Owning a parakeet (aka budgie) does not only include regular feeding, care, and petting – when grown, it eventually becomes a lovebird, seeking a partner. But the males might become more aggressive in this quest, putting the life of the female budgies at risk.
Other than that, bird owners might not want their female budgie to lay eggs due to several factors. So, how to do it? How to stop a male budgie from mating with the female?
I Don’t Want My Budgies to Breed!
If you don’t want your budgies to breed, you should pair female with female and male with male. That way, you will never have to worry about your parakeets mating and bringing a couple of baby budgies into the world.
But as housing budgies of the same sex leads to more fights, budgie lovers tend to house budgies of the opposite sex. If you have done the same, continue reading to learn how you can discourage your budgies from mating.
How to Stop Male Budgie From Mating With the Female?
To keep a male budgie away from the female one, neutering him is an extreme step that may entail several risks. So, if you want to keep your male budgie away from your female, here is how you can do it without neutering him:
Remove Hiding Places
Make sure you do not have nest boxes or any hide box in your budgies’ cage. Being a perfect place to hide, nest boxes can easily trigger breeding behavior in budgies of the opposite gender. Next, you should also make sure there is nothing in the cage that resembles such boxes or has the potential to become an excellent hiding place.
Besides discouraging the male budgie from mating, it will also keep the female from laying eggs since, being a cavity nester, she would not be able to find a dark, hidden place.
Keep Watching
It is in your best interest to keep an eye on your male budgie. As soon as he makes any move on the female, hush him up. Do this a couple of times. However, you cannot keep doing it all the time. In that case, you can take the help of smart cameras and speakers to monitor the situation and take necessary actions remotely.
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offers a camera, speaker, and night vision mode. You can keep an eye on every deed of your birds by sitting somewhere else. |
Put Out the Lamps
Budgie owners make a common mistake by keeping the cage illuminated even after the night falls. Being in light for longer periods gives a false idea to the budgies that the days are long and the summer season – the mating time – has arrived. Thereafter, they release the breeding hormones and the chances of mating increase. To suppress this erroneous alarm, especially in your male budgie, never leave the cage illuminated beyond six in the evening.
Did You Know?
The artificial light method is very helpful for the poultry industry. Indoor chicken farms are kept illuminated artificially to keep the birds breeding and laying eggs throughout the year.
Keep Your Budgies Busy
Flood your budgie-buddies’ cage with numerous, diverse toys. Since male parrots are generally more playful and outgoing than females, they are highly likely to spend time and energy on such toys. If your female budgie also heeds to the toys, it would be a plus.
Being busy in playful activities, your budgies might put the mating schedule on the back burner. Take a swing, for instance; you might find your pets hung to it literally for hours because of the fun atmosphere it creates.
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Has a multicolored woven cloth that soothes a parakeet, keeping the boredom away. It also includes a bell for extra fun. |
Caution!
Never put the toys in your budgies’ cage that stimulate sexual behavior. Toys with mirrors, for instance, can promote a male budgie to mate with his reflection. Once aroused, he will most likely go for the female budgies present in the same cage.
Be Specific in Feeding
High-energy foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are known to promote sexual behavior in birds in the wild. To reduce sex drive in your male budgie, offer him high-quality pellets and mix them with small amounts of fruits and vegetables.
You do not want to deprive your pet of his vitality by cutting on his high-energy foods – you only have to regulate the intake for appropriate consumption and savory.
Read: What Do Parakeets Eat?
Mobilize the Cage
Keeping the cage in the same place for longer periods can get the budgies bored, inducing sexual behavior eventually. Even the toys will not help at this stage. To help with this, change the location on a daily basis.
Try putting it in the sun during the daytime as it will help your budgies absorb vitamin D and maintain the circadian rhythm besides keeping boredom at bay.
Pet the Male Budgie Carefully
All birds love to be petted, and parrots are no different; nevertheless, owners should be conscious of the fact that stroking budgies under the wings, down the back and the tail, and near the vent area is a huge turn-on for them, akin to foreplay in human beings. As these touches release mating hormones, birds in the wild do it with each other only during the specific season.
If you pet your male budgie that way and put him near the female, you would be increasing the probability of them mating unknowingly.
Separate the Male and the Female
Among the few last resorts, separating the cages of your male and females may work. It will surely keep the male from making any advance on the female. However, you can keep the cages close together so your pets do not get bored. If you lack space, double compartment cages will work great.
Check With an Avian Vet
If all methods fail, the only hope would rest in seeking professional help. The vet will deal with the hormones of your male budgie to know the cause and come up with different medically safe ideas to reduce the chance of him inseminating the female budgie.
How to Tell if a Male Budgie Wants to Mate?
Knowing the signs your male budgie wants to mate can help you take necessary precautionary measures before he proceeds to breed with the female.
Beak Color
Both male and female birds undergo some physical changes when they are aroused. In male budgies, the cere is normally light and blue-shaded, but it becomes dark blue when they seek mating.
Flirting
The male becomes very affectionate with the female when he is turned on. He will start nibbling and grooming her. He will also become showier, making noises, fluttering, and displaying his colors. Besides, he will feed the female regurgitated food.
Conclusion: How to Stop Male Budgie From Mating With the Female?
You can keep your male budgie from mating with the female by removing hiding places, turning off the lamp during nighttime, keeping your budgies busy with interesting toys, and changing the cage location every other day. You can also hush away your cock every time he makes a move on the hen. If nothing seems to work, you can consider separating your budgies and limiting high-energy foods.
That said, be more vigilant about your birdy pets, and know the signs they show before mating to take timely measures.