Hobbies And Interests
Eggs and Incubation
Ten days after mating, the hen will lay the first egg. It will then produce another egg every other day until all eggs have been laid. Most of the time, the average number is six, though they can lay up to eight. The cock will feed the female via regurgitation as the hen will not move off the eggs very often. The hen will incubate the eggs between 18 and 23 days before the first egg hatches.
Hatching and Age Differences
Eggs hatch in the order they were laid. The oldest chick will always be the largest and the first one to develop. In the wild, the staggered hatching and development helps assure the survival of at least one chick in the nest. The largest chick may get all the attention and most of the food due to its size, leaving the smaller, younger chicks to fight for survival. Without human aid in the form of the breeders, the chicks would probably perish.
Nestling to Fledgling
The nestling phase begins soon after hatching and lasts around 23 days. During this two-week period, the chick will grow rapidly, its eyes will open, it will become aware of its surroundings and curious about them, and its feathers will begin to slowly develop. Once the feathers have begun to come in and the down has begun to slough away after approximately 23 days, the bird is considered a fledgling. It will take up to a month to gain adult plumage in full and begin learning to fly.
Fledgling to Adult
Once the month-old chick has adult feathers and begins to show signs of flight, it is well on his way to adulthood. Between 28 and 35 days of age, the fledgling budgie will often leave the nest. Any chicks left in the nest will follow suit. They will all be fed by the male budgie for another week or so while they learn how to eat and drink on their own. When the chick does this, at around 6 to 8 weeks of age, it is ready to join other budgies, given a cage of its own or sold. They will not be considered adults until at least 8 months.