Surprise Budgie Baby!

[Sheather]

MiaCarter lovezebs Rox KarenB Colt So late last year, my yearling male budgie Alex and his older (4 - 5 year) hen began to show interest in a nestbox hung in the bird room, originally for our Javas to use, eventually taking it over and requiring a second nest be purchased to prevent trouble. Sunny laid three eggs in January but abandoned them after a time - they were not fertile. When she became broody again about sixty days ago or so, I immediately filled the box with plastic dud eggs, hoping she'd just sit on these and not tax herself laying more. It worked, and she sat at once on these eggs, only emerging from the box a few times a day for only minutes. For a month, in fact, Sunny has sat on these duds, so much that I'd been lucky to see her for 3 minutes a day when she briefly cameout to snarf down a meal. I figured it kept her occupied and would keep her from laying her own eggs and exhausting herself - which I think is best avoided as I think she's an older bird. I checked the nest every now and then and saw her hunkered over her duds, growling at me, but I never saw her add a new egg.

Well, as another month began to come and go, I began to forget about Sunny's nest at all, and I stopped checking it. Until today, when suddenly while cleaning, I heard peeping... I looked all around, in every finch nest, certain I must have missed a society egg somewhere and it has hatched... nothing. Suddenly, I look up to the box and Alex racing in and out of the nest. I peer in, and lo and behold, both parents are snuggled over-top a very well-fed, very well-guarded newborn chick, amidst six blue plastic eggs! At some point she added a single new egg of her own, taking advantage of the fact that this month I really forgot about her at all and didn't check her nest much, and I found it has hatched today. She laid only one, but it was fertile. I couldn't believe it.

Nature is so amazing.

[vinay]

Congrats on your budgie chick
Haha Sometimes they will find a way no matter how much you try to prevent it .

I'm currently trying to breed a pair of my budgies too . The female laid 3 eggs but refuses to sit on them at night . You're lucky that your female's maternal instincts are so strong .

Keep us posted on the little one's progress

[lovezebs]

Sheather

Congratulations Sunny and Alex.

There's determination for you. Are they the couple, where he's three times bigger than her?

I can just imagine the scenario......
He's coming over here honey.
Quick Alex, distract him, while I hide the egg!

All the best for the new baby.

~Elana~

[Sheather]

lovezebs

No no haha, that is our male couple, Sydney and Arthur.



Very curious about the new peeping sounds coming from the nestbox (the top of which is their favorite perch), but no babies of their own haha.

Alex and Sunny are these two lovies here!

[lovezebs]

Sheather

Oh, thank goodness. I was about to say, that Sunny is one brave chickie to attempt that

Just look at those two 'lovebirds' kissing in public, lol.

I hope your cutie baby gets his first baby pictures soon. I'm dying to see what he looks like. What's a good name for a surprise baby?

~Elana~

[Sheather]

I'm calling him...

*drumroll*


Sam!

Lol short, cute, easy to remember and good for either gender.

[lovezebs]

Sheather

Samwise from the Shire?
lol, don't know why that popped to mind right now .
A good solid name, for a a brave little survivor against all odds.

~Elana~

[KarenB]

Lol, as far as keeping finches and parakeets goes, nothing surprises me anymore. Usually my African finches get all sneaky and have babies the least amount of attention I pay them. Then all of a sudden I will hear peeping from somewhere.

Congrats on your little budgie baby, Sam. It's a good name. We have a Senegal named Sammie that we named before we knew her gender. It works.

Speaking of baby parakeets, we've got four Linnies in nest right now ranging from a week and a half to a few days old now. Looks like they will all make it. Usually this hen only seems to want to raise one or two and bury the rest.

[Rox]

Isn't nature naughty

Welcome to the world Sam!!!!

[Ginene]

Congratulations on the new addition! Can't wait to see Sam's first baby pic

[Sam007]

Congratulations!

[lovezebs]

Sheather

Hi Dylan.

How is Samuel Budge doing?

~Elana~

[Colt]

Congrats on the new baby. I actually became the proud parent of four or five Bourke Parakeets this week. Those little ones were hoped for though. Are you going to handfeed Sam at all? If my depression doesn't get in the way, I plan on hand feeding mine in about two more weeks until they wean.

[Jen]

Congratulations on your new baby Sam! Can't wait to see some pictures!!! I have a pair of Budgies that are spending lots of time around a nest. I've never had baby budgies, so I'm pretty excited and can't wait to see eggs!!!

Oh, and congrats to you too Colt on your new babies. I'd love to see pics of your birds also. I have one female Rosey Bourke but can't seem to get my hands on a mate for her. Her name is "Lily" and is so pretty she deserves a mate!

[Colt]

Jen are you coming to the Bird Mart in Cleburne in May? Su Yin usually has some and if my babies are ready (which I highly doubt) I'll have them as well. Dad was a Rosey/Ino and Mom is a Rubino. So I can get some pretty colors from that pairing.