How to Tell If a Parakeet or Budgie is Pregnant?

Last Updated on March 22, 2023 by Lily Aldrin

Parakeets are small size birds that live in flocks, and they also possess the same natural behaviors as any other birds breed. Parakeets also mate for reproduction, and these small birds are emotional and intelligent as well to understand and communicate with fellow birds and their owner too.

In case you are searching for info about knowing if your parakeet is pregnant, then we are covering everything about parakeets and their mating behavior as well as their signs of pregnancy in this article. So in case, you know that male and female parakeets mate to lay eggs, here’s a detailed discussion about the pregnancy of a parakeet.

How to Tell If a Parakeet is Pregnant? (Signs of Pregnancy)

To know that your parakeet is pregnant, first and the most important thing is that you must see that your birds are mating with each other. It’s important to know first that your parakeets have communication and emotion from which they are mating with one another that will lead to chances of pregnancy.

Despite the fact that there’s actually no alternate method to decide that your parakeets have mated, you may see indications of mating conduct before the mating happens. In the event that you miss the mating, you may see the female bird feathering the nest or having lots of dumps. This settling conduct is definitely not a decisive sign, however, if it’s predictable that mating didn’t happen and she’s simply preparing to lay an unfertilized egg.

But to know more about parakeet’s signs of pregnancy, you may want to check for the following turn of events.

1. Weight Gain

You will have to notice the weight of your parakeet in case you are in doubt that your parakeet is pregnant. There are no clear signs, but you might see few grams change in weight of the parakeet as an increase which means the female parakeet is pregnant.

Sometimes, it is possible that you may not be able to notice any signs of pregnancy with some parakeets, and it’s natural as there is no problem with it. The female parakeets will start to lay eggs whenever they are comfortable and ready for it. Sometimes they may also lay infertile eggs when there is no male present around them to fertilize them.

2. Appearance

You are never sure that your parakeet is pregnant and it’s about to lay eggs. You can just predict things from their appearance. The average time of laying eggs by a parakeet and its emerging period is about 30 to 48 hours. During that period, you can just look for the swollen abdomen of a female parakeet to observe whether it’s pregnant or not.

A parakeet that is pregnant and carrying eggs may not always look swollen from the abdomen. According to experts, they revealed that a pregnant female is usually not easy to judge just by looking at her appearance, so you can just make a guess whether she is pregnant or not.

3. Different Behavior

When an egg is developing inside a female parakeet, she may start to hop and climb a lot. Sometimes she flies often too. You will be able to notice this behavioral change in her. Keeping a nest box will help your parakeet to spend most of her time in it, and it will also be easier for her to lay her eggs in it.

Birds have the habit of cleaning their place or nesting area when they are about to lay some eggs. If you are unable to notice her pregnancy and you don’t provide her with a nesting place, then she will start to build up her own place in the cage. You will be able to clearly notice that she is about to lay her eggs now.

4. Physical Changes

You will be able to observe that your parakeet is using her feathers to spread around the place for nesting. She does that before laying her eggs. This type of behavior is observed in every female parakeet, even when she is laying infertile eggs.

Her droppings will become larger than usual, but she will start to drop less as close as she gets to lay her eggs. If the droppings become bigger day by day and she is unable to lay the egg, or it seems like she is straining, it is possible that she is egg-bound. Under such circumstances, you need to take her to a veterinarian for treatment.

It takes a few days after the mating process for the female budgie to lay eggs, with 18 days duration for the eggs to hatch. Typically a parakeet lays five to six eggs all at once. During the 18-day hatching period, the female stays with the eggs consistently, permitting no interference. The male is now and then prohibited too. Inside a couple of times, the hatchlings ought to have a solid, splendid color and a full development. Baby parakeets stay at the home until they are five to about a month and a half old.

5. Parakeet Mating Age

Parakeets become physically mature and ready to mate somewhere in the range of five and three years of age, contingent upon the species. These birds like to mate forever. Reproducing of these parakeets is isolated from different birds since they become forceful. Pregnant females additionally require a good eating regimen with more seeds and nutrient enhancements.

It is normally simple to observe the sex of a parakeet by the shade of its cere, which is the nubby region over its face. This shading will shift contingent upon the gender of the parakeet.

How Do Parakeets Mate?

Parakeets reach their sexual development at around 5 months of age, yet it can take up to three years with specific species. Parakeets that are keen on mating will share food with one another, moving it to and fro into one another’s mouths as a sign of love and emotion. The real mating will include some lively wing flapping when the male mounts the female.

In case that the male effectively treats the female, the main prepared egg can be anticipated around 30 hours after this process. Most birds lay their eggs soon after mating. A pregnant female parakeet will proceed to lay eggs each and every day until there are 3 to 8 eggs in the home. The female parakeet will sit on those eggs, which will start incubating in around 17 to 20 days.

Conclusion

This was a discussion on a parakeet’s pregnancy and how to tell if a parakeet is pregnant. We discussed all the signs of a pregnant female and how you can notice little things in them. For more details, ask us on our contact page or leave a comment below.

FAQ

How long are parakeets pregnant?

Usually, a female parakeet incubates her eggs between 17 and 20 days. This duration can change or vary without any reason.

Is my parakeet pregnant or sick?

There are multiple signs that you can look for sickness or pregnancy of a parakeet. These signs include decreasing appetite, increased effort breathing, change in their colors and droppings along with fluffed feathers. You should consider visiting a vet to check what is going on with your parakeet.