fighting

Question
hi Leah! hw u doin? nice to see this website very active. I fell in love wit birds recently n got myself a couple of budgies. a male and a female!! the male is an adult and the female is a young one. its been 2 weeks since they came to their new home. the cage is pretty small n basic but i got them some rings, bells, cuttle bone, some boredom food etc. they were normal these days but today, was an unusual scene that surprised me! the kiddy female literally started pecking on the male like crazy. this scene made me worry. Since I am new to keeping birds, I dont want to get a biggger cage and spend a lot of money. could you please suggest me on what is wrong and the solution to this. Thank you

Answer
I'm glad to hear that you too share a love of birds and budgies!  They really are beautiful and interesting pets!

This sort of behavior is pretty common.  What's probably happening is that the male is trying to court the female, but she's not interested.  Female budgies tend to be very dominant and can hold their own pretty well.  And yes, they will peck at the male to get him to leave her alone.  Have you noticed the male bobbing his head up and down or pacing on the perch?  This is how males will try to court a female.  This pecking behavior is usually harmless, so you shouldn't have to worry about separating them or anything unless they get too violent.

If you decide that you want them to breed, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind.  The female should be at least a year old before you let her breed.  That way you avoid problems associated with breeding them when they are too young like egg binding.  If you want them to breed, you may also want to get a bigger cage.  A general rule of thumb is between a cubic foot and a cubic meter of space per bird.  You will also need nest boxes.  It's best to get two per pair so that they can select one that they think is safest for rearing their babies.

If you don't want them to breed, they probably won't just yet.  They usually won't breed unless they have a place to nest, and from what you've told me, the female isn't interested in babies right now.

I can't really offer you a solution to this problem.  This behavior usually resolves itself once they either settle down and their breeding time is over, or when the male gives up.  Keep in mind too that they've only been together for a couple of weeks, and are still getting used to each other's company.  As long as no one gets hurt, they should be fine.

If you have any other questions, just let me know!