The fat soluble Vitamins, those found in Cod liver oil and wheat germ oil, can be toxic in high levels. Don't be tempted to increase the dosage. Too much of these supplements will give you very dead birds, not very healthy ones.

In the wild, Budgies nest in holes in trees. In captivity, these birds use nest boxes, generally constructed of wood. Unless you own a lumber yard, you are better off buying the nest box.

Keets don't build a nest like Canaries, Finches, Robins, or Pigeons.

Breeding cages can be constructed out of one inch by one half inch welded wire mesh, bent and fastened with "J" clips.

I liked to use a cage 24" by 18" square, with the nest box on the front. One pair of birds was kept per cage. The birds lived their whole lives in the cage. No flights were used. Breeding was started/stopped by installing/removing the nest box. I found it very stressful to the Keets to move them in and out of the flights. The security of a "home" cage resulted in much better breeding results.

Half-inch by half-inch "baluster" board makes the best perch material. If you've got to use dowel wood, run a hacks saw down it, as the smooth wood is very uncomfortable to the bird's feet. Perches can be cleaned with a solution of pine oil and bleach in very hot water. This is good for the nest boxes, too. Dry in the sun.

Pine shavings are very good inside the nest box. It's said that cedar shavings are poisonous, but I've never observed any bad effects on either the breeding pair or chicks.

These are social birds. A single pair will very rarely breed. Four pairs, in the same room, are the minimum for successful breeding. There are many exceptions to this rule, but if you really want to raise Keets, start off with a number of pairs.

Keets are ready to breed by nine months. I've seen hens as young as five months old produce healthy nests.

If you do not wish to put the time into training a Keet, if somebody is not always home, or if you can not obtain a very young bird, you can still enjoy the pleasure of Budgies. In this case, get at least two birds. Try to get either two males, or a male and a female. Two hens will just sit at either end of the cage glaring at each other. With a friendly, little group, the antics of the birds and the cheerful chirping will never cease to amuse and entertain.

If you at first acquired a single Keet and now want to get a buddy for the bird, don't immediately put the new bird in the same cage. Imagine coming home to find a stranger plopped down in front of the TV! Put the new guy in a separate cage, right next to the original bird. When you see them playing through the bars , then they can be placed together.

Egg binding can be caused by a lack of calcium, so be sure that a mineral grit and cuttlebone is available at all times. Vitamins are needed for calcium to be utilized by the bird's system, so be sure that all aspects of nutrition are correct.