netting on the inside is unavoidable.

A final word in connection with flights. Give as long a flight as possible, 9ft. minimum if room is available; width and height are not so important.

Dealing with the birdroom itself, line drawings are appended of two types of combined breeding room and flights. Both are recommended and whilst one is suitable for a somewhat sheltered situation, the other is ideal for an exposed position. Details of a simple flight and shelter required when the breeder possesses an indoor breeding room are also shown.

Fig. A (1): Front section of the combined breeding room and flights for an exposed situation. The window spaces are covered with 1/2in. wire netting

The reader is not asked to accept these as a dogmatic idea of how a Budgerigar breeding establishment should be constructed but they are set out as thoroughly recommended designs, combining cheapness, compactness and ease of management with efficiency and leave nothing to be desired. Should the potential breeder adopt either of them, it will be found that there is no great difficulty in their construction, but if so desired a shed of the requisite size can be purchased from one of the mass producers of these articles and the necessary alterations carried out. Here I should point out that the sizes shown are purely provisional but are the minimum recommended for overall efficiency.

Framework should be of 2in. × 2in. timber and if the structure is made in sections and bolted together, will give corner posts of 4in. × 2in. Regarding material for covering the sides and ends, ordinary weather board is not suitable as it is not draughtproof and does not give a flush interior surface which is necessary in connection with the fitting of the interior breeding pens, etc. Tongued and grooved matchboarding 5/8in. thick is quite suitable, but the best type of covering is ship-lap, a type of moulded and rebated weather board which combines a pleasing exterior appearance with a perfectly flush fitting and flat interior surface, the cost being approximately the same as matchboarding.

Ordinary floor boards, about 1/2in. thick, can be used for the roof, which should be covered with a good quality roofing felt, and a wooden floor can be added although if the birdroom stands on a cement or similar base this is not essential.

Fig. A (2): The rear section of the combined breeding room and flights for an exposed position. The window may with advantage be made considerably larger

The main requirements of a birdroom are adequate space and airiness combined with freedom from draughts and damp with plenty of light, but at the same time the minimum amount of glass should be used in order to maintain an equable temperature and finally, adequate ventilation is most essential.

All glass should be covered on the inside with 1/2in. netting on removable frames in order that windows may be opened without the fear of any bird which may have found temporary freedom in the birdroom escaping, and as a prevention against such a bird dashing itself against the glass in its efforts to escape and possibly sustaining injury.

The accompanying line drawings are more or less self-explanatory but a few notes on them will no doubt be of assistance.

Fig. A (3): Side section of the enclosure for an exposed situation

Fig. A (4): Plan of the suggested layout of the combined birdroom and aviary

Fig. A (1–4) depicts a span roofed combined breeding room and flights suitable for an exposed situation, overall dimensions 12ft. × 12ft. and furnishes an interior room 12ft. × 6ft. with a flight 12ft. × 3ft. along each side, almost wholly covered in. These should be lime-washed inside. The layout is very compact but allows ample length of flight, provision for 10 or more breeding pens and room for training cages, cupboards, shelves, table and additional breeding pens if required.

The front section as shown in Fig. A (1) requires little comment except that the glass